Working with others
Put it in writing first
A worksheet to get everyone into a decision meeting knowing the same things
Before a meeting where something needs deciding, write one short page with what you've seen, what you think it means and what you'd propose, and share it ahead.
- About 30 minutes
- You and the people deciding
- Before a decision meeting
- Worksheet
Why this can work
Meetings stall when people arrive knowing different things and the first half hour goes to catching up. A short written page gives everyone the same starting point, and writing it forces you to find out what you actually think. The meeting can then go to the part that needs people together: the decision.
Read moreHow to write a pre-read before a decision meeting
You’ll come away with one page that lets the meeting start at the decision.
- Pick the meeting that needs it.
One where a real decision is on the table, several people are involved, and they don't all know the same things. Status updates and brainstorms rarely need one.
- Draft the page.
Use the prompts below. Short answers in plain sentences, no slides. One page is the limit, and less is fine.
Stays in this browser only. Nobody else sees it.
Tip: Write the decision at the top as a question someone could answer yes or no.
- Read it as each person in the room.
For each person, ask what they'll want to know and what they'll worry about. Add the missing fact, or the line that speaks to their concern.
- Share it a day ahead.
Send it a day before the meeting, with the note below.
To: the people in the meetingAhead of the meeting on day, here's a one-page summary of where things stand on the decision, so we can spend the time deciding rather than catching up.
It should take about five minutes to read. If anything's wrong or missing, tell me before we meet and I'll fix it.
Swap the highlighted parts for your thing. Works on Slack, in email, or said out loud. - Use the meeting to decide.
Skip the recap. Start with questions, then make the call. Add what you decided, and who does what, to the bottom of the page.
Good times to repeat it: before any meeting that has to decide somethingwhen the last meeting ended with let's discuss againbefore a decision with people in different time zones
Making it work for you
Every workplace is different. Here’s what to think about before you start, and what might get in the way.
Things to think about
Facts, your reading of them, and your proposal are three different things. Kept apart, people can agree on the facts while arguing about the plan, which is a much shorter argument.
What might make this harder
Open the meeting with five quiet minutes to read it together. It feels odd the first time and often works better than a pre-read.
Questions people ask
What is a pre-read for a meeting?
A short document shared before a meeting so everyone arrives knowing the same facts. For a decision meeting it usually covers the decision, the facts, the options and a recommendation.
How do I write a one-page decision memo?
State the decision as a question, give the key facts, say what you think they mean, and lay out two or three options with a recommendation. Keep it to one page.
Why does Amazon use written memos instead of slides?
Amazon is well known for replacing slide decks with written narratives in many meetings, often read in silence at the start. The reasoning is that full sentences force clearer thinking than bullet points.
How do I make decision meetings more productive?
Share one page beforehand so the meeting can skip the catch-up and go straight to questions and the decision. Write down what was decided before everyone leaves.
Why this works, and where it comes from
Many meetings that were meant to decide something end with an agreement to meet again. Often it isn't disagreement that stalls them. People walk in knowing different things, and the first half of the meeting goes to getting everyone to the same starting point. By the time that's done, the time is up, or the loudest view has quietly won.
A page written beforehand fixes the starting point. Everyone sees the same facts, the same options and the same proposal, and the meeting can open with questions instead of a recap. It also changes who gets heard. Some people think best out loud and fast; others need a few minutes with the details. A page gives the careful thinkers their time back, and their objections often turn out to be the important ones.
The writer gets the most out of it. Writing it down forces you to separate what you saw from what you think it means from what you'd do, a simple sequence that's surprisingly hard to hold in your head. A page shows you the gaps in your own thinking before anyone else finds them. Amazon is the best-known example of this practice; its leaders have described replacing slide decks with written narratives read at the start of the meeting. What's asked of you here is much smaller: one page, for one meeting, written by you.
A tangle in a message thread usually needs a conversation, not a document, and a page for every small choice would slow a fast team down. Save it for decisions that matter, involve several people, and would otherwise take two meetings. If your team isn't used to it, don't announce a new process. Just share the page, and let the shorter meeting make the case.
Other simple things to consider
What to do next
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Written by Truest, based on 2017 Letter to Shareholders (Jeff Bezos (Amazon)). Last updated September 25, 2026. We sell a career membership; where that’s relevant above, we say so.