Here's something they don't teach you in business school...

Add follow up time to your next meeting

How many times have you had a great meeting, then struggled to find the time later to follow up on your action items from it?

I believe that business life is filled with out-of-sight out-of-mind behavior, where meetings end up being 'happy talk' with little real execution. In many cases, it is a time management issue, not an integrity issue.

Recently, I've started a new meetings habit, padding a meeting with 15 to 30 minutes of follow up time. This means that after a meeting or conference call, I have time blocked out to do what I promised to do, including research, networking, writing, etc. I've noticed immediate results from this new technique and on top of that I've delighted business mates with a lightning quick follow up (usually all of them same day of meeting/call).

Try this strategy with your next few meetings, phone or in-person, and let me know how it works for you!

One thing I do is keep a small stack of post-it notes in my business card case. When I meet someone new, such as at a networking event, i write down where & when I met them, together with something to help me remember them. If I promise do to anything for them, such as send them an article I read or introduce them to someone, I make note of this as well. Then after the event, it's easy for me to follow up and it keeps things from falling through the cracks.

To your success.

Article by David B. Wright and courtesy of Jim Stroud, "The Job Search Strategist" providing strategies, tips and tutorials on how to find work and advance your career.