Resource
Preparing for an appointment: a short checklist
A simple way to walk into any appointment knowing what you want to say and ask.
Appointments go better when the thinking is done beforehand, not in the waiting room. This checklist takes about ten minutes.
- Write the one thing you most want to get from the appointment.
- List up to three questions, most important first.
- Note anything you want the other person to know about how you communicate (for example, 'I need a moment before answering').
- Decide what you will do if you get overwhelmed: ask for a pause, use a written note, or end early.
- Put the list where you will see it: phone notes, a card in your pocket.
Afterwards, write two lines: what was agreed, and what happens next. That is the whole method.