The Sunset After The Sunset.
Hi There,
I’m a believer in Brene Brown's leadership style. The interviews she conducts on Dare to Lead and Unlocking Us are often playing in my earbuds during my daily march. During a recent interview, she mentioned that BBEARG (Brene Brown Education and Research Group) has created a “no meeting after the meeting” policy as part of their culture. This makes sense for an organization that promotes “transparency” as one of their core values.
For those unfamiliar with the “meeting after the meeting” concept, I was too. My education came four years ago, while working with a group of high-potential women at a global banking institution. The DRIVEN team was building out the ‘networking’ segment of the rising stars 4-month “DRIVEN to Leadership” training program. One of the key messages: When you’re able to attend meetings in person, do it! There are two reasons for this wise advice.
You may not have known that when live meetings take place, there are often unofficial meetings before and afterward. What happens during these meetings? Well, in the ‘before’ meetings, people network to make connections with their peers, shake hands with the big wigs, and when they’re really thinking, seat themselves strategically. The ‘after’ meeting is when participants unleash what’s really on their minds— what they thought about the boss’s idea or the new project (a.k.a.: the dirt).
Just last week, the “meeting after the meeting” concept popped into my mind, and I chuckled out loud while exercising. You see, I couldn’t take my march until after dinner. As I sailed through the West Point Foundry Preserve and then threaded through the streets of Cold Spring, NY, I was treated to a glorious sunset.
Why is that funny? When it comes to sunsets, the magic happens during “the meeting after the meeting”. Think about the last time you observed the setting sun. How long did you stick around after that blazing ball disappeared beneath the horizon? Let me let you in on a secret of sunset connoisseurs: The most dramatic colors, textures and light appear in the sky and clouds after the sun is out of sight. The real sunset is “the sunset after the sunset”!
So, the next time you attend sunset, wait for the show after the show and embody the awe your patience bestows upon you.
Cheers!
-Deborah
Deborah Goldstein
DRIVEN Professionals / Forbes / Linkedin
info@drivenpros.com | LinkedIn
DRIVEN Professionals, 35 Adrienne Lane, Garrison, NY 10524