Death by Meeting?

Tonight is our "town meeting" at the ward (what the Mormon's call their church buildings) next to our new property. We will explain our plans for the building and for the campus. We will also explain all the easements the city is asking for, which total around $400,000. We are hoping to get some of these issues resloved - we can't afford the extra expense. This meeting is a big step forward in getting us to the point of breaking ground.

Reading "Death by Meeting" by Patrick Lencioni. Great book for all who dread "meetings". I offer this quote:
"Imagine hearing a surgeon saying to a nurse before surgery: 'If I didn't have to operate on people, I might actually like this job.' Or a symphony conductor preparing for a performance: 'If it weren't for these concerts, I would enjoy my work more.' Or even a professional baseball player: 'I'd love my job if I didn't have to play in these games.'
Ridiculous, right? But that's exaclty what we're doing when we lament our meetings.
think about it this way. For those of us who lead and manage organizations, meetings are pretty much what we do.
And yet most of us hate them. We complain about, try to avoid, and long for the end of meetings, even when we're running the darn things!
And so my question is this: If we hate meetings, can we be making good decisions and successfully leading our organizations? I don't think so. There is simply no substitute for a good meeting - a dynamic, passionate, and focused engagement - when it comes to extracting the collective wisdom of a team. The hard truth is, bad meeting almost always lead to bad decisions, which is the best recipe for mediocrity.
But there is hope. By taking a contrarian, nontraditional view of meetings, and following a few specific guidelines, we can transform what now is painful and tedious into something productive, compelling, and even energizing."
One thing I really love about our leaders here at Southside - we know how to have a great meeting. Great meetings are important! How are the meetings at your church or business?