Administrative · 15 min
Silent Reading Meeting Start
Open the meeting with five minutes of silent reading of a written memo instead of slides.
Goal
Raise decision quality by guaranteeing all attendees absorb the same context precisely before discussion begins.
Steps
- Write a narrative memo (not bullets), max two pages, answering: the problem, the options, the recommendation. Send 24h before.
- At the start, announce: "We'll read the memo silently together for five minutes. Annotate the margins."
- Hand out a paper copy per attendee (paper beats screens — no multitasking).
- Read it yourself. Don't talk or check email. Lead by example.
- After reading, ask: "Who starts with a specific question or comment on a particular paragraph?"
- Document decisions in the same memo (add a "Decisions" section at the bottom) and circulate before next day.
What did the team's reactions teach you about how to make the next memo better?