That First Person to Jump Up During a Meeting

Written by Danielle Birchard

I sat in on a company strategy meeting recently, and it was fascinating to see our leadership’s trains of thought and the way they plan. Everyone thinks differently. Everyone captures their thoughts differently. Everyone explains their ideas differently. It is a unique ability to be able to surround yourself with all different types of thinkers, to witness their thought processes, and to examine their strategies.

In this particular meeting, several forward-thinking people were in one room, all of which were trying to come up with the best solution to a question. It started out just as conversation, then spirited questions and answers were being thrown across the room. Then people began to stand up, walk to the whiteboard, and draft out their ideas in a visual way. It went from thoughts bouncing all over the room, to an actionable list, and a picture that we all could edit and add our own ideas to. But there has to be that one person to take the initiative to clear up the chaos and put it into order. That first person that jumps up what starts taking down notes so that everything is captured is a vital piece of any company.

When there are so many people in a room that have good ideas, all of which they want to share with the world, it is vital that someone steps up to organize and capture ideas. These days, meetings can be recorded, and AI can capture notes, but there has to be the person that takes the initiative to get one of those options going. Someone has to create order out of the chaos so that greatness can be done.