Book Review: Death by Meeting

by Patrick Lencioni

“Death By Meeting” is a leadership fable by Patrick Lencioni that focuses on the issues many organizations face; unproductive, inefficient, and mind-numbing meetings. Lencioni uses storytelling to convey his principles, followed by a more straightforward explanation of his model for effective meetings.

Summary:

The story revolves around a struggling executive named Casey McDaniel, the CEO of a fictional video game company called Yip Software. He recognizes that his team´s meetings are tedious and unproductive, but he doesn´t know how to fix them.

Throughout the fable, Casey works with a young employee named Will, who diagnoses the problems and introduces a revolutionary new model for meetings. Through trial and error, they reframe the entire concept of corporate meetings, turning them into engaging, compelling, and crucial components of the business.

Key Takeaways:

Meetings are Boring Because They Lack Drama: Lencioni argues that healthy conflict and debate, rooted in a clear understanding of the issues at hand, are necessary for effective meetings. Teams should be encouraged to engage in constructive ideological conflict.

Meetings are Ineffective Because They Lack Contextual Structure: Instead of having a “size-fits-all” approach to meetings, Lencioni suggests breaking them into four types, each with a specific purpose, agenda, and duration:

a) Daily Check-in: A quick 5-10 minute standing meeting to share daily schedules and

activities.

b) Weekly Tactical: A 45-90 minute session to review weekly activities and metrics and

resolve tactical obstacles and issues.

c) Monthly Strategic: A 2-4 hour meeting to discuss, analyze, brainstorm, and decide upon critical strategic issues.

d) Quarterly Off-site Review: A 1-2 day meeting to review strategy, competitive landscape, team development, and potential industry changes.

Avoid Status Reports: Instead of consuming time with mere updates, ensure that meetings facilitate open discussion and decision-making.

Ensure There´s a Clear Leader for the Meeting: This individual sets the agenda, guides the conversation, and ensures that everyone participates.

Meetings Should Be Engaging: Like a good movie or novel, meetings should capture participants´ attention and involve them in the process. This can be achieved by ensuring that meetings have real stakes, clear objectives, and allow for genuine conflict and resolution.

By the end of the book, Yip Software transforms its culture and becomes much more effective, thanks to the newly introduced meeting structures. The novel concludes with a guide to implementing the discussed concepts in any organization.

“Death By Meeting” is a manual for revitalizing what many consider the dullest aspect of work. Lencioni’s message is that with the right approach, meetings can be engaging, productive, and indispensable to an organization´s success.