Three Things to Do to Maximise Your Meetings in 2026 Most professionals spend an extraordinary portion of their time in meetings - BD meetings, internal conversations, client discussions, pitches, performance reviews, even the informal catch-ups that shape relationships.

And yet, for something so routine, meetings are often treated as if success depends on luck rather than preparation. It doesn't. If there is one thing my three decades working with lawyers and other professional service specialists has taught me, it is that impactful meetings are built, not stumbled into. They rely on preparation - practical, psychological, interpersonal. And the dividends are enormous: stronger rapport, clearer outcomes, more authentic conversations, and a far greater sense of confidence throughout. As I often tell the lawyers I coach: you can't prepare too much. Here are the three things I believe make the biggest difference.

1. Research Who's Coming
Before you ever walk into the room - virtual or physical - you should know who you're meeting and how they like to operate. One of the simplest and most effective frameworks is to pay attention to Social Style: the behavioural cues that tell you how someone prefers to communicate, what they value, and how they make decisions.

• Are they fast-paced or reflective?
• Detail-oriented or big-picture?
• Relationship-driven or task-focused?

Your goal isn't to become someone you're not. It's to adapt just enough that the other person feels comfortable, heard, and understood. When you align your communication style with theirs - tone, pace, level of detail - you reduce friction and build rapport more quickly. In a world where first impressions are decisive, that alignment matters.

2. Anticipate and Practise How It Will Go
This is where preparation becomes your strategic advantage. Visualise the meeting: its energy, its likely flow, the themes, the questions, the objections. This is not about scripting yourself; it's about priming your mind for what might come. Think about:

• Small talk for the small talkers
  Some people need a few minutes of personal connection before getting down to business. Others want efficiency. Preparing for both prevents awkward openings.
• Questions you want to ask
  Meetings are opportunities to uncover needs - not with interrogation, but with curiosity. What do you want to learn? What will help you understand their pressures, priorities, or concerns?
• How you'll position your capability, value, or ask
  Whether you're pitching an idea, offering help, or seeking clarity, practise articulating it simply, confidently, and without jargon.
• Your approach to objections
  Objections are not barriers; they're information. When you've thought through likely challenges in advance, you can respond with calm authority rather than defensiveness.
• Desired outcomes
  What does progress look like? And if you don't get exactly what you want, how will you maintain momentum without pushing?

Preparation turns uncertainty into intention. It allows you to show up with clarity, presence, and poise.

3. Prepare Yourself
This final stage is the one most people skip. You can research and plan all you like, but your mindset ultimately determines how you show up. Ask yourself:

• Do I see myself as an equal human in this conversation?
  Status differences can unsettle us - senior partners, major clients, intimidating colleagues. But influence comes from believing you deserve a seat at the table.
• What is my body language saying before I speak?
  Open posture, steady eye contact, a grounded stance - these cue confidence not only to others, but to your own nervous system.
• Can I distinguish assertiveness from aggression?
  Assertiveness is calm clarity; aggression is force. One strengthens relationships; the other erodes them.
• How do I want people to feel after meeting with me?
  That intention shapes your tone and behaviour more than any script could.

Preparing yourself is about stepping into the best version of you - present, thoughtful, and composed. In short, across all three stages research, anticipation, mindset – preparation is key and the theme is simple: meetings go better when you choose not to "wing it." You create deeper connection. You communicate with more confidence. And you're far more likely to move things forward in a meaningful way. Preparation is not pressure. Preparation is power.