In short
Keep the last ten minutes for the decision. Say it in one sentence, name the owner, the date and how you will know it worked, and send it in writing the same day.
What this does not cover. What the meeting is about. If there is not enough information, the honest result is a decision about what to find out and by when.
Before the meeting
- Write down the question the meeting has to answer.
- Who has to be in the room for the decision to hold?
- What data has to be on the table?
The last ten minutes
- Say the decision in one sentence. If you can’t, it hasn’t been made yet.
- Name what you decided not to do.
- The owner: one name, not “the team”.
- A date for the first step, not only for the final result.
- How you will know it worked: one sign you can actually see.
- When you look at the result together.
- Who else needs to know, and who tells them.
After the meeting
- Send the decision in writing the same day.
- Add it to the decision log.
- If there was no decision, say so and name the date by which there will be one.
DecideWrite the decision from the meeting down and put the review in your calendar