Call the Meeting.
This article is part of Finding the Words, a newsletter that delivers practical insights on the day’s issues.
If you know a little bit about me as a leader, you know I am not one for unnecessary meetings. I’ve never appreciated meetings for the sake of them, and if there’s no clear agenda, I’ll ask why the meeting is needed before I show up.
However, I am also the first to admit that sometimes the meeting is exactly what is needed to break through.
This was the case last week for the NBA’s Golden State Warriors.
After dropping two straight games to the Houston Rockets, the Warriors bounced back on Sunday, winning Game 7 by a score of 103-89 to advance to the conference semifinals.
So, how did the Warriors regroup? And what’s this have to do with meetings?
According to Coach Kerr and several Warriors players, that brilliant win came down to one emotional and well-timed team meeting in the team hotel the night before their big game.
Here’s what Steph Curry said about it in the post-game press conference:
“There is a level of awareness that matters at this stage of our careers that got away from us. It comes down to what we can control…we needed to give ourselves the best chance of success, and we needed to educate the new guys, who haven’t been there before, about what to expect…”
Now, go back and read that statement again, in the context of the times we are living through.
Relevant, isn’t it?
Every day, I hear from team leaders who are trying to “rally their troops,” focus their team, and keep the possibilities for progress in focus. I hear from leaders who are trying to keep teams working together in service of a shared goal amid confusion, distraction, and disruption. What if our funding is lost? What if our tax status is challenged? What if the Administration comes after us?
The What-Ifs are overwhelming and must be considered. But they’ll also take control of us if we don’t first take control of them.
In these moments, putting a pause on the worry, and bringing the team together to align on the situation, what we can control and what we can do about it, remains a highly effective way to make progress.
There’s no other way to say it. These are difficult days that require difficult conversations and decisions. We can either feel defeated and come into each new day unsure if we have a chance, or we can align around what’s in our control and maintain our best game plan discipline.
What’s ahead isn’t certain. It never is. But there are always things in your control.
As Steph Curry also said in that post-game press conference, “There are a lot of threats out there. We used the opportunity to get everyone on the same page going into a hostile environment…”
Again, re-read that for relevance to your work.
Yes, there are a lot of threats out there, and these times require us all to have game plan discipline.
The plan might look different. The strategies might change. But progress is still possible.
So, call the meeting.
Demand the team’s attention.
Stay patient while being aggressive in service of your mission.
And set the tone that these times need with clarity and conviction.
It’s not always going to work out. You won’t always win. But you’ll also never lose if you approach this time with authenticity, clear minds, and a shared focus on the future.
The ball’s in your court. Call the meeting.
This post is part of the Finding The Words column, a series published every Wednesday that delivers a dose of communication insights direct to your inbox. If you like what you read, we hope you’ll subscribe to ensure you receive this each week.
