We assume meetings begin when people enter the room or click Join Meeting.
But the real beginning is invisible.
It starts the instant you think, “We need a meeting.”
From that point, a choice is made— to define or to forget three simple foundations. Unfortunately, many people choose to forget them:
Purpose · People · Process
These three are the quiet architecture of every meeting.
Together, they form the triangle that holds the space.
- Purpose gives direction. It answers why we are meeting. Without it, conversations drift into updates or debates that lead nowhere.
- People are the core of every meeting. They define who should be in the room. Too many, and focus dissolves; too few, and essential voices are missing.
- Process shapes how we move through the conversation. It’s the rhythm, the structure, the way we create outcomes—whether it’s a round-table discussion, a brainstorming, a presentation with Q&A, or a sense-making session.
When these three are left vague, you can feel it the moment the meeting begins.
Expectations pull in different directions.
Energy scatters.
Conversations loop without focus, and decisions evaporate the moment the call ends.
But when the triangle stands strong, something changes.
The room feels lighter.
Time stretches further.
Even tough discussions move toward action.
Try it yourself.
Draw this triangle the next time you start planning a meeting. It’s a simple sketch—just three elements connected within a frame. But it reminds you that the meeting itself sits inside this structure.
It’s not random, and it’s not just another calendar slot. It’s a deliberate act of alignment.
The visible part of the meeting—people talking, notes being written, slides being shared—is only the surface.
The invisible part—the thinking before it starts—is where clarity truly begins.
So what if we treated this invisible beginning with the same care we give to the visible one?
- What if we paused for a moment before scheduling, and asked:
- What’s the real purpose of this meeting?
- Who absolutely needs to be there?
- What process will help us reach our outcome efficiently?
These few minutes of reflection can transform the entire experience. They turn meetings from obligations into opportunities for connection, clarity, and progress.
Clarity doesn’t appear by accident.
It’s built—one intention, one person, one process at a time.
You can find me explaining this in a short video here.