Death by Meeting

Outline

Death by Meeting (2004) uses a business fable to show why most meetings are boring and ineffective, and how to fix them. Patrick M. Lencioni argues that good meetings need real conflict about ideas and a clear purpose. He recommends different types of meetings for different needs, from a short daily check-in to weekly tactical meetings and longer strategic discussions.

• Most meetings feel boring and ineffective, and the book argues this can be fixed rather than simply endured.
• A good meeting starts with a clear purpose, so everyone knows why they are in the room.
• Real conflict about ideas is not a problem in meetings; it is what makes them worth attending.
• Different needs call for different meetings, rather than one all-purpose meeting that tries to cover everything.
• The book suggests a mix of formats, from a short daily check-in to weekly tactical meetings and longer strategic discussions.

Patrick M. Lencioni is an American author, speaker, and consultant on leadership and team development, and the founder of The Table Group. His books are often written as business fables that make management lessons easy to remember. They include The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Death by Meeting, and The Ideal Team Player.