When the room makes you doubt what you know
You had it. You had checked the number twice. You knew what you were going to say.
Then someone said “interesting” in that flat way, the meeting moved on, and by the time you got to your car you were rebuilding the whole argument.
Before you rebuild it, notice what changed.
Did someone offer new information? Did they point out a mistake? Or did their response leave you unsure of something you had been clear about?
The quality of your thinking and the reception it gets are related, but they are not the same thing.
A cool reaction may contain useful feedback. It may also tell you something about timing, how you made the case, or what this particular room is willing to hear. You need more than the reaction to know which.
What am I seeing, what am I assuming, and what would change my reading?
Check the number. Ask what did not land. Find out whether the disagreement was with the evidence, the recommendation, or something you have not yet understood.
If you missed something, correct it. If the argument holds, consider how to bring it back and what support you may need.
And if you were the person who said “interesting,” consider what happened next. Did you explain your concern? Did you make space to examine the idea? Or did your reaction become the only feedback the other person had?
A meeting gives you information. The work is deciding what that information actually tells you.
Nayli