Soft Skills Are [Bleeping] Hard!
What I now refer to as the “A Game” came about after hearing feedback that [most] students don’t know how to lead small-group meetings. If you’re reading this and your name is Jerry, then to you I’d say, “It’s Gold, Jerry! Gold!”
Memo
To: Residents of Planet Earth
From: Brent Pritchard, (of which I am a) Member
Date: July 31, 2025
Subject: (Effectively Participating in and) “Leading ‘A Meeting’” (aka the “A Game”)
Employers want and need team members who add value. Adding value takes different forms but always involves someone bringing their A game, the performance of which might be demonstrated through leading, delegating, facilitating, encouraging, etc. This concise guide will give you a tool for when it comes to (effectively participating in and) “Leading ‘A Meeting.’” What I mean by “A Meeting” will soon become clear.
The letter A when capitalized, copied, and arranged in just the right way forms a star. Along with asking of yourself the right 5 W and 1 H questions, this provides the North Star for (effectively participating in and) leading A Meeting.
Imagine the presenter is always (in the north position) at the top of this star. The lines form to make an “A Game” that requires that the presenter(s) must schedule time in the agenda for engaging dialogue (between all present) since participants will be providing Q&A and their unique POV (Point of View). By way of example, if the presenter asks a question related to the topic at hand, then they shouldn’t plan to proceed with their presentation and the scheduled agenda until at least 4 individuals contribute a Q, A, or POV. By way of further example, if a question or POV originates from the audience then it takes 2 or 3 “(your) turns” to give the floor back to the presenter. It might also be helpful to think of the colors of a traffic light: green (beginning), yellow (middle), and red (end). In summary, the direct route is out in favor of a more inclusive conversation.
In class, I call this the A Game. Students will earn (all-or-nothing) points based on this expectation for (whole) class engagement, which provides opportunities to develop and refine such “skills that pay the bills” as collaboration, planning and organization, time management, critical and independent thinking, effective communication, problem-solving, leadership skills, and giving and receiving feedback, among others.
The 5 W and 1 H questions provide a complementary framework for preparing for and engaging with meeting content. At a bare minimum, here is a list of questions that need to be answered by either the presenter(s) or those present at the meeting.
Who (will lead the meeting, on the team can expect to present on a certain topic, are the people that can share information and must receive an agenda beforehand)?
What (should we expect for questions)?
When (does this meeting start and end and would it make the most sense for transitions between timed agenda items for good flow)?
Where (are there opportunities to engage by asking questions, providing answers, and offering my unique point of view)?
Why (is this relevant and a real-world consideration)?
How (will we know that the meeting was a success and desired outcomes achieved)?
1 W is spelled with the same letters as the 1 H…bookends for meeting strategy and preparation. These tactics will help you when it comes to (effectively participating in and) leading A Meeting or earning (whole) class engagement points with the A Game.
The question mark on top of a stick figure (201404-Why) was created by Tsahi Levent-Levi and is subject to a creative commons license: as of the time the (unchanged) image was incorporated into the creative work also known as the “A Game” and described in a memo under the same name (Copyright © 2025 Boxholm Press, LLC. All rights reserved.)
Brent Pritchard is an author and college finance educator with over two decades of industry experience and cofounder of Boxholm Press, LLC, a family-owned-and-operated publishing company providing educational content, products, and services. He pioneers an innovative and approachable new way of learning and teaching the Time Value of Money as well as thought leadership in other business topics. His most recent book is Would Your Boomerang Return? You can contact him on his website here.