The Meetings Mirage

The dilemma

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By Friday, Quinn had dozens of meetings and little movement. Coordination replaced direction. Focus had no home.

The case for reclamation

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Collaboration needs structure. So does solitude. Without protected depth, signals are missed and decisions drift.

Quinn’s playbook: Intentional rhythms

• Cap live time
  Max 40 percent of the week in meetings.
• Protect depth
  Daily 9 to 11 focus block. One no-meeting day each week or two meeting-free afternoons.
• Shorten by default
  Set 25 minute standups and 50 minute hour blocks.
• Define the room
  Only three meeting types
  
  1. Decision meetings end with owner, date, next step
  2. Ideation capped at 45 minutes
  3. Relational check ins monthly
• Go async for updates
  Shared docs or short recordings instead of status rounds.
• Audit monthly
  Cut 10 to 20 percent of recurring slots.
• Measure output
  After each meeting, log the outcome moved or the decision made.

Cadence template: A week that protects depth

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Use this as a starting point and adjust for your team.

Daily

• 9:00 to 11:00 Focus block for deep work and decision prep
• 4:00 to 4:15 Outcome logging and next step assignments

Monday

• 11:00 to 12:00 Decision window for near term priorities
• 2:00 to 3:00 Async review time for status docs and recordings

Tuesday

• 11:00 to 12:00 Decision window
• 2:00 to 3:00 Ideation window
• 3:00 to 3:15 Capture actions and owners

Wednesday

• No meeting day
• Use for strategy, writing, and complex problem solving

Thursday

• 11:00 to 12:00 Cross team decision window
• 2:00 to 2:45 Ideation sprint
• 3:00 to 3:30 Relational 1:1s or skip week if not needed

Friday

• 11:00 to 12:00 Weekly review and unblock list
• 1:00 to 2:00 Next week plan and calendar trim

Decision checklist

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Run this before any decision meeting and attach it to the notes after.

• Goal of the decision
• Required inputs and links
• Decider and contributors
• Options on the table
• Criteria and constraints
• Risks and tradeoffs
• Final decision statement
• Owner, date, next step
• Communication plan and recipients
• Evidence links for traceability

Metrics to track

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Keep it simple and visible.

• Meeting load
  Percent of the week in meetings per leader and per team
• Decision yield
  Percent of meetings with a logged decision or outcome

The shift at SoulCode

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After four weeks: fewer meetings, more movement. Proactive initiatives rose, leaders reported clearer headroom, and decisions landed faster. Meetings became a tool, not a tax.

Leadership takeaways

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Busyness hides stagnation.
Space creates foresight.
Cadence beats chaos.

Teaser for Episode 24: The Feedback Fracture
Quinn rebuilds review season so data, perception, and decisions actually align.