Read This Before Our Next Meeting by Al Pittampalli is a new book from the Domino Project. A publishing project launched by Seth Godin “powered by Amazon”. The book is an interesting read and gives us a reminder of why we all hate meetings, especially the ones that drone on with no resolution in site.
Al gives us a way to categorise meetings and therefore who should attend and the outcome that should occur. Also Al talks about what is and isn’t a meeting and gives a good differentiation. The most important piece of knowledge that he passes on is something he calls the Modern Meeting.
The Modern Meeting is a special instrument, a sacred tool that exists for only one reason: to support decisions (1).
Before you make your preliminary decision, you aren’t allowed to call a meeting. If you invite me to a Modern Meeting for which a clear decision hasn’t been established, I’ll look at you, puzzled. I might even walk out. Modern Meetings can’t exist without a decision to support. Not a question to discuss—a decision. (2)
Pittampalli’s book is an interesting read and is available until August 9 for free on Kindle. After that its a $10-11USD. Worth reading to understand how to run a Modern Meeting and get the best out of meetings without wasting time on planning, preparing and avoid being in meetings that just don’t work.
(1) Pittampalli, Al (2011-08-03). Read This Before Our Next Meeting (Kindle Locations 226-227). The Domino Project. Kindle Edition.
(2) Pittampalli, Al (2011-08-03). Read This Before Our Next Meeting (Kindle Locations 268-270). The Domino Project. Kindle Edition.