Meeting Shifting
Move exploration before the meeting and use live time to land the decision
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 99%
Meeting shifting moves the beginning of collaboration out of the meeting. Before convening, the leader defines the problem and asks every participant to write an independent view of the real issue, its most important element, and a bold solution. The shared responses reveal overlooked answers and let everyone inspect the full range of perspectives in advance. This particularly helps people who think better with reflection than immediate verbal response. The live meeting then starts where a conventional meeting often ends: comparing developed options, resolving disagreements, and committing to a decision. By separating exploration from convergence, the method expands participation, shortens cycle time, and reduces post-meeting lobbying. The meeting becomes a landing point for collaboration rather than the first moment anyone seriously considers the problem.
Origin
Keith Ferrazzi described meeting shifting as a form of 21st-century collaboration on The Jasmine Star Show.
Core principles
- 01Live meetings should not begin the thinking process
- 02Written input gives reflective thinkers time to contribute
- 03Advance participation reveals perspectives before status shapes discussion
- 04Synchronous time is most valuable for convergence and commitment
- 05The meeting can be the end of collaboration rather than the beginning
How to run it
- 1
Frame the Problem
State the decision or problem precisely enough that participants can think independently. Clarify constraints and what the meeting must ultimately produce.
Pro tip Ask a question that requires judgment rather than a routine status update.
Watch out An ambiguous prompt creates incompatible responses.
- 2
Prompt Independent Thinking
Ask each participant to write what they believe the real problem is, its most important element, and a bold solution. Set a deadline before the live session.
Pro tip Have people write before reading colleagues' answers when possible.
Watch out Allowing the first response to anchor everyone defeats independent exploration.
- 3
Share the Responses
Place contributions in a common document and give participants time to read them. Highlight patterns, disagreements, and promising ideas without prematurely choosing a winner.
Pro tip Use headings or a simple table to make comparison fast.
Watch out Do not bury responses in an unstructured message thread.
- 4
Design the Live Discussion
Build the agenda around unresolved questions rather than repeating every contribution. Start with the points that materially affect the decision.
Pro tip Send the focused agenda after reviewing the written input.
Watch out Reading submissions aloud wastes the preparation advantage.
- 5
Land the Plane
Use synchronous time to test options, resolve differences, decide, and assign ownership. Document the result before ending.
Pro tip Close with a decision statement and next action.
Watch out If no decision is possible, specify the missing evidence and who will obtain it.
In the wild
A team receives a shared document asking each person to define the real problem, identify its most important element, and propose a bold solution. By the time they meet, everyone has read the perspectives and the agenda focuses only on disagreements and the strongest options.
→ The team reaches an informed decision without spending the meeting discovering what participants think.
Common mistakes
Starting Collaboration Live
When participants encounter the problem for the first time in the meeting, fast verbal thinkers dominate and the group needs additional meetings to finish.
Making Preparation Optional
Optional responses recreate uneven participation and force prepared contributors to wait while others catch up.
Repeating the Document
Using the meeting to recap every written response wastes synchronous time. Focus on synthesis, disagreement, and commitment.
Is it for you?
Best for
Teams solving defined problems that benefit from independent thought, written comparison, and a final synchronous decision.
Not ideal for
Emergencies requiring immediate coordination or sensitive conversations that should not begin in a shared document.
From the transcript
“Normally the meeting is the beginning of the collaboration. The meeting could be the end of the collaboration.”
“So let's have the meeting in advance in asynchronous collaboration. And then we get in the meeting, we land the plane.”
“what is a bold solution that you have for that problem.”
From the episode
Building Teams That Win: How Relationships Fuel Success with Keith Ferrazzi
Keith Ferrazzi