Meeting Design Guide: Getting Input or Feedback on a Decision

Use this guide if you are convening a standalone meeting or if you are requesting time to bring this topic to a standing meeting you don't own. Not sure how to decide? Use this resource first.

Use this when: You've done the research and have a proposal, design, or recommendation to share, and the decision is too complex or too high-stakes for one person to make alone. You need perspectives from the people closest to the work before you move forward.

Sample Objectives - choose from this list or write your own

Everyone understands what's being decided, the options under consideration, and the timeline
The person driving the decision has heard perspectives that strengthen, challenge, or refine the recommendation
Outstanding questions or concerns that need to be resolved before a final decision have been surfaced
Everyone is clear on next steps: who gathers remaining input, when the recommendation will be finalized, and how the group will be informed

Before the Meeting

As the person driving this decision-making process, you prepare a summary including:

What decision needs to be made and who will ultimately approve it
Why it matters: what problem is this solving? What's the goal?
Options under consideration (with pros/cons if available)
Roles* different stakeholders play in the process (e.g., who needs to agree, whose input is critical, who will implement)
A summary of input gathered so far and what's still needed
Estimated timeline for making the decision

Share this as a pre-read or a brief memo at the start of the meeting.

*General roles outlined were inspired by Bain & Company's RAPID decision-making framework. This general agenda can be adjusted for any roles framework you use in your organization, so use whatever terms fit your organization.

Suggested Flow

Time	What	How
1 min	Opening	State the objective
5–8 min	Present the problem/opportunity and the decision-making process underway	Walk through the summary. Format options: a short presentation, a memo people read silently, or a one-pager on screen. Adjust the time for this section based on whether you shared a pre-read in advance.
3 min	Silent reflection	Everyone jots down: What questions do you have? What concerns you? What's missing?
10 min	Group engagement	Choose one approach:
Option A — Open discussion: Prompt the group: "What questions are still unanswered? What could go wrong? What sounds right so far?" Capture key themes.
Option B — Small groups, one question each: Assign each small group one of the three questions (What questions are still unanswered? What could go wrong? What sounds right so far?). Groups discuss for 5 minutes, then share back with the group.
Option C — Flip chart stations: Post each question on a separate flip chart or whiteboard section. Everyone rotates and adds sticky notes or written contributions to each.
2 min	Debrief/processing questions	“What themes or patterns did you notice? Here's what I'm hearing is... What did I miss? What's the most important concern to address before moving forward?"
3 min	Close and follow-up plan	Agree on a follow-up plan: who gathers remaining input, timeline for when the recommendation will be presented, and how you'll close the loop with the group once the decision is final.

Estimated total: 25–30 minutes