A proposal for how we run our regular board meetings, inspired by Holacracy's tactical meeting format.
Traditional meetings often suffer from:
- Discussions that spiral without resolution
- Dominant voices crowding out quieter members
- Agenda items that never get addressed
- Unclear outcomes and next steps
The tactical format solves these problems by:
- Giving every agenda item a clear owner and resolution
- Keeping discussions focused on "what do you need?"
- Ensuring all voices are heard
- Producing concrete actions, not just conversation
This fits well with Nowhere's do-ocracy culture: it's about unblocking people to do their work, not endless deliberation.
Each person shares one sentence about how they're arriving. No discussion, no responses—just acknowledgment.
Purpose: Transition into meeting mode. Surface distractions so we can set them aside.
We're skipping this for now—we don't have recurring checklists or metrics to report yet. As we mature, we might add:
- Checklist: Recurring tasks—did they happen? ("Check" or "No check")
- Metrics: Any numbers we're tracking—quick report, no discussion
- Projects: What's changed since last meeting? One sentence per project.
Anyone can add an item—just 1-2 words. No explanations yet.
Example: "Statutes" / "NW26 priorities" / "Next meetings"
Important: Agenda items can also be added dynamically throughout the meeting. If something comes up during triage that deserves its own discussion, just say "I'd like to add an agenda item" and the facilitator will note it.
Purpose: Surface tensions so we can process them. Facilitator estimates time per item.
For each agenda item:
- Facilitator asks the owner: "What do you need?"
- Owner explains briefly (30-60 seconds)
- Discussion focuses only on getting the owner what they need
- Facilitator closes with: "Did you get what you need?"
Common needs:
- A decision or commitment from someone
- Information from someone
- Space to share/inform the group
- Help thinking through something
The facilitator's core job is to ensure every single agenda item gets at least some attention, and that the person who raised it gets what they need. This means managing time actively—if we're running long on one item, the facilitator will push toward resolution so we don't run out of time for others.
Purpose: Process tensions efficiently. Each item has a resolution.
Quick round: One sentence reflection on the meeting. No discussion.
Check-In Round
- Daniel: "Bit frazzled, just came from another call."
- Pablo: "Feeling good, ready to work."
- Ward: "Excited to get things moving."
- Michelle: "Present but tired."
- Christopher: "Good energy, let's do this."
Build Agenda
- Daniel: "Meeting facilitation"
- Pablo: "Statutes"
- Pablo: "NW26 priorities"
- Ben: "Working groups"
- Ward: "Hiring"
- Daniel: "Decision-making process"
- Ward: "ML oversight"
- Daniel: "ML email draft"
- Ward: "Event name"
- Daniel: "Next meetings"
Triage
Item 1: "Meeting facilitation" (Daniel)
Facilitator: "What do you need?" Daniel: "I want agreement that we'll use this tactical format going forward, and someone else to facilitate next time." Discussion: Brief clarification questions Pablo: "I'll facilitate next meeting." Facilitator: "Did you get what you need?" Daniel: "Yes."
Item 2: "Statutes" (Pablo)
Facilitator: "What do you need?" Pablo: "I need the board to review and approve the association statutes so we can formally register." Discussion: Key points reviewed, questions answered Outcome: Statutes approved with minor edits Facilitator: "Did you get what you need?" Pablo: "Yes."
Item 3: "NW26 priorities" (Pablo)
Facilitator: "What do you need?" Pablo: "I need us to identify the most urgent priorities from the Master Plan document." Discussion: Top 3 priorities identified Facilitator: "Did you get what you need?" Pablo: "Yes, I know what to focus on."
[Midway through, Ward raises hand]
Ward: "I'd like to add an agenda item—'Budget timeline'" Facilitator: "Noted, we'll get to it."
Item 4: "Working groups" (Ben)
Facilitator: "What do you need?" Ben: "Decision on which working groups to establish first." Discussion: Agreement on two initial groups Facilitator: "Did you get what you need?" Ben: "Yes."
...remaining items processed similarly...
Closing Round
- Daniel: "Efficient, covered a lot."
- Pablo: "Good pace."
- Ward: "Liked the structure."
- Michelle: "Felt heard."
- Christopher: "Let's keep doing this."
Your core job: ensure every agenda item gets attention and every person gets what they need. Don't get drawn into the content—keep things moving.
Key phrases:
- "What do you need?"
- "Let's capture that as a separate agenda item"
- "Did you get what you need?"
- "We're over time on this item—can we move to action?"
- "We have X items left and Y minutes—let's keep moving"
Watch for:
- Discussions that spiral → "What specifically do you need to move forward?"
- Someone not getting airtime → "Let's hear from [name]"
- Agenda items that are really multiple items → Split them
- Time running out → Push for resolution, defer if needed
Nonverbal feedback (Pablo's suggestion from Chris): Consider using hand signals for common reactions:
- 👍 Agreement/support
- ✋ I have something to add
- 🤚 Slow down / I'm lost
- 👏 (silent applause) Great point
This keeps energy flowing without verbal interruptions.
For our first few meetings:
- Timebox strictly—better to defer items than run over
- Be patient with the format—it feels mechanical at first
- Rotate facilitation so everyone learns the rhythm
- Debrief briefly: "What worked? What to adjust?"
The goal: meetings that leave everyone energized and unblocked, not drained and confused.