Duration: 30--40 minutes

## Definition

A project meeting is a coordination mechanism for decisions, blockers,
alignment, and delivery. A meeting is not progress by itself.

**Follow-up** converts discussion into owned actions and decisions.

## Simple Mental Model

> **A useful project meeting changes something.**

At the end you should know what was decided, who owns what, by when,
what is blocked, and what needs escalation.

## How It Works

Do not automatically create a recurring meeting for every project.

A useful review agenda:

1.  Outcome / health
2.  Last and next milestone
3.  Risks/blockers
4.  Scope changes
5.  Decisions required
6.  Actions, owners, dates

Distinguish:

**Decision:** We will use Option B.

**Action:** Alex updates the architecture by Friday.

Avoid "team to investigate." Give actions one owner and a date.

Use asynchronous status for routine information. Use meetings when
synchronous coordination adds value.

## Example

A weekly 60-minute meeting with eight people mostly consists of everyone
describing what they did. Replace the reporting portion asynchronously
and use synchronous time for two blockers and one scope decision.

## How It Fits Into the Bigger Picture

Status reporting communicates project state. Meetings resolve what
cannot efficiently be resolved asynchronously. [[Ownership and
Delegation]] determines who follows through afterward.

## My Company / Real-World Context

Cross-functional work with Product, DevOps, Security, IT, and vendors
can create meeting overload. Your project owner should drive normal
project follow-up. You join when your authority, escalation, or judgment
is required.

## CTO Perspective

If every project requires you in every meeting, **you are the system**.
A scalable leader designs ownership and information flow so their
presence is needed only where it adds value.

### Questions to Ask

-   Does this require a meeting?
-   What decision must be made?
-   Who actually needs to attend?
-   What is blocked?
-   Who owns each action?
-   By when?
-   Can the owner follow this without me?

## Meeting Scenario

**Situation:** An owner includes you in a weekly execution meeting where
most discussion is detailed implementation.

**Possible response:**

> I don't need to be in the detailed execution meeting unless there's a
> decision, priority conflict, or escalation requiring me. Keep the
> project status current and bring me in when one of those conditions
> appears.

## Key Takeaways

-   Meetings are tools, not evidence of progress.
-   Use synchronous time for decisions, blockers, and coordination.
-   Actions need owners and dates.
-   Capture decisions separately.
-   Prefer asynchronous status where possible.
-   Project owners should drive normal follow-up.

## Related Concepts

-   [[Status Reporting]]
-   [[Ownership and Delegation]]
-   [[Decision Log]]
-   [[Project Health]]