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33rd out of 85 books
—
30 voters
Death by Meeting: A Leadership Fable...about Solving the Most Painful Problem in Business
"Casey McDaniel had never been so nervous in his life.""In just ten minutes, The Meeting, as it would forever be known, would begin. Casey had every reason to believe that his performance over the next two hours would determine the fate of his career, his financial future, and the company he had built from scratch."
""How could my life have unraveled so quickly?" he wondere...more
""How could my life have unraveled so quickly?" he wondere...more
Hardcover, 260 pages
Published
March 4th 2004
by Jossey-Bass
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"Death by Meeting" was my first Lencioni book and I am definitely a fan. Having seen him first at the Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit when he was a last-minute fill-in for Howard Schultz of Starbucks, I was immediately impressed by his humor and insights. I wasn't surprised that he was invited back the following year and again this year for the 2013 lineup.
The book is an engaging tale on what spells the difference between meetings that are alive and dead. Do not expect a linear narrative;...more
The book is an engaging tale on what spells the difference between meetings that are alive and dead. Do not expect a linear narrative;...more
Pros for this title are easy to come up with: It was a quick read. The information is easily consumable. The resulting recommendation is fairly specific and easy to implement. The concept behind this strategy for your meetings seems solid.
Cons are that the information, while easy to test, does not seem to come from any sort of empirical source. Most of it sounds like Lencioni conjured it up from nothing. I'm OK with that, since that is how I have come up with some of my best work, but it is an e...more
Cons are that the information, while easy to test, does not seem to come from any sort of empirical source. Most of it sounds like Lencioni conjured it up from nothing. I'm OK with that, since that is how I have come up with some of my best work, but it is an e...more
The title, "Death by Meeting," really spoke to me as someone who has experienced my share of really bad meetings. Patrick Lencioni presents a compelling structure for meetings based around the concept of storytelling. Great ideas; his meeting structure could eliminate many bad meetings.
In terms of criticism, I thought the fable part of the book was mediocre. A mediocre story line is kind of ironic given the fact that the premise of the book revolves around effective storytelling.
I did enjoy the...more
In terms of criticism, I thought the fable part of the book was mediocre. A mediocre story line is kind of ironic given the fact that the premise of the book revolves around effective storytelling.
I did enjoy the...more
This is my second time reading this book. It is Lencioni's best book as it resonates the most with me. I spend an extensive amount of time in meetings and so need to keep them relevant and productive. Death by Meeting presents a leadership fable of a Company CEO whose company is floundering as a result of conducting poorly constructed meeting. This fable highlights two ingredients necessary to make meetings effective. They are conflicet and structure. Conflict also reffered to as human drama is...more
This is the 4th Lencioni book I have read. The Five Dysfunctions of team which really made me think different about teams. Silos, Politics and Turf Wars when the commander of Special Operations at Fort Bragg made it required reading and it fundamentally made me stop thinking walls between organizations and the need for fish nets and not walls. Recently I finished his book The Advantage which was a good look at the importance of shared values, goals and visions. Well Death by Meetings written in...more
sebetulnya, yang saya baca versi Indonesianya, yang diterbitkan oleh penerbit salemba empat
penuturuannya dibuat bagian per bagian sesuai dg tema pembahasan dan hal2 yang dicapai
mungkin terlihat sederhana tema yang diangkat, tapi dalam kenyataan hal itu banyak terjadi di organisasi/perusahaan
meeting-meeting tingkat eksekutif tidak menyenangkan, tiap peserta merasa cemas ketika harus ikut meeting, dan hasilnya pun tidak optimal
pesan utama yg bisa ditangkap adalah, gaya kepemimpinan yg harus bisa m...more
penuturuannya dibuat bagian per bagian sesuai dg tema pembahasan dan hal2 yang dicapai
mungkin terlihat sederhana tema yang diangkat, tapi dalam kenyataan hal itu banyak terjadi di organisasi/perusahaan
meeting-meeting tingkat eksekutif tidak menyenangkan, tiap peserta merasa cemas ketika harus ikut meeting, dan hasilnya pun tidak optimal
pesan utama yg bisa ditangkap adalah, gaya kepemimpinan yg harus bisa m...more
Patrick Lencioni captures your attention with his storytelling in this book. Lencioni highlights the pitfalls of the meetings between a fictional CEO and his executive team prior to a merger with a much larger company set for acquisition and expansion. The underlying theory behind Lencioni's text holds a strong basis for Jim Collins in his book, "Good to Great." Conflict is essential in meetings. If there was an easy decision, then we wouldn't need meetings in the first place. Interesting discus...more
I checked out the audiobook CDs from my library and finished listening to the book in less than a week. Overall it was compelling to listen to. The author's writing style is captivating in that he draws you into the fictional story of a company struggling to cross a threshold.
