Many managers dread board meetings.
They don't know what's going to happen or who is going to ask a question that challenges their ability to effectively lead.
Wait, what? That's a big leap.
But it's a leap I, and I know many others, have made.
No one likes to be questioned, especially in a group of people.
I used to answer questions from the position of justifying my actions, and then I would stew about it after the meeting.
We All Want What's Best for the Organization
This approach rubbed many board members the wrong way.
And I was fortunate their response was to supply me with an executive coach.
That was where I learned to approach every question from the perspective that we all want what's best for the organization, and that board members sometimes don't understand the thinking behind a decision but would like to.
Educate, Don't Defend
So instead of jumping to the assumption that I needed to defend my decisions, I changed my perspective to "this is an opportunity to educate."
That one mental shift made a huge difference.
No longer did I automatically approach every question as a challenge, but an opportunity.
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