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

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

Our organization is in desperate need of innovative ideas, gutsy ones, the kinds that are essential in our new hypercompetitive marketplace. But we can’t forget: Ideas don’t bring their own commitment or perseverance; only humans do that.

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.

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

In the Modern Meeting, the decision is king. All hail the king.

If you don’t receive an action plan from the meeting I invited you to attend, you have every right not to attend my next one.

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

Preparation starts with the meeting leader. He or she must create an agenda and a set of background materials.

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