As far as content goes I'm not certain that I completely agree with his basic premise, that meetings are disliked by most people because they're boring and lack conflict. Maybe I'm getting caught up in semantics, but just b...more
As far as content goes I'm not certain that I completely agree with his basic premise, that meetings are disliked by most people because they're boring and lack conflict. Maybe I'm getting caught up in semantics, but just b...more
Business books generally bug me. They throw out a punchline title and then try to sell you a revamped world view. I've always resisted them, but I am pushing myself to pick a few up and find out if any ideas gel with my experiences or work challenges.
This book seemed to be a good fit because it tackles everyone's favorite part of the week: endless meetings.
I have to be honest, I was both drawn into the fable section and simultaneously annoyed at myself for bothering with the story. When I got to...more
This book seemed to be a good fit because it tackles everyone's favorite part of the week: endless meetings.
I have to be honest, I was both drawn into the fable section and simultaneously annoyed at myself for bothering with the story. When I got to...more
Another home run by Lencioni.
I pretty much read this book in one morning. It's an outstanding and practical view on how to transform the nature of meetings.
We recently began the process of revamping our meetings. We're scheduled to do our first strategic off-site and I found the suggestions about the offsite, as well as the 3 other types of meetings outlined, very helpful.
Some folks have the gift of meetings - I do not. The book helped me to understand the trap of consensus, and it helped me bet...more
I pretty much read this book in one morning. It's an outstanding and practical view on how to transform the nature of meetings.
We recently began the process of revamping our meetings. We're scheduled to do our first strategic off-site and I found the suggestions about the offsite, as well as the 3 other types of meetings outlined, very helpful.
Some folks have the gift of meetings - I do not. The book helped me to understand the trap of consensus, and it helped me bet...more
Jan 26, 2010
Darryl
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
people who think business books are dry
Recommended to Darryl by:
school
This was a reasonably good book which taught some good principles, but I'm finding that I don't really like business fiction. I think the reason authors use fiction to teach business principles is to keep it from being dry and boring, but to me it comes off as pretending to be more profound than it really is. This book isn't nearly as bad in that regard as some (Who Stole My Cheese?), but personally I would have preferred a shorter, non-fiction book that doesn't have to spend time on character d...more
A masterly crafted story, Death by Meeting challenges leaders to make meetings matter – to release the drama, tension, and debate that are innate in most workplace discussions, and yet subdued by pretense, office politics, and lack of unifying purpose. Lencioni calls teams to commit to the dramatization and contextualization of meetings. First, let discussion stir passion. Mine for conflict. Embrace disagreement. Secondly, one must understand the division of labor among meetings. Lencioni highli...more
I first read this straight out of school and was astonished at how obvious the advice seemed. Having worked for several years now, I picked it back up and was instead astonished at how relevant and useful the advice was. Written in Lencioni's signature style, the message is first demonstrated in a "fable" and then the theory is laid out in a smaller section in the back. I found the fable slightly less pedantic than the one in The Five Dysfunctions of a Team and the theory more straightforward. T...more
Okay let's not get confused here. It's a four-star book, but entirely in the context of management and business development. Anyone who thinks this book is eloquently written or even well written should probably read more...
Nevertheless, four stars for being easy to read, for presenting good, solid ideas in a way that, for the most part, keeps the reader engaged (not an easy thing to do), and for humbly providing insight to a problem that many people in business are loath to approach.
