There’s something about my workday that I often find myself thinking about.
A meeting often ends with “Let’s schedule another meeting.” And I start wondering where the problem lies.
If I could remove just one phrase from work meetings, that would probably be it—especially when we’ve discussed the issue and heard different opinions, yet the only concrete outcome is another date on the calendar.
In those moments, the next step is clear to me: making sure we’re asking the right questions.
🔎 Right from the start:
• What exactly is the problem we’re solving?
• What decision do we need to make, and what outcome are we aiming for?
• What facts do we have, and what information are we still missing?
• By when do we need to make a decision, and what are the consequences of delaying it?
• Who has the authority and responsibility to make the decision?
Not because I already know the answer, but because these questions help us figure out where to begin.
Sometimes, I feel we start discussing solutions before we’ve even agreed on the problem. Everyone speaks from their own perspective, new topics come up, and we gradually run out of time.
That’s when another meeting seems like the natural next step.
And sometimes, it really is necessary. But before we schedule it, I’d like us to clarify what’s holding us back and who will do what before we meet again.
🤝 I’d like us to feel comfortable saying what we don’t know and what concerns us—and to be just as clear about what we’re committing to and by when.
We might need to verify a fact, find missing information, or involve the person responsible for making the decision if they’re not in the room.
That would give me more peace of mind than another calendar invite alone. Otherwise, I leave thinking we’ll have almost the same conversation a week later.
⏳A one-hour meeting with six people takes up six hours of the team’s time. And each of us has other work waiting after the meeting.
I’d like us to finish with a clear understanding of what we’ve decided, what remains open, and who is taking responsibility for what—with the feeling that we’ve helped each other move forward.
For me, that would make the workday a little lighter and far more meaningful.
