Sridhar Ramaswamy, the CEO of Snowflake, has shared four simple rules for running meetings that are productive, efficient, and respectful of participants' time. He believes that poorly structured meetings can waste resources and reduce decision making effectiveness, and his guidelines are designed to prevent these common pitfalls.
The first rule is to always have a published agenda and any necessary materials shared before the meeting begins. Notes should be recorded and distributed afterward. Ramaswamy has stated that he will not attend meetings that lack a clear agenda and emphasizes preparation as essential to a successful discussion.
The second rule focuses on purpose. Meetings should have a defined goal and include only those participants whose presence is critical to achieving that goal. He stresses that meetings should not be used simply to keep people informed or for prestige reasons.
The third rule encourages open discussion. Ramaswamy values diverse viewpoints and ensures that meetings allow for a fair distribution of speaking time. Factual information can be shared beforehand, so the meeting itself is reserved for meaningful conversation and decision making.
The final rule is to keep meetings concise. Ramaswamy prefers to end meetings as soon as the objectives are achieved, avoiding unnecessary prolongation and keeping participants focused on what truly matters.
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