The Morning Meeting Ritual

The Morning Meeting Ritual
How good is for us to have TMM. How many issues gets resolved so easily.
The ground rules:


Anyone can put anything on the table for discussion; it doesn't have to be related to one's own area of responsibility. All are expected to be willing to comment on every issue raised, even those that lie beyond their technical expertise or area of responsibility.

These are decision meetings, but issues do not just get raised and resolved. Implementation plans are broadly outlined and agreed upon, and internal and external communication strategies often are considered. Sometimes, with particularly sensitive issues, the exact language that everyone around the table is going to use is hammered out.

Once an issue is fully vetted, the CEO determines the decision rule that will govern it. He decides whether he'll be the one to make the final call, whether a particular individual or subgroup will make it, or whether it will be made by group consensus.

Changing one's mind, even in the middle of the conversation, is OK, even respected. Not having an opinion is not.

There are no arguments about fact questions. Participants are to get the facts and raise the subject at the next meeting. Keep in mind, however, that fact questions are sometimes masks for deeper value-laden issues. An argument about the cost of opening a remote office might mask strategic concerns about whether expansion is a good idea