Importance of location

When you are meeting with research partners or stakeholders, think about the location where you will meet. For some, meeting in offices or universities may be intimidating or unfamiliar.

Often for research partners or research stakeholders, their issues will be much wider than the research issues. It may be useful to discuss these in a suitable environment where those wider issues are most relevant, such as in the field, at a farm or at a marae.

Consider where they will be most at ease, where the topic of discussion might be most meaningful and consider meeting people in their own 'backyard'.

Also consider if a sensitive matter is to be discussed. Do you need to adjust the meeting place to take this into account?

Different locations, or different formats (like walking meetings) can also stimulate creative thinking.

More information

• Successful ingredients for developing relationships with iwi and hapū, Manaaki Whenua
• How to do walking meetings right, Harvard Business Review