Do not meet for information you could read Meaning Factcheck Usage
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You know, I’ve been thinking a lot about that Dale Carnegie idea, “Do not meet for information you could read.” It’s a game-changer for anyone drowning in useless meetings. Seriously, it reframes the entire purpose of getting people together.

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Table of Contents

Meaning

The core message is brutally simple: stop wasting collective time in meetings on things that can be consumed and understood individually. A meeting’s value isn’t in the transfer of raw data; it’s in the interaction that happens *after* everyone is on the same page.

Explanation

Let me break it down. Think about the last meeting you left thinking, “That could have been an email.” Carnegie is giving you the principle behind that feeling. He’s saying that a room full of people is your most expensive, most powerful resource. And you’re squandering it if you use it to simply *read* information out loud. The real magic—the debate, the collaborative problem-solving, the nuanced decision-making—that can *only* happen when people are together. So if you’re just disseminating facts, you’re not just wasting time; you’re actively killing the potential for the real work. You’re training people to be passive.

Quote Summary

ContextAttributes
Original LanguageEnglish (4154)
CategoryBusiness (319)
Topicsefficiency (23), prework (2)
Literary Styleminimalist (508)
Emotion / Moodrespectful (32)
Overall Quote Score64 (50)
Reading Level28
Aesthetic Score62

Origin & Factcheck

This gem comes straight from Carnegie’s 1956 book, “How to Save Time and Get Better Results in Conferences,” published in the United States. You sometimes see this sentiment floating around attributed to modern productivity gurus, but nope—Carnegie was preaching this efficiency gospel decades ago. It’s a core part of his original text.

Attribution Summary

ContextAttributes
AuthorDale Carnegie (790)
Source TypeBook (4785)
Source/Book NameHow to Save Time and Get Better Results in Conferences (31)
Origin TimeperiodModern (909)
Original LanguageEnglish (4154)
AuthenticityVerified (4785)

Author Bio

Dale Carnegie(1888), an American writer received worldwide recognition for his influential books on relationship, leadership, and public speaking. His books and courses focus on human relations, and self confidence as the foundation for success. Among his timeless classics, the Dale Carnegie book list includes How to Win Friends and Influence People is the most influential which inspires millions even today for professional growth.
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Where is this quotation located?

QuotationDo not meet for information you could read
Book DetailsPublication Year/Date: circa 1956 (course booklet) ISBN/Unique Identifier: Unknown Last edition. Number of pages: Common reprints ~32–48 pages (varies by printing)
Where is it?Section Replace with Memos, Unverified – Edition 1956, page range ~44–46

Authority Score88

Context

It’s crucial to remember this wasn’t written in our era of back-to-back Zoom calls. Carnegie was looking at the mid-century corporate world, where travel and gathering were even bigger investments of time and money. He was making a hard-nosed business case: if you’re going to pull people away from their actual jobs, you’d better make that conference room time count for something you simply cannot achieve alone at your desk.

Usage Examples

So how do you actually use this? Let me give you a couple of scenarios I’ve used myself.

First, for Project Managers. Instead of a weekly “status update” meeting where everyone just reads their tasks, you send a brief written summary beforehand. The meeting itself? That’s now dedicated to “Okay, Jen’s blocked by the design team, and Mark’s timeline is at risk. Let’s problem-solve *that* right now.” The energy completely shifts.

Second, for Team Leaders. You’ve got a new company policy to roll out. Don’t gather everyone to read the policy doc to them. Send the doc. Then, meet to discuss the “how” and the “why”—the practical implementation and the concerns. You go from a lecture to a workshop.

Honestly, this principle is for anyone who ever has to call or attend a meeting. It’s a filter for your calendar.

To whom it appeals?

ContextAttributes
ThemePrinciple (1004)
Audiencesanalysts (63), engineers (80), executives (153), team leaders (46)
Usage Context/Scenariocalendar audits (2), general (4), hygiene blog (3), meeting policies (2), ops guidelines (1), status reports (3)

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Motivation Score56
Popularity Score82
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FAQ

Question: But what if people don’t read the material beforehand?

Answer: That’s the most common pushback. And the answer is you have to build a culture of accountability. Start the meeting by saying, “As per the pre-read, we’ll be focusing on X and Y.” It rewards the prepared and gently pressures those who aren’t. If it persists, it’s a personnel issue, not a meeting structure issue.

Question: Does this mean we should have fewer meetings?

Answer: Not necessarily fewer, but *different*. You might replace one long, meandering info-dump meeting with two shorter, highly-focused, action-oriented sessions. The goal isn’t less collaboration; it’s more *effective* collaboration.

Question: Is this practical for quick, 15-minute stand-ups?

Answer: Even in a stand-up, the principle applies. The update (“what I did yesterday”) is the “information you could read.” The value is in the next part: “here are my blockers, and here’s what I need from the team.” Focus the live interaction on the dependencies and collaboration.

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