Every year, Bill Gates — and, until she left, Melinda French Gates — would hold multiple meetings with executives of the Gates Foundation to approve plans and budgets, and review strategies. For many, the meeting might be the only direct opportunity to interact with, and impress, Gates and French Gates. AdvertisementGates and French Gates followed the presentations closely, usually saving questions for the end. The former couple sought to maintain a professional relationship, giving themselves at least two years to see if they could work together, with the understanding that French Gates would leave if they couldn't. One former senior employee compared the style of discussion to the Socratic method, often used in law schools by professors who push students to reasoning through dialogue.

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