Updated September 2026: in 2019 I described a day that went smoothly: I gathered information from several sources, then went through each slide with the offshore delivery contact after lunch ahead of the evening call. I have rewritten it into a routine for preparing a deck with a colleague before a client-side review.
After a quick morning check-in with the offshore delivery contact, we agreed to meet after lunch. I spent the morning searching several sources for the information the slides needed and putting the required slides in place. In the afternoon call, we went through each slide and updated them together. The evening review went well.
Why did this day work?
Because of a simple rhythm: align in the morning, work independently, review together, then present. Each person knew what to do, and the review happened before the call rather than on it.
What should the morning check-in cover?
- What the evening call needs to see.
- Who gathers which information.
- When you will review together.
Five to ten minutes is enough.
How do you gather information efficiently?
Start with the repository and recent proposals, then client documents, then colleagues for gaps. Note the source of each fact, so questions on the call can be answered quickly.
How should the joint review work?
Walk through each slide against the client's requirements. Agree changes on the spot where possible. Mark anything needing input from others and assign an owner before the evening call.
What should you do before the evening call?
Send the deck early enough for attendees to glance at it, with a one-line note on what to focus on. Decide who presents which slides.
What if the colleague cannot make the afternoon slot?
Send the deck with specific questions and ask for written comments by a set time. A short asynchronous review is better than none, and it keeps the evening call from becoming the first review.
What should you do after the evening call?
Send a short summary of decisions and actions to everyone who attended, with owners and dates. Start the next morning's check-in from that list.
Can this routine work every day?
Yes, especially for daily review cycles. Keep it light, and it turns chaotic proposal work into a predictable day.
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