A few years ago, someone turned up to a meeting with me… carrying their own chair.

Not metaphorically. Literally.

They walked into my office carrying a chair they’d “borrowed” from a café down the road.

Wait, What?!? 

His reason?

“I wasn’t sure you’d have a seat for me.”

I was surprised.

I was concerned (mainly for the café).

And no - I didn’t ask more questions. I wish I had. 

Had he had a bad seating experience in the past? 

Was he just super conscientious? 

Was this his first business meeting, ever? 

What story was he walking in with? 

That moment reminds me how easily the unexpected can throw us off - especially in those conversations where we often show up with a plan and a picture of how things will go.

I’ve been kicking off a Commercial Influence programme this week, and we ended up touching on this very point: 

What do you do when you’re surprised in a conversation? 

It’s a moment that matters… and that tests us. It’s full of risk and opportunity. 

My routine?

➡️ Take a Deliberate Breath.

➡️ Say: “Wow... Tell me more about that…”

(It buys my brain time. It shifts me into discovery mode. It shows I care.)

What’s yours?