Repair 02: How to Make Downtown Decisions Without Endless Meetings
Clear roles, clear decisions, less frustration
The Problem
Your calendar is full of meetings.
Your to-do list is still full.
And the same topics keep coming up again and again.
People are talking.
People are showing up.
But decisions feel slow, unclear, or reversible.
This is not a meeting problem.
It is a decision structure problem.
Why This Keeps Happening
Downtown meetings tend to drag on when:
Meetings are used to think instead of decide
No one knows who has authority to move things forward
Every topic gets the same amount of time
Discussion continues even after the decision is clear
More meetings feel productive.
They are often just louder versions of indecision.
The Fix
You do not need fewer meetings.
You need meetings that know their job.
Here is how to fix it.
Step 1: Decide the Meeting’s Purpose Before It Starts
Every meeting should fall into one category:
Information sharing
Discussion
Decision
If the purpose is not clear, the meeting will drift.
Say it out loud at the start:
“This meeting is to make a decision about ___.”
Step 2: Separate Discussion from Decision
Discussion helps ideas improve.
Decisions help work move.
They are not the same thing.
Set a clear line:
Discuss until a set time
Decide at a set moment
When discussion runs long, name it and move on.
Step 3: Clarify Who Decides What
Not every decision belongs to the full group.
Some decisions belong to:
Staff
A committee
One role
A board
If everyone decides everything, nothing moves.
Write down which decisions belong where and stick to it.
Step 4: End the Meeting With a Decision Statement
Before anyone leaves, say:
“The decision is ___.”
If that sentence cannot be spoken clearly, the decision was not made.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Using meetings to avoid responsibility
Reopening decisions that were already made
Letting discussion replace action
Scheduling another meeting instead of naming a next step
Meetings should reduce confusion, not multiply it.
What to Do This Week
Try this at your next meeting:
⬜ Name the meeting purpose at the start
⬜ Identify whether the group is advising or deciding
⬜ Set a time limit for discussion
⬜ Say the decision out loud before ending
⬜ Write the decision in the notes
One small change will make a big difference.
How This Fits Into the Bigger Picture
When downtown decisions drag on, projects stall and burnout creeps in. Clear decision roles reduce frustration and speed up progress.
This is one of the core issues addressed through our Downtown Action Lab work, where the goal is to help communities move from talking to doing without adding more meetings.
Keep Going
This post is part of The Downtown Repair Manual, a field guide to fixing common downtown problems one issue at a time.
Better meetings are not longer meetings.
They are clearer ones.