Before the crucial meetings begin, the hall doors open, and the cameras capture the moments of handshakes and smiles, the most important decisions have begun to take shape out of sight. Success in important meetings does not depend only on what the person says inside the hall, but rather it starts from the way he prepares for them, and from the details he takes into account before he sits at the table.
Today, when US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping exchange greetings before their summit, cameras will capture a scene of a handshake, a smile, and perhaps a joint statement.
But what the cameras won't capture are the weeks of preparation that made that handshake possible, including a host of small but impactful choices made long before either man entered the room.
Leslie John, professor of negotiation and behavioral economics at Harvard Business School, has taught these topics for more than a decade. You do not have to be a head of state in order to find yourself facing a very important meeting. Whether it's a tense performance evaluation session, a crucial client presentation, or even a family discussion about money, the same principles still apply.
John believes that the secret lies in preparation, specifically in two types of it, according to what she revealed to CNBC.
Arrange the hall as the director plans the movement of the actors in the scene
Long before Xi's plane lands, someone will have decided where the two leaders will meet, who will host the other, and how the room will be arranged.
Research in the field of negotiation has shown the existence of what is known as “land advantage,” or the advantage of playing on your home turf. When people negotiate their own space, they often perform better than visitors, in part because familiarity with the place gives a greater sense of trust.
However, most of us pay little attention to the physical arrangement of important meetings: where do we sit? Is there a table separating us? Is it round or square? And other details that may seem simple, but they can affect the nature of the interaction between the participants.
To understand the importance of these details, you can think of them the way a director thinks when he plans the movement of actors within a scene. Spatial and motor coordination not only determines where people sit and move, but it can also affect what they are prepared to say and how they interact with each other.
Stop making rigid talking points... and try this instead
When preparing for an important meeting, John advises focusing less on what you have to say, and more on what you will be asked. Instead of making a list of “talking points,” she suggests making a “learning agenda,” that is, a simple list of things you want the other person to learn.
There are four main things you should seek to know:
- What has changed for them since the last conversation between you?
- What pressures do they face?
- What does a good result look like from their perspective?
- What things are more important to them compared to others?
This approach may open broader horizons than it might seem at first glance. This is for several reasons. On the one hand, there is the obvious benefit that questions elicit information, and information is the most important element in any negotiation, or “the king,” as they say.
On the other hand, if you tend to talk too much about yourself out of stress, preparing these questions in advance gives your nervous energy a more useful outlet, rather than letting it lead you into talking just to fill the silence.
In competitive environments and high-stakes situations, any word you say can be used against you; Therefore, asking a question at the right time is a safer way to channel that energy, compared to rushing into a spontaneous, ill-considered side conversation.
There is another aspect of this type of preparation that may not be sufficiently appreciated; Decades of research on “self-disclosure” and building trust have shown that asking questions makes others like you and trust you more, and in turn prompts them to reveal more information. Thus, a positive and fruitful cycle is created that benefits both parties.
The “learning agenda” should not be limited to practical or professional aspects only; The best agendas also include some informal or funny questions, and perhaps even light humor; Because this can help make the interaction more natural and human.
When you do this kind of preparation, something like magic happens; You are freed from preoccupation with what you are going to say, and you become able to direct your full focus to listening, remaining present in your mind, following up on what you hear, and responding spontaneously like a real human being, instead of simply narrating a text you have prepared in advance.
The irony here is that increasing preparedness gives you a greater ability to act naturally and automatically.
An ancient wall discovered in Paris may redraw the map of the French capital's early beginnings, after the authorities announced that finding it represented a "major achievement" that would contribute to resolving a long archaeological controversy regarding the location of the city's first population center.
According to what was reported by media outlets, including the British newspaper The Guardian, the French Ministry of Culture announced the discovery of a wall dating back to the Gallo-Roman era, extending about 20 metres, during excavations conducted this summer under a hospital on the island of Ile de la Cité, close to Notre Dame Cathedral.
It is believed that the wall, built of stone and wood, was part of the walls of “Lutetia,” the old name of Paris, built by the Gallic “Parisi” tribe, which lived on the banks of the Seine during the Iron Age.
The island of Ile de la Cité is traditionally considered the center of “Lutetia”, but another theory, supported by archaeological research, suggests that its original location was in Nanterre, one of the suburbs located west of the French capital.
French Culture Minister Catherine Bigard said in a statement, “What was found may be among the most important archaeological remains ever discovered for understanding Lutetia in the time of the Gauls,” describing the discovery as a “major achievement.”
She added, "Scientific caution still requires verifying the function of this wall and its chronology, but the convergence of evidence is particularly striking at this stage."
The first mention of “Lutetia” dates back to the seventh book of the Roman leader Julius Caesar’s book, “The Gallic Wars.” He described it as being located on an island in the Seine River, and connected by bridges to both banks of the river. These descriptions, which were not conclusive enough to determine its location, opened the door to multiple theories regarding the location of the ancient city.
The wall, which was discovered during excavations under the Hotel Dieu Hospital, bears traces of a fire that may correspond to Julius Caesar's story about the Gauls burning their city before the Battle of Lutetia against the Romans.
According to a statement by the Ministry of Culture, the results of carbon dating of the charred materials indicate that they date back to the period extending between the years 200 and 10 BC, a stage that includes the battle that took place in 52 BC.
The island of Ile de la Cité, which houses the Notre Dame Cathedral, is the largest island in the Seine River within the Paris region, and it became the center of the Roman settlement of Lutetia.
After inspecting the wall on Wednesday, Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire said: “It is amazing to be here and discover what is likely the origin of the city of Paris.”
The height of the wall does not exceed one meter, and it remains buried at a depth of four meters in the courtyard of the Hotel Dieu Hospital, the oldest hospital in the French capital.
For her part, the Coordinator of Archaeological Operations in Paris at the Ministry of Culture, Dorothy Chaoui Dirieux, said: “All our ancestors dreamed of finding traces of the ancient presence of the Gauls on the Ile de la Cité.”
She added: “A lot of speculation has been raised about this topic, and we are fortunate that we are in the right place at the right time,” noting that “this wall, built in the expensive style, is gradually revealing its secrets.”
