Team Collaboration
The Real Reason Meetings Go in Circles
Meetings that go in circles aren't a people issue, they're a clarity and alignment issue. Learn the leadership habits that turn meetings into decisive moments.
By Aaron Penwill, Founder of Crux Performance®
3 min readKey Takeaways
- Circular meetings signal clarity issues, not people issues.
- Every meeting needs: What are we deciding? Who owns what? When will we check back?
- Leaders who tolerate ambiguity create cultures of delay.
Meetings that go in circles aren't a people issue. They're a clarity and alignment issue. When direction is vague, conversation fills the void.
The pattern is predictable: discuss, revisit, discuss again. Without clear decisions and owners, progress stalls.
How to Break the Cycle
Start every meeting with: What decision needs to be made? End every meeting with: Who owns what, by when?
These simple questions transform meetings from discussions to decisions.
- Define the decision before the discussion
- Name owners for every next step
- Set specific check-back times
- Follow up on commitments from previous meetings
Make meetings matter
Crux Performance® helps leadership teams transform how they work together.
Related Services
Crux Coaching — Leadership performance under pressure.
Crux AI — Decision intelligence for complex delivery.
The Crux Method™ — The discipline of deciding well under pressure.