Run Better Meetings With This Framework
Meetings: both essential and calendar-clogging.
When I work with clients across the gamut of Fortune 500 C-suite executives to entrepreneurs with small teams, one thing shows up time and again: countless meetings.
When we dig deeper to inquire about the purpose and outcomes of these gatherings, things often get murkier.
I start hearing excuses like, ‘A calendar invite just showed up on my calendar, so I accepted it.’ Or, ‘we’ve always had leadership team meetings that run like this.’
Then we zoom out and re-design which meetings are had, who is in them, and why. Then, we talk about how to run the meetings that make the cut.
I recently read the book How to Make a Few Billion Dollars by Brad Jacobs and my favorite chapter was on meetings. In it, he accumulates much of what I discuss with clients, so we’ll blend his framework with mine:
1. Before the meeting: Get crystal clear on the outcome
Before creating an agenda, start with:
What decision or outcome must exist when we leave?
Then work backwards.
Prep steps:
Define the single most important objective.
List the key issues that must be resolved to reach that objective.
Sequence them logically.
Assign rough time blocks to each topic.
Send the agenda in advance so people can think before talking.
The meeting is not for first-time thinking. It’s for decision-making.
2. Invite only the people required for that outcome
Pressure-tests every attendee:
Does this person own part of the decision?
Are they essential to solving it?
Or are they just “nice to have”?
If they’re not essential, they’re out.
3. Start with intention
Open meetings quickly and clearly:
Restate the objective.
Confirm time frame.
Move directly into the first issue.
Trust is essential for teams and that’s rooted in connection. That said, icebreakers and the like are not required or needed in all meetings.
4. Drive structured discussion
Don’t let meetings drift into circular talk.
Consider this structure:
Define the problem clearly.
Ask for proposed solutions.
Debate the options directly.
Decide.
If conversation stalls in diagnosis, ask:
‘What do you propose we do?’
Speed and ownership are key. We often mistake more time with better decisions. That’s sometimes true. Be honest about when.
5. Create cear decisions and owners
Before moving on, ensure clarity about:
What exactly was decided?
Who owns it?
By when?
Be explicit. If it’s fuzzy, tighten it.
6. End on a high note
This is the culture-builder that Jacobs uses. There are plenty of variations you can consider that work for you and your team:
Close meetings with a quick round where each person says who “starred” for them and why.
The script:
“I’m proud to be on a team with you because…”
It must be specific.
Not “great job”.
But: “I’m proud to be on a team with you because you challenged the assumption about X and made the decision better.:
Why he does it:
Reinforces standards.
Models what excellence looks like.
Builds psychological safety.
Ends with positive energy.
Meetings shouldn’t just end. They should land.
7. Protect the tone
Invite candor. Do not allow:
Personal attacks.
Passive aggression.
Avoidance.
8. Separate strategic and tactical forums
Create different meetings, when possible, for:
Big-picture strategy.
Operational metrics.
Deep dives.
Brainstorms.
Each has a different cadence and energy.
The Underlying Pattern
Clarity before.
Intensity during.
Accountability after.
Connection at the end.