Before Larry Chiang takes a pen out in a meeting, he asks a simple question: do you mind if I write down my side of this. It sounds small, but it is a courtesy move that buys him permission to look serious without looking suspicious. This lines up with the presence layer of what Larry calls SuperModel: pen in hand, visible notes, the posture of someone who is listening, not performing.
Asking first also protects the other person. They know exactly what is being captured and that it is his notes, his side, not a transcript of theirs. Larry’s claim is that most people say yes immediately, because being asked at all is rare enough to register as respect. That respect is karma in his framework: a small act that gets tracked, measured, and channeled back later in the relationship.
Once he has permission, the notes are not decoration. They feed directly into PQRST, specifically the Summarize and Test steps he runs after he leaves the room. He writes down commitments, numbers, and next steps in the moment, while the other person is still watching him do it.
That visible act does double duty. It is proof he is taking the conversation seriously and a record he can hold both sides to later. Larry says he has watched deals fall apart because nobody wrote anything down and each side remembered a different number.
The permission question takes three seconds and removes that risk before it starts. It is a small habit, but Larry treats it as part of the same discipline as PQRST prep: control what you can control before the room controls you.
Details: Watch Larry ask first
#SuperModel #Karma #Web12