Running the Meeting
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A week into the job, Kenji decided that the team's meetings needed a firmer structure, though he was careful not to say so too bluntly.
In the past, discussions had tended to , and important decisions had often been left hanging until the following week.
"Before we start, I've put together a short ," he said, sharing his screen. "Shall we aim to finish within the hour?"
A few people looked surprised, since previous meetings had rarely begun with a clear plan.
"First of all, I'd like to hear where we stand on the Halden proposal," Kenji continued. "Marco, would you mind starting us off?"
Marco summarised the situation, explaining that Halden, a large Nordic retailer, had been considering their services for months.
"To be honest, we've been chasing them for a while, but we still haven't heard anything ," he admitted.
"Thank you, that's really helpful," Kenji replied. "Moving on, I was wondering whether we could approach them from a different angle."
He suggested that, rather than pushing the price, the team might focus on the long-term value they could offer.
Priya raised a concern that the technical team had not been consulted about the deadlines they were promising.
"That's a fair point," Kenji acknowledged. "Perhaps we should check what's realistic before we commit to anything."
Instead of imposing his own view, he invited each person to weigh in, so that the decision would feel shared.
Sofia proposed that they build in an extra week as a safety , and several colleagues nodded in agreement.
"Could I just check that everyone is comfortable with that?" Kenji asked, glancing around the table.
When nobody objected, he confirmed the point and moved the discussion forward without dwelling on it.
He had learned that a good meeting was less about talking and more about keeping people aligned.
Whenever the conversation began to wander, he gently steered it back with a phrase such as, "Let's park that for now."
Daniel, who usually resisted new procedures, admitted that the meeting was moving faster than usual.
"I have to say, it's nice to actually finish on time for once," he muttered, half to himself.
As they neared the end, Kenji summarised the key decisions so that nothing would be forgotten.
"To sum up, Marco will contact Halden, Priya will the timeline, and Sofia will draft the plan."
"Does that sound right to everyone?" he asked, and this time the nods came without hesitation.
He had turned a vague conversation into a clear set of actions, each with a name attached to it.
Just as the meeting was ending, Sofia's phone buzzed, and her expression changed in an instant.
"It's from Halden," she said slowly, looking up. "And I don't think you're going to like what it says."
The room fell silent, and Kenji felt the fragile momentum of the meeting hanging in the balance.