A meeting is only useful if something is decided, assigned or ruled out by the end of it. Most recurring meetings fail that test because nobody closes the decision before people leave. The fix is a short routine: state the decision you need at the start, read back what was decided at the end, and write it down where everyone can see it.
The same topic appearing on the agenda for the third week in a row is a sign. The meetings are happening. The decision is not.
Why do decisions stay open?
- Nobody said at the start which decision the meeting was for.
- The person who can decide is not in the room, or does not know they are expected to.
- The discussion ends because time runs out, not because it reached a conclusion.
- Everyone leaves with a slightly different memory of what was agreed.
- Nobody writes it down, so the next meeting starts the debate again.
None of this is about effort. The people in the room usually want to decide. The meeting is simply not set up to make it happen.
A simple routine that closes decisions
Before the meeting: write the decision you need in one sentence. “Decide whether we extend the contract or go to tender.” If you cannot write it, you are not ready for a decision meeting.
At the start: say who decides. One person, or one named group with a clear rule. Everyone else advises.
During: separate the facts, the options and the recommendation. Keep the discussion on the options, not on restating the problem.
At the end: read back three things. What was decided. Who does what. By when. If the answer is “nothing was decided”, say what is missing and who will get it.
After: send the decision in writing the same day, in a few lines. Keep a simple decision log so nobody has to rely on memory.
A useful test
Look at last month’s meetings and count the decisions recorded. Not actions, not updates, decisions. If the number is small compared with the hours spent, the problem is clear, and so is the fix.
Closing decisions is a habit more than a skill. Teams pick it up quickly once someone does it consistently. It is also one of the things I work on most often with people stepping into leadership roles, because the meetings they run start to set the pace for everyone else.
If your team is busy but the important work is not moving, the same idea applies outside meetings. I wrote about that in busy isn’t the same as moving.