I wouldn't...more
Nevertheless, four stars for being easy to read, for presenting good, solid ideas in a way that, for the most part, keeps the reader engaged (not an easy thing to do), and for humbly providing insight to a problem that many people in business are loath to approach.
I wouldn't...more
I listened to this on tape and don't like the format at all. Its a work of fiction first of all and it doesn't walk a good line between fiction and self-help. I like my fiction with a good moral but it must be good fiction to start with and this is a little too contrived for me. It sounds like a campfire or fireside story meant to teach a valid point but the story drags on for several hours when it should have lasted 309 minutes.
My wife thoroughly enjoyed this book and thinks that I haven't bee...more
My wife thoroughly enjoyed this book and thinks that I haven't bee...more
Apr 07, 2009
Sarah
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone who feels like meetings are crushing their soul...
This book was recommended by a friend who said it completely changed the way they conduct meetings. After reading it, I can see why.
Written as a fable, the author walks the reader through a scenario in which a team of dedicated and well-meaning employees are hampered by their torturous weekly meetings. Through a process of discovery -- and trial and error -- they develop a strategy for effective, focused meetings. It concludes with an executive summary of this meeting strategy, along with links...more
Written as a fable, the author walks the reader through a scenario in which a team of dedicated and well-meaning employees are hampered by their torturous weekly meetings. Through a process of discovery -- and trial and error -- they develop a strategy for effective, focused meetings. It concludes with an executive summary of this meeting strategy, along with links...more
I found this rung very true to my experience of leadership meetings - disturbingly so - and therefore offers some great suggestions for making those same meetings purposeful and worthwhile. I appreciated the writing style, very short chapters, and a good summary at the end which helped me see the worth of what he is saying. It will take quite a while for me to soak up these ideas and use them in my current situation, but an excellent book on how to transform leadership meetings into what they sh...more
This book was highly recommended to me, otherwise I would not have read another Patrick Lencioni fable. His writing is boring, low-level, and implies childlike readers. A full book is printed to walk the reader through a simple set of ideas that could have been communicated in just a few pages.
The idea of the book, which is to have meetings (but better ones) is totally valid. We already use some of those concepts, and I will likely be testing the ones we're not using.
Save yourself some time, th...more
The idea of the book, which is to have meetings (but better ones) is totally valid. We already use some of those concepts, and I will likely be testing the ones we're not using.
Save yourself some time, th...more
As with many business parables, this delivered on the the fast-read-by-design premise. But thankfully, it wasn't insipid as many loose-weave fables can fall victim to if the PFM (pages flipped per minute)-meter becomes the most important measure. There was insight and instruction presented, plus a guide to implement whichever next-steps the reader is so moved to adopt. Hooked by the title and buoyed up by the "book-larnin'", in the best burgeoning buddhist tradition I can muster, I bow to and th...more
Another great leadership book from Lencioni... he uses fables (extended stories) to show how the principles he's teaching would work in "real life." That makes his books (and this one in particular) enjoyable to read as well as informative & helpful.
The only problem I'm having is figuring out how to apply his small - medium sized business model to my VERY small church... I only have 2 part-time staffers (and possibly a third soon) + a crew of volunteer staff. Obviously, the daily mtg is out...more
The only problem I'm having is figuring out how to apply his small - medium sized business model to my VERY small church... I only have 2 part-time staffers (and possibly a third soon) + a crew of volunteer staff. Obviously, the daily mtg is out...more
Seriously, everyone who manages people should read this book. Given how much time people spend in staff meetings, managers out it to their reports to make those meetings as useful and interesting as possible. I have heard back from several of my reports that this book made a real difference in my management skills.
I know that having an interesting staff meeting isn't as important as, for instance, hiring great people, but if you follow the advice in this book you will definitely make a positive...more
I know that having an interesting staff meeting isn't as important as, for instance, hiring great people, but if you follow the advice in this book you will definitely make a positive...more
You normally wouldn't find this book in the hands of a 19 year old. But hey, I'm a college student, and it was an assigned reading. I have to say that I've never been so engaged in a required reading ever. I always thought meetings were just meetings, but Lenicioni opens your eyes to meetings in a more profound way. I have to say that I did a lot of nodding when I was reading this, and people started to think me weird.
