Additional Tips and Questions for your first Meeting:
In this meeting you clarify in discussion with the company in very concrete and clearly actionable terms WHAT EXACTLY THE PROBLEM/TASK IS THE CPOMPANY WANTS YOU TO WORK ON. It is a very important meeting, therefore.
BE PREPARED!
Know how you will introduce the team (everyone just go around the table? If so, what will you say? Will the team leader make a team intro? etc.).
Know your questions. Have a written list.
Know who will ask the questions (for example, if you have a finance person on the team, maybe have that person ask finance related questions, if you have an entrepreneur on the team, have her ask questions related to product line or supply chain. Whatever it is, make sure you have a plan walking in).
Know who will take notes.
No one leaves the room until everyone around the table is on the same page with regard to:
Problem/Task
Nature of Deliverables (mine are spelled out in the syllabus but company might want additional things from you!)
Rules of Engagement (this refers to communication: style, medium, how often, will there be one designated person from the group, etc.)
What Data the company is willing and able to give you.
Ask your company liaison: What in your mind would a successful product look like?
Now pay attention and listen! The answer will give you a great insight into what the company's expectations really are. If there is ANYTHING you do not understand or unclear, ASK. ("Can you please clarify what you mean by x or y?", "When you say x, what exactly do you mean by that?" and so on. Don't be shy to ask!)
Before the meeting concludes:
Ask your company liaison if they have any further questions at this time?
Set up the next meeting or communication. BE SPECIFIC. Say what it will be (email? face to face? phone call?) and what it will be about (request for data, to discuss their customers, to debrief and get feedback on your initial research, etc.)?
When the meeting is over, have a DEBRIEF MEETING (20 MIN):
Debrief as a team and share what you heard from the site. Is everyone OK with the task at hand? If someone is unclear or daunted by the task, help each other.
Don't end the meeting WITHOUT DEVELOPING A CLEAR INDIVIDUAL WORKPLAN FOR EVERYONE (I.e.: "this is what I will do until next week's meeting")!