Prewritten Three-Level Meeting
Move thinking before the meeting so live time handles depth and nuance
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 99%
The Prewritten Three-Level Meeting combines asynchronous depth with synchronous nuance. Level one is the common all-verbal meeting, where bold participants dominate and the group begins from scratch. Level two requires issue owners to write the material for participants to read at the start. Level three moves both submission and response earlier: issues arrive at least 24 hours before the meeting, every participant reads and comments in advance, and the live session begins after multiple rounds of thought. A meeting owner curates topics and time boxes. Late issues and comments wait until the next meeting, making preparation accountable. The synchronous portion resolves nuance, confirms understanding, makes decisions, and handles feedback. Written preparation broadens participation; live conversation prevents written words from being mistaken for the complete communication.
Origin
Mochary says Brex practices the strongest level-three version he knows, with strict submission and commenting deadlines.
Core principles
- 01Writing organizes thought while speech supplies nuance
- 02Advance comments let a meeting start several levels deeper
- 03Pre-writing includes quieter people before bold speakers dominate
- 04Deadlines need real consequences to become a reliable team habit
- 05Sensitive feedback belongs in a synchronous setting
How to run it
- 1
Assign ownership
Name one person to curate the agenda, enforce deadlines, and allocate time. Give that owner authority to reject late material.
Pro tip Time-box each topic according to its decision value.
- 2
Submit issues early
Require issue owners to describe the context, question, and relevant thinking in writing at least 24 hours before the meeting.
Pro tip Write enough that participants do not need a live introductory monologue.
Watch out A late urgent issue needs an explicit exception, not silent deadline erosion.
- 3
Pre-read and comment
Have all participants read and respond in writing before the meeting starts. Capture views from people who may not compete for airtime verbally.
Pro tip Comment directly on assumptions and decision criteria.
Watch out Do not allow advance comments to become personal feedback delivered without live repair.
- 4
Enforce the gate
Exclude issues not submitted on time and comments not made before the meeting. Let one missed opportunity teach the preparation norm.
Pro tip Apply the rule consistently across seniority levels.
Watch out Accountability without a clear published deadline feels arbitrary.
- 5
Use live time for depth
Ask selected participants to share nuance verbally, repeat back key understanding, and make or assign the decision. Record the result and follow-up action.
Pro tip Begin where the written exchange ended, not from the opening context.
Watch out Do not eliminate synchronous time when emotion, nuance, or feedback needs immediate repair.
In the wild
Mochary describes Brex participants submitting issues 24 hours early and commenting before the executive meeting. Late submitters cannot add the issue, and people who did not comment beforehand cannot comment live.
→ The verbal portion starts at a deeper level and includes thinking from quieter participants.
Common mistakes
Reading the document for the first time live
That improves on an all-verbal meeting but leaves the group only one level into the issue when synchronous time begins.
Giving feedback asynchronously
The sender cannot see defensiveness or hurt and repair the meaning before confirmation bias compounds the damage.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for recurring decision meetings where participants can prepare in writing and the organization will enforce preparation deadlines.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal for emergencies, simple status updates that need no meeting, or sensitive feedback that should not be written asynchronously.
From the transcript
“good communication is not verbal only, and good communication is not written only. Really good communication is both written and verbal.”
“people submit in advance their issues, topics in writing, but 24 hours in advance.”
“feedback must be done, I believe, in person.”
From the episode
#658: CEO Coach Matt Mochary — Live Coaching with Tim, Why Fear and Anger Give Bad Advice, How to Perform Personal Energy Audits, The Power of Accountability Partners, Delegation Tips, Strategies for Hiring the Right People, and More
Matt Mochary