People aren't working from the same picture
Start here
The silent-reading "study hall."
Twenty minutes of reading together at the top of the meeting, so nobody has to bluff.
Try this first
Start the next important meeting with ten minutes of everyone reading the document together.
Borrowed from Amazon's meetings, which open with everyone reading the written memo in silence. Read the original source.
Other moves for this problem (8 of 8)
Kind of change
- Common Ground FirstFor when: Sessions burn their first half getting everyone to the same starting line.
- How Might We…For when: Teams jump to solutions before the problem is framed.
- Listen From the House · Step outside the work to see itFor when: The team is too far inside the work to see it, with no outside-in view.
- Break It on the BoardFor when: AI drafts prose cheaply, making structure the real human work, yet the team drafts before agreeing shape.
- Who Knows What · Map the team's expertise before a decision needs itFor when: The team has deep expertise, but decisions get made without it because nobody knew who to ask or the person who knew was not in the room.
- Working Backwards (PR/FAQ)For when: A team is starting from a tool ("let's use AI for X") rather than a customer outcome.
- Yes, but what's the scene?For when: Discussion keeps drifting into abstract themes with no concrete output.
- The Narrative, Not the DeckFor when: Important decisions are being made off decks, and the thinking is the scarce thing.