Track decisions not discussions Meaning Factcheck Usage

Context

Carnegie wrote this in the context of making conferences—what we’d call meetings—more effective. He was fighting against the common corporate ailment of meetings that feel productive but yield zero tangible results. His entire book is a manual for cutting the fat and getting to the meat of collaborative work.

Usage Examples

Here’s how you can use this, like, tomorrow:

• For Project Managers: At the end of a team sync, don’t just send out the meeting notes. Send a “Decision Log.” The header should literally be “Decisions Made Today,” followed by a bulleted list. It instantly clarifies ownership and next steps.
• For Team Leads: When a debate is going in circles, interrupt politely and say, “This is a great discussion. To make sure we capture the output, what is the specific decision we need to make right now?” It forces clarity.
• For Anyone in Meetings: Be the person who, near the end, says, “Okay, so to recap the decisions: we’re going with Option A, John is handling the vendor call, and we’ll reconvene next Tuesday. Correct?” You immediately become the most valuable person in the room.

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Common Questions

Question: But don’t we need the discussion notes for context?

Answer: Sometimes, but rarely. The decision itself should be clear enough that it doesn’t need a five-page backstory. If the context is absolutely critical, append a single line for “Key Rationale.” But the decision is the star of the show.

Question: What if a meeting ends with no clear decision?

Answer: Then that is the thing to track. Your documented outcome becomes: “Decision: No final decision reached. Topic tabled until next meeting pending further data from Sarah.” That in itself is a valuable, actionable outcome that prevents the same discussion from happening again.

Question: Is this only for business meetings?

Answer: Not at all. Try it with your family planning a vacation. Instead of tracking the 45-minute debate about hotels, just track the final decision: “Booked the beach condo for July 10-17.” It saves relationships, I’m not even kidding.