Cap how many decisions a meeting makes

A meeting with no limit on decisions tends to wander through every open question at once, and nothing gets finished. Capping the number of decisions forces the group to focus on what actually matters that day.

Long meetings feel productive because everyone is talking, but talking is not deciding. When you walk out with one clear call made instead of five half-finished ones, the business actually moves. A cap also keeps you from turning every meeting into a place where you personally weigh in on everything. I write my one or two decisions at the top of the page before a meeting starts, and I keep it in view so I notice the moment the conversation drifts.

Try this today: before your next meeting, write down the one or two decisions it needs to produce. If a topic comes up that is not on that short list, note it for later and keep the meeting moving toward the decisions you came for.