The quality of your meetings determines the quality of your decisions. A protocol protects teams from blame, detours, and opinion battles.
The 4-part data meeting protocol
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Clarify the question (5 minutes)
“What decision are we trying to make today?” -
Describe the pattern (10 minutes)
Use neutral statements. Show two visuals at most. -
Test explanations (10 minutes)
What supports this? What challenges it? What else do we need? -
Decide next steps (10 minutes)
Choose one action, one owner, one date to review.
Three norms to set early
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We describe before we explain.
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We test before we fix.
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We leave with a next step.
What leaders should say when debate drifts
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“Which part of the data supports that claim?”
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“What would we expect to see if that were true?”
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“What is the smallest action we can test within two weeks?”
Key Takeaways
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Protocols make meetings safer and faster.
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Norms reduce blame and protect trust.
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Leave every meeting with owners and dates.
Quick Check
Write the opening line you will use at your next data meeting.