Meeting system health check

The diagnostic goal

Use the meeting system health check to locate the specific conditions behind this question: Does the team's meeting portfolio produce necessary outcomes with acceptable cost? The working view makes purpose coverage, redundancy, and preparation visible so discussion can move from general opinion to a specific action or decision.

When to run it

Run the meeting system health check before a consequential review or change in team development, when symptoms are visible but the underlying condition is still unclear. Repeat it when the evidence for purpose coverage, redundancy, and preparation changes, rather than on a calendar alone.

What it tests

The meeting system health check is an evidence-based review that keeps healthy, watch, gap, and unknown states visibly distinct. Its core working elements are purpose coverage, redundancy, preparation, and participation. Those elements belong together because each changes how the others should be interpreted or acted on.

Diagnostic dimensions

Purpose coverage

State the intended contribution in plain language and distinguish the enduring purpose from the current plan. Within the meeting system health check, connect this entry to redundancy so the relationship can be reviewed rather than inferred.

Redundancy

Capture redundancy only at the level needed to answer: Does the team's meeting portfolio produce necessary outcomes with acceptable cost? Use observable evidence, name any unresolved judgment, and state what action or choice this entry can change. Within the meeting system health check, connect this entry to preparation so the relationship can be reviewed rather than inferred.

Preparation

List the minimum complete inputs, their owners and due dates, and what happens when an input is late or unreliable. Within the meeting system health check, connect this entry to participation so the relationship can be reviewed rather than inferred.

Participation

Capture participation only at the level needed to answer: Does the team's meeting portfolio produce necessary outcomes with acceptable cost? Use observable evidence, name any unresolved judgment, and state what action or choice this entry can change. Within the meeting system health check, connect this entry to decisions so the relationship can be reviewed rather than inferred.

Decisions

Name the decision, the person or body with final authority, the date, and the rationale that should remain visible later. Within the meeting system health check, connect this entry to actions so the relationship can be reviewed rather than inferred.

Actions

Write a concrete next action with one owner, a due date or trigger, and a visible completion condition. Within the meeting system health check, connect this entry to time cost so the relationship can be reviewed rather than inferred.

Time cost

State the required amount and timing, the source or constraint, the opportunity cost, and the decision rule for changing the allocation. Within the meeting system health check, connect this entry to refresh so the relationship can be reviewed rather than inferred.

Refresh

Set a review rhythm and define the evidence, threshold, or event that should trigger an earlier review. Within the meeting system health check, connect this entry to time cost so the relationship can be reviewed rather than inferred.