Brian Halligan

Prep Early, Focus Collaboration, Bring Hard Problems

First board meeting? Tips: 1. Send the board deck (or memo) 48 hours before. 2. Assume board members have read it, so you don't have go through everything they've already processed. 3. Bring your hardest problems and debates explicitly to the board meeting. Put in the deck/memo. 4. It should be more a collaboration meeting with the board than a readout. 5. You are always kinda in sell mode b/c you need things from the board, but you need to show your warts too. 6. Have your execs on for the meeting, but excuse them for a private session at the end. 7. Try to nail the right altitude -- not too in the weeds, but not too in the sky. Tricky. Good luck.