The meeting is over. Nothing was decided. A follow-up has been scheduled. The attendees have dispersed, slightly confused and slightly behind on their actual work. Something went wrong. The evidence is everywhere.
Crime 1: The Missing Objective
Evidence: The meeting title is a noun. The agenda says "discuss." Nobody can state what the meeting was supposed to produce.
Cause of death: The meeting was scheduled before its purpose was defined. The organizer had a topic, not an objective.
Prevention: Require a one-sentence objective before any meeting is scheduled.
Crime 2: The Absent Decision-Maker
Evidence: The meeting produced a recommendation. The recommendation will be reviewed by someone who was not present. A follow-up meeting has been scheduled for the review.
Cause of death: The person who can make the call was not in the room. The meeting could not produce a decision because the decision-maker was not available to make one.
Prevention: Confirm the decision-maker's attendance before scheduling a decision meeting.
Crime 3: The Overcrowded Room
Evidence: Fifteen people attended. Four spoke. The meeting ran over by twenty minutes. Three action items were assigned to "the team."
Cause of death: Too many attendees. Each additional person beyond the necessary group increases the meeting's duration and decreases its decision-making efficiency.
Prevention: Invite only the people who are required. Offer to share the outcome with everyone else.
Crime 4: The Underprepared Attendees
Evidence: The pre-read was not read. The first twenty minutes were spent explaining context that was in the pre-read. The meeting ran over.
Cause of death: Preparation was optional in practice, even if it was expected in theory.
Prevention: Send the pre-read with enough lead time. State explicitly that the meeting will assume it has been read.
Crime 5: The Unowned Action Items
Evidence: The meeting notes list three action items. Each one is assigned to "the team." None of them will be completed before the next meeting.
Cause of death: See: What Happens When Everybody Owns the Action Item.
The investigation: After any meeting that did not go well, identify which crime was committed. The same crime usually recurs until it is named and addressed.