Read This Before Our Next Meeting: How We Can Get More Done

But alas, our traditional meetings kill game-changing ideas. When a revolutionary idea is brought into our meetings (and many have been), no one takes ownership. The bystander effect takes over.

The decision-making process begins by asking whether this decision is of high, low, or no consequence. If the decision is largely of no consequence—and there are many of this sort—make it as quickly as possible. Don’t call a meeting; don’t even bother consulting others. You have our permission to act on our behalf. Just go. The quicker you can make

For high-consequence decisions, the Modern Meeting’s primary function is conflict. Have the group debate the issue. Make sure there is sufficient disagreement. Strive for consensus, but ultimately if no consensus can be reached, you must make the decision yourself. Let the best decision prevail.

HOW DO I INITIATE A MEETING? Have you first determined that your meeting is necessary? OK, make a list of the people you want to invite. Then cross off everyone except those members who are absolutely critical to the meeting’s purpose. It’s not about sparing feelings; it’s about moving forward. Create a detailed agenda and then ask yourself one mor

Strong deadlines force parties to resolve the hard decisions necessary for progress.

We deserve a culture in which the strong spirit of teamwork brings out the best in the group, not the worst in the individual.

After the meeting, the leader should make sure participants are doing what they agreed to do, when they agreed to do it. Hold them accountable. If you don’t, who will?

Efficient systems should be organized around the output that wants to be optimized: in our case, the work.

Like war, meetings are a last resort. The Modern Meeting is a special instrument, a sacred tool that exists for only one reason: to support decisions.