Help! Meeting advice needed ASAP

[coolbossgirlchick]

It's now 9am, and I have to go into a meeting at 11am with my two bosses and our board of directors - I wasn't given advance notice of this meeting and am totally unprepared!  Anyone have advice on how to handle questions I can't answer?  I know there are things I should have read up on - had I been given longer to prepare!  My confidence is panicked right now, any advice welcome!

[Katie G]

What kind of meeting is this where you're given no advance notice but you're supposed to have the answers?  

Not knowing details, maybe you should take these two hours and skim over whatever it is and jot down some notes for yourself.  No shame in referring to notes!  Was this something that's been on your back burner and maybe other issues got higher priority?  

[laundryhater]

For anything you don't know the answer to, you could calmly say:



"I'll gladly research/check into that and report back to you." Then negotiate a reasonable time frame to give them the information.



Surely, they can't expect you to know all the answers when they don't give you advance notice of the information they are looking for.



Good luck.

[countrigal]

Agree with those above...  Be as prepared as the timing allowed and show a willingness to get the answers in a reasonable time.