Preparing is caring.

A Chairman I reported to was (in)famous for his written correspondence. I emailed him. He faxed back pages of handwritten notes in reply. When he had a thought about an issue we had been discussing, I’d receive faxed pages of notes. When he had a strategic initiative to discuss or propose, I’d get pages of handwritten notes, often faxed in the small hours of the morning.

When he turned up to a meeting, he had pages of handwritten notes too. In advance of an important meeting he would send through his thoughts and questions, and proposed approach to deal with difficult or controversial issues, and information we should have up our sleeves if needed.

Sometimes, I’ll admit, it seemed like too much, but on balance it was worth it. I’m sure we got better outcomes, fewer issues and faster conclusions because of his preparation.

Time spent preparing well is time well spent.

The rest of my 10 Boss Lessons can be found here.