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Meetings Before Meetings. Part of Operational Excellence

698 words·4 mins
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FM-Lead

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Meetings Before Meetings: Because You Can Never Be Too Prepared in CRES
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In most industries, people prepare for meetings by… you know… preparing. But in Corporate Real Estate and Facilities Management? No. That’s far too logical. Here, we prepare for meetings by having more meetings. Because nothing says “operational excellence” like a calendar that looks like a Tetris board having a panic attack.

The CRES Philosophy: If One Meeting Is Good, Five Are Better
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Facilities teams have mastered the ancient art of pre meeting alignment, a ritual so sacred it makes religious ceremonies look casual. Here’s the logic:

  • You need a meeting to prepare for the meeting.
  • Then a meeting to align on the pre meeting.
  • Then a sync to confirm alignment on the alignment.
  • Then a dry run.
  • Then a rehearsal of the dry run.
  • Then a “quick touch base” 10 minutes before the actual meeting. By the time the real meeting starts, everyone is mentally dead, spiritually broken, and physically dehydrated — but fully aligned.

Why CRES Needs Meetings Before Meetings
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Let’s break down the science:

  1. Because someone will always ask, “What’s this meeting about?” Even though the agenda was sent. Twice. With attachments. And a calendar invite. And a reminder.
  2. Because the one person who knows everything is always on leave But don’t worry — they’ll join the pre pre meeting from the airport lounge.
  3. Because the client might ask a question And we must be prepared. For every question. Ever. In human history.
  4. Because someone needs to “align internally” This phrase means nothing. But it sounds important, so we keep saying it.

The Anatomy of a Pre Meeting
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A typical pre meeting in Facilities Management includes:

  • Reviewing the agenda of the actual meeting
  • Rewriting the agenda of the actual meeting
  • Debating whether the agenda needs more bullet points
  • Asking if the AC temperature should be adjusted for the actual meeting
  • Discussing who will speak, who will nod, and who will pretend to take notes
  • Practicing the phrase “We’ll get back to you on that” in unison This is followed by a 15 minute discussion on whether the projector will work. Spoiler: It won’t.

The Meeting Pyramid™
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Here is the scientifically accurate hierarchy of CRES meetings: Level Meeting Type Purpose Top The Actual Meeting The thing everything else exists for 2 Pre Meeting To prepare for the actual meeting 3 Pre Pre Meeting To prepare for the pre meeting 4 Internal Sync To pretend we’re prepared 5 Quick Huddle To panic 6 Corridor Meeting To gossip about the meeting 7 WhatsApp Group To complain about the meeting Bottom Email Thread To ensure no one knows what’s happening This structure is more stable than most buildings.

The Facilities Manager’s Calendar: A Horror Story
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A Facilities Manager’s calendar is a masterpiece of chaos:

  • 9:00 — Pre meeting
  • 9:30 — Pre pre meeting
  • 10:00 — Quick sync
  • 10:15 — Alignment call
  • 10:30 — Dry run
  • 11:00 — Actual meeting
  • 11:30 — Debrief of the actual meeting
  • 12:00 — Debrief of the debrief
  • 12:30 — Lunch (cancelled due to urgent meeting) By the end of the day, nothing is done. But everything has been discussed. Twice.

The Real Reason We Have Meetings Before Meetings
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Let’s be honest. The real reason is simple: No one wants to be blamed when something goes wrong. Pre meetings create a beautiful, impenetrable shield of shared responsibility. If the client asks, “Why wasn’t this done?” You can confidently say: “We discussed this in the pre meeting, but it was pending alignment from the pre pre meeting.” Perfect. No guilt. No accountability. Pure corporate enlightenment.

Conclusion: Meetings Before Meetings Are the Backbone of CRES
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If you’re not having at least three layers of meetings before the real meeting, are you even a Facilities professional? Preparation is good. Over preparation is better. But meeting based preparation is the highest form of operational maturity. So go ahead:

  • Schedule that pre meeting
  • Then schedule a meeting to plan the pre meeting
  • Then schedule a meeting to review the plan for the pre meeting Because in CRES, you can never be too prepared. Or too busy. Or too confused.