If there's one meeting rule that changed how my team operates, it's this: every meeting must have a decision by the end.
No exceptions.
Why This Rule Matters
Most meetings are conversation theaters. People talk, discuss, debate — and then the meeting ends with no clear outcome. The same topics come up next week because nothing was decided.
This rule forces clarity.
How It Works
Before any meeting, I ask: "What's the decision we need to make?" If the answer is "we're just discussing," we don't have the meeting. We have a Slack thread instead.
If the answer is a decision, we have the meeting — and we make the decision. Here's how:
State the decision clearly. "By the end of this meeting, we need to decide: should we use Postgres or MongoDB for the new service."
List the options. Usually there are 2-3 realistic options. Write them on the screen.
Identify what matters. "What are the 2-3 criteria that matter most for this decision?" Speed? Reliability? Team expertise? Cost?
Discuss, then decide. People make arguments for their preferred option. Someone makes the final call (usually the person most affected by the decision or the manager).
Write it down. "DECISION: We will use Postgres. REASON: Better suited for our team's expertise and our reliability requirements." Everyone sees this before leaving.
What Happens When You Can't Decide
Sometimes you can't make a decision in the meeting. That's fine — but then you schedule the decision meeting. Right then. "We don't have enough data to decide on the architecture. Let's meet Tuesday at 2 PM to make this decision."
Don't let decisions float. They never land on their own.
The One Exception
The only meetings that don't need a decision are 1-on-1s and relationship-building sessions. These are about people, not decisions.
But even these should have a purpose. "This 1-on-1 is about career development" or "This meeting is about checking in on how you're doing."
Purposeless meetings are expensive vibes.
The System Behind It
I use a Meeting Mastery System that builds this rule into every meeting template:
- Decision templates that force clarity on what you're deciding
- Criteria checklists that make sure you're evaluating options properly
- Decision logs that capture outcomes and reasons
- Action trackers that follow up on implementation
It's a simple rule, but it changes everything.
[Link to Meeting Mastery System in bio]
The goal is simple: every meeting should produce something. If yours didn't produce a decision, it wasn't a meeting — it was a conversation.
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