The meeting after the meeting

The decision looked like it happened in the meeting. It didn't. It happened in the hallway ninety seconds after, when two people who didn't say much inside turned to each other and quietly agreed what they'd actually do. The formal room ratified. The hallway decided.

If you only work the official meeting, you keep losing to people who understand this. They're not being political. They're just meeting people where candor is cheaper, where no one's performing for the table.

So after your next meeting, don't rush back to your desk. Walk slowly. The most important conversation of the day is often the two-minute one that has no agenda and no minutes.