Episode 228: Laptops, Notebooks, and the Art of Meeting Presence

 Laptops, Notebooks, and the Art of Meeting Presence

Sacha's fully dressed this week (an achievement after last episode's Jedi robe situation), while Ish has been designing corporate off-sites and pondering the eternal question: what does your choice of meeting tech say about you? From notebooks to laptop barriers, this conversation dives into how showing up intentionally can transform your professional brand.

Main Topics

• The Great Laptop vs. Notebook Debate - Why Sacha can't think without writing but would never open a laptop in meetings (too many distracting possibilities), and Ish's belief that laptops create barriers unless you're actually presenting from them
• The Status Symbol Evolution - How laptops went from senior executive privilege to everyone-has-one normalcy, and why the most senior people often circle back to simple notebooks while others do the "grunt work"
• Meeting Preparation Spectrum - From 5-minute quick prep (why am I here, what do I need to say/not say, how do I want to show up) to deep prep for high-stakes situations where you "prep like they hate you, present like they love you"
• AI Note-Taking Reality - Technology can capture everything said, but misses what you're thinking, and comprehensive AI transcripts often mean people remember nothing

The Meeting Presence Hierarchy

Sacha's judgment scale from best to worst:

1. Notebook with intentional note-taking
2. Digital notebook/iPad with stylus (transparent, purposeful)
3. Laptop for specific presentation purposes
4. Phone note-taking (acceptable for small teams with a history)
5. Laptop as barrier/distraction tool
6. Nothing at all ("What the fuck? Are you just gonna remember 20,000 words?")

Deep Prep Essentials

Know your three most essential points, anticipate questions, and have a position on problems you bring (not just "here's a problem, what should we do?"). Understand the purpose of the meeting (information sharing, decision-making, or deliberation), and consider the desired outcomes for both the decisions and the emotions involved.

Key Insights

• If you can work during a meeting, you probably don't need to be in that meeting.
• Senior leaders get paid for their thoughts and opinions - bring both the problem and your recommended solution.
• The tool you choose (laptop, notebook, nothing) sends a message about your engagement level.
• Meeting culture varies - some want consensus, others need the numbers to move forward.

Holiday Planning Wins

Ish is booking another "short circuit break" to Fiji after realising the Australian rain holiday still left him feeling recharged. Sacha scored insane Air New Zealand specials to New York and bullied her parents into a four-generation adventure. Sometimes the gods align with your budget and your calendar.

Time out is time in - sometimes you need to change things up to see daylight again.

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