Tip

If your meeting’s success depends on making decision, mark agenda items as either D (Decision) or C (Conversation). It takes 30 seconds to do, but it tells people why they’re there and what kind of thinking you expect — saving you from the endless swirl of “we’ll circle back.”

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Description

Let’s be honest: meetings don’t waste time — we do, by showing up to unclear conversations without a finish line. The calendar invite is not the agenda, and the agenda is not the goal. When people join without knowing what kind of work they’re there to do, they default to talking instead of deciding.

For meetings that require decision making, adding a simple D/C label to each agenda item fixes that. D means we’re choosing something — expect a clear outcome. C means we’re exploring — expect ideas, not closure. That tiny label changes tone, preparation, and pacing. It also gives you permission to say, “We’re drifting into a conversation, but this was a decision item — let’s refocus.”

Facilitators who use this method report sharper meetings and happier participants. People prepare differently when they know what kind of thinking is expected. And when you end, everyone knows which items produced action.

Try pairing this method with writing your agenda items as questions like “Which feature set should we prioritize?” instead of “Feature priorities.” It sparks pre-meeting thinking and saves you precious minutes.