Finding efficient ways to communicate and make decisions is essential for success. One method gaining popularity is the page-led meeting. Unlike traditional presentations that rely on slide decks or lengthy discussions, a page-led meeting is driven by a pre-prepared document, often called a narrative memo. This document is read at the start of the meeting and serves as the foundation for discussion, fostering deeper understanding and more productive conversations. Let’s explore what a page-led meeting is and how it can benefit your business.
What Is a Page-Led Meeting?
A page-led meeting begins with a document—typically one to six pages in length—distributed to attendees either ahead of time or at the start of the meeting. The first portion of the meeting is dedicated to silently reading the document, which outlines key information, issues, and decisions to be made. The rest of the meeting is spent discussing the content and addressing questions or concerns.
The concept of the page-led meeting stems from companies like Amazon, which famously abandoned slide-based presentations in favor of narrative memos. The goal is to eliminate unnecessary filler, focus on concrete information, and allow attendees to absorb and reflect on the material before diving into discussion.
Benefits of Page-Led Meetings
  1. Improved Clarity and Focus – In a page-led meeting, the structured document forces the presenter to clearly articulate their ideas, plans, or proposals. This leads to more focused discussions, as everyone is starting from the same informed place. For example, a sales strategy meeting can use a page-led approach to present clear data points and goals, ensuring that all participants are on the same page before discussing solutions.
  2. More Thoughtful Discussions – When everyone takes time to read and process the information, discussions become more thoughtful. Attendees have the opportunity to fully absorb the material and come prepared with questions or ideas, resulting in higher-quality conversations. In a product development meeting, for instance, team members can better discuss potential features and improvements when they’ve all reviewed the details beforehand.
  3. Efficient Use of Time – Page-led meetings help cut down on repetitive or off-topic conversations. By focusing on a single document, the meeting naturally stays on track. For example, in a quarterly review meeting, a page-led format can condense hours of presentations into a concise discussion, saving valuable time for decision-makers.
Page-led meetings offer a more structured, efficient, and thoughtful way to conduct business discussions. By replacing slide decks with narrative documents, these meetings foster clarity, enhance collaboration, and make better use of time. As decision-makers look for ways to streamline operations and improve communication, adopting the page-led meeting format can lead to more productive and meaningful interactions, ultimately driving better business outcomes.