How to run a meeting prep squad

A meeting mission runs as a closed loop on the Chief of Staff Squad. You draw the path in the mission goals: which meeting, who is in the room, and what the brief must decide. The Mission Commander works inside that path and assigns the brief to Prep. Steering is the approval step. Prep does not book the meeting and does not send the brief.

The squad you import

The template is the Chief of Staff Squad, on /squads. Prep, Meeting Prep, writes a one-page brief with attendees, history, goals, and likely questions, turns meeting notes into actions with owners and dates, and checks the calendar for conflicts and prep time.

Aide gets a card only if you want the brief tied to the decision list. Digest stays off unless the goals include the inbox. The template has no required connection. Put the attendee list, the last notes, and the agenda in the mission folder.

You do this in the xSquads desktop app, on a folder of your own files. Mac now, with Windows coming soon. The product page is xSquads for Work.

How the mission runs

Step 1. Import the Chief of Staff Squad

Open the squad templates and import the Chief of Staff Squad onto the mission. Keep Prep. Keep Aide if the brief should land on the decision list. Remove Digest if mail is not part of this mission.

Step 2. Leave the connector list empty

This template has no required connection. Do not connect treg or Vapi. The brief is written from the files in the folder. Prep's job includes checking the calendar for conflicts and prep time. If that calendar is not in the folder, the conflict check is limited to what you put there.

Step 3. Create the mission and set the goals

Create the mission and write the goals in plain language. Those goals are the path: the meeting, the outcome you want, and the questions you already expect. Point the mission at the local folder with the attendee list and the last notes. The commander does not get to widen that path. A goal you can start from, as written on the squad page: write a one-page brief for tomorrow's partner meeting. After the meeting, a second goal, also from the squad page: turn these meeting notes into actions with owners and dates.

Step 4. Let the Mission Commander assign the work

Save the mission. The Mission Commander creates tasks on the task board and assigns them only inside the goals you wrote. Prep takes the one-page brief. If the notes are already in the folder, Prep also takes the action list with owners and dates. Digest should not draft email replies unless that goal is present.

Step 5. Add a task, steer, and approve before you walk in

Steering is the approval step. Add a task on the board, or correct the Mission Commander in the group chat, when the brief answers the wrong question. A useful task to add yourself: add the open pricing question and take out the background paragraph. Prep does not send the brief and does not create the calendar event. Start by approving the page before the meeting.

How much to review

Start by approving everything. Autonomy is a dial, not a switch you flip an hour before the meeting.

Always sign off the attendees, the goal of the meeting, and the last notes yourself. Raise the dial only when briefs stop inventing history. An action needs an owner and a date that you accept. xSquads does not attend the meeting.

What the goals have to name

The meeting and the outcome. "Tomorrow's partner meeting" is the squad-page example. Name the real meeting in the goals.
The files: attendees, history, and the questions you already expect.
Whether a conflict check is in scope. Prep can only check what you provided.
The action list as a separate goal, after notes exist. Owners and dates come from those notes.
Sending and scheduling stay with you.

xSquads for Work is free. Join the waitlist for the download.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is in the one-page brief?

Attendees, history, goals, and likely questions. That is Prep's job on the squad page.

Who turns notes into actions?

Prep, when that goal is in the mission. Each action needs an owner and a date. You approve the list.

Does Prep book the meeting?

No. The squad drafts the brief. It does not send the brief and it does not create the event. The Chief of Staff page lists no required connection.

What if I do not have a calendar export?

Put the agenda and the last notes in the folder. The conflict check covers those files. Do not expect a live calendar connection that the squad page does not list.

Can I fix the brief after it is assigned?

Yes. Add a task, or correct the Mission Commander in the group chat. The page still waits in Review.