The topical meeting: why great strategy needs great debate
Posted 16th July 2026
Not every decision should be made in a one-hour operational meeting.
Some challenges require time, preparation and healthy debate. That's the purpose of our topical meetings.
Held every two to three weeks, these face-to-face sessions focus on just one or two strategic priorities. Rather than trying to squeeze long-term thinking into the end of another meeting, we create dedicated space for the conversations that will have the greatest impact.
Preparation is key. Everyone knows the topic in advance and receives any pre-reading beforehand, allowing the meeting itself to focus on discussion rather than information sharing.
Patrick Lencioni talks about "mining for conflict", bringing the most important disagreements to the surface so teams can work through them together. We embrace this principle by tackling the most challenging questions early, encouraging robust debate before reaching collective decisions. Healthy conflict isn't something to avoid; it's essential for better strategy.
Our topical meetings also provide an opportunity to review progress against our big moves and spend time strengthening organisational health. By regularly stepping away from day-to-day operations, we're able to challenge our thinking, build trust and ensure our strategy continues to evolve.
Strategy isn't created by chance. It develops through purposeful conversations with the time and space to think deeply.
Watch episode four here to see how our topical meetings help turn healthy debate into better decisions.