The Meeting Closing Ritual
by Alisa Cohn • Executive Coach & Author at Alisa Cohn Coaching
Named the Top Startup Coach in the World at the Thinkers50 Marshall Goldsmith Coaching Awards. Author of 'From Start-Up to Grown-Up'. Coach to leaders at Etsy, Venmo, DraftKings, and The New York Times.
🎙️ Episode Context
Executive coach Alisa Cohn breaks down the specific scripts and frameworks for handling the hardest parts of leadership: having delicate conversations, firing employees, aligning with co-founders, and running effective meetings. She emphasizes that a leader's job is to drive results rather than make employees happy.
Problem It Solves
The 'meeting hangover' where people re-meet to discuss the same things because no clear decisions or actions were recorded.
Framework Overview
A set of three specific questions asked at the very end of every meeting to ensure alignment, accountability, and proper communication flow.
✔️ Verification Checklist
When to Use
The last 5-10 minutes of every executive or team meeting.
Common Mistakes
Running the meeting until the last second and skipping the wrap-up; assuming everyone heard the same thing.
Real World Example
An executive team goes around the room answering 'What did we decide?' and realizes they have six different answers, forcing them to clarify before leaving.
My three questions to end the meeting are: What did we decide here? Who needs to do what by when? And who else needs to know?
— Alisa Cohn