Great book. Great advice. A great observer. A great problem solver for ineffi...more
Great book. Great advice. A great observer. A great problem solver for ineffi...more
This a a non-fiction book, a Leadership Fable. Offers advice on how to run meetings in a corporation that are effective and productive. Meetings on one hand are critical and are the activity at the centre of an organization. On the other hand, they can be painful, frustratingly long and sometimes seemingly pointless. The author suggests that a good meeting needs drama or conflict to keep human beings engaged. "Leaders must look for legitimate reasons to provoke and uncover relevant, constructive...more
Nine times out of 10, when someone says "we need our nonprofit board to be more 'business-like,'" what they are really saying is "we need these meetings to suck less." That's one reason why I enjoyed this book. The other reason is this: I love meetings. Working collaboratively with others is a big thrill for me, one of my strengths, something that gets me going in the morning. But good collaboration requires face time, sometimes in large-ish groups, and it can be difficult to convince others to...more
Another outstanding book on an important management skill by Patrick Lencioni. Once again using a fable, this time to illustrate how to approach improving meeting time and using meetings for four different purposes:
• The Daily Check-In (5 min): Share daily schedules and activities - don't sit down, keep it administrative, don't cancel even when some can't attend.
• The Weekly Tactical (45-90 min): Review weekly activities & metrics & resolve tactical obstacles & issues - don't set ag...more
• The Daily Check-In (5 min): Share daily schedules and activities - don't sit down, keep it administrative, don't cancel even when some can't attend.
• The Weekly Tactical (45-90 min): Review weekly activities & metrics & resolve tactical obstacles & issues - don't set ag...more
The book, like his previous ones, is cleverly structured in two large parts: The Fable and The Model. It's a quick read. The first part lays out a sort of novel, where the characters could pretty much be you and me, taking part in management meetings in our own companies, and tells the story of how implementing his methodology (brought about by a "consultant in disguise", impersonated by the CEO's personal assistant) helped put the company's steering team out of its meeting "misery", by turning...more
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Anyone who has to run meetings should treat this as required reading - and anyone that has to sit through meetings is strongly advised to read it as well.
Meetings are drudgery... but they can be so much more. We hate them - they take time that we could be doing something more productive, but it doesn't have to be that way. Meetings can be VERY productive... if we hold the right meeting for the right time period and for the right topic.
This is a must-read for anyone in business. Any business.
Meetings are drudgery... but they can be so much more. We hate them - they take time that we could be doing something more productive, but it doesn't have to be that way. Meetings can be VERY productive... if we hold the right meeting for the right time period and for the right topic.
This is a must-read for anyone in business. Any business.
This fable -- and author's reflections at the end -- are so applicable to leaders and teams in schools or businesses. The specific suggestions, as well as overarching concepts, helped me understand why some meetings can leave team members frustrated and bored. The book teaches leaders how to "create environments of engagement and passion" by adding conflict and context to meetings. Great read. As a side note, I've had the pleasure of hearing Patrick Lencioni speak. He's outstanding (and brillian...more
I read this book on recommendation from my boss. I surprisingly enjoyed reading it. The author was able to take with would be a boring topic (meetings) and help you understand how to have a good meeting and how to set up the different versions of a meeting. 90% of the book is written as fiction about a company called YIP. So you can learn by examples from that company.
Definitely worth reading, especially if find yourself in those awful meetings that never end and have absolutely no purpose. You...more
Definitely worth reading, especially if find yourself in those awful meetings that never end and have absolutely no purpose. You...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rethink meetings or reimagine meeting? | 1 | 6 | Nov 02, 2011 07:02pm |
Patrick Lencioni is a New York Times best-selling author, speaker, consultant and founder and president of The Table Group, a firm dedicated to helping organizations become healthy. Lencioni’s ideas around leadership, teamwork and employee engagement have impacted organizations around the globe. His books have sold nearly three million copies worldwide.
When Lencioni is not writing, he consults to...more
More about Patrick Lencioni...
When Lencioni is not writing, he consults to...more
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