Unlike many of us might think, Review Meetings aren’t about sporting our impeccable work done. Yes, we should demo our results and show our achievements. However, what we mostly want is feedback about the value of the work for our customers. With these three easy steps you’ll ensure a successful Review Meeting.
3 Easy Steps
- Divide the Meeting into two parts.
- In the first part, demo your results. Don’t talk about what you could’ve done. Don’t brag. Don’t prolong. Simply demo working product or airtight results.
Important: Ask for feedback about the demonstrated results. THIS is why you’re doing the review meeting. You want feedback on how valuable your results and gain insights on what to improve. - Discuss with the customer the next things you will work on.
A nice transition question is if you ask the customer if anything in her domain, market or work environment has changed that could impact the next work packages that your team prioritized.
Important: Together with the customer determine, what you’ll be working on next, until the next Review Meeting.
Clarify, Gain Feedback and Decide What’s Next
The first part is mostly about getting on the same page, clarifying and gaining feedback on work delivered. Often, this first part is mistaken as convincing your customer of your exceptional work. Whereas it should be, in fact, making the most of the customers time and gaining feedback and insights on the value of your work delivered to her.
In the second part of the Review Meeting, don’t expect the customer to come up with a plan on what to do next. Be proactive and think for yourself what makes the most sense. However, it’s best to work this out together with the customer and walk out of the Review Meeting with the work packages you will deliver next.
Photo by Jakob Braun