--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You have a meeting to make a decision…" description: "\"You have a meeting to make a decision, not to decide on the question.\" — Bill Gates" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61a/bill-gates-137_choice_you-have-a-meeting-to-make-a-decision-no_2415422.jpg" --- # You have a meeting to make a decision, not to decide on… ![“You have a meeting to make a decision, not to decide on the question.” quote by Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61a/bill-gates-137_choice_you-have-a-meeting-to-make-a-decision-no_2415422.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61a/bill-gates-137_choice_you-have-a-meeting-to-make-a-decision-no_2415422.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61a/bill-gates-137_choice_you-have-a-meeting-to-make-a-decision-no_2415422.jpg) > “You have a meeting to make a decision, not to decide on the question.” [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Decision meetings focus on choosing among options, not debating the question itself. **In simple terms:** Focus on deciding, not questioning. Key Takeaway Clarify options before meeting. Themes decision making meetings leadership clarity Mood analytical direct Type guidance strategic When to use this quote - business strategy - team discussions Key Concepts strategic thinking meeting efficiency Questions to Reflect On - What questions should be addressed before a meeting? - How to structure a decision agenda? A Different Perspective Sometimes questions need separate analysis. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Decision making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-making/) [Excellence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excellence/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Meetings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meetings/) [Truth Seeking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-seeking/) ## Related quotes > [Anybody can decide a question if only a single principle is in controversy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-frankfurter/anybody-can-decide-a-question-if-only-a-single-principle-is-in/) [Felix Frankfurter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-frankfurter/) > [It's not just the manager who makes the decision, it's the player who makes the decision. They both decide fifty-fifty to make a decision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruud-van-nistelrooy/it-s-not-just-the-manager-who-makes-the-decision-it-s-the-player-who/) [Ruud van Nistelrooy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruud-van-nistelrooy/) > [“Don’t play old tapes. Just cut the very root, just drop the whole idea of old patterns and old habits and start living in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/don-t-play-old-tapes-just-cut-the-very-root-just-drop-the-whole-idea/) [Osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/) > [The executive has no right, in any case, to decide the question, whether there is or is not cause for declaring war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/the-executive-has-no-right-in-any-case-to-decide-the-question-whether/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [“Circumstances don't determine who you are, or what you will be. Only you do that. You either decide, or you don't. Even the decision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-anne/circumstances-don-t-determine-who-you-are-or-what-you-will-be-only/) [Julie-Anne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-anne/) > [The hardest decision to take is to decide to back off on what you thought was a dream that you are going to fulfill.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-sadek/the-hardest-decision-to-take-is-to-decide-to-back-off-on-what-you/) [Mary Sadek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-sadek/) > [Ultimately, we are not subject to the conditions that confront us; rather, these conditions are subject to our decision ... we must decide whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/ultimately-we-are-not-subject-to-the-conditions-that-confront-us/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [You and I have the decision to decide what we are going to be with our life! 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You don't have time to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/when-you-re-president-you-can-t-vote-present-you-have-to-make-a/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [My mom and my dad were both very sociable, meeting lots of interesting people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/my-mom-and-my-dad-were-both-very-sociable-meeting-lots-of-interesting/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [“In all your thinking and reading upon the question, constantly try to decide: (1) What will the other side admit? (2) Is there anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leverett-samuel-lyon/in-all-your-thinking-and-reading-upon-the-question-constantly-try-to/) Leverett Samuel Lyon > [It's really hard coming of age in today's society, where society wants you to make the decision of what you want to do with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rooney-mara/it-s-really-hard-coming-of-age-in-today-s-society-where-society-wants/) [Rooney Mara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rooney-mara/) > [“Slow down your thinking so you can note the criteria you are using to make your decision. 2. Write the criteria down as a principle.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/slow-down-your-thinking-so-you-can-note-the-criteria-you-are-using-to/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) ## More by Bill Gates > [If you’re a person struggling to eat and stay healthy you might have heard about Michael Jordan or Muhammad Ali, but you’ll never have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/if-you-re-a-person-struggling-to-eat-and-stay-healthy-you-might-have/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [I really had a lot of dreams when I was a kid, and I think a great deal of that grew out of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/i-really-had-a-lot-of-dreams-when-i-was-a-kid-and-i-think-a-great/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Understanding science and pushing the boundaries of science is what makes me immensely satisfied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/understanding-science-and-pushing-the-boundaries-of-science-is-what/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [We're focused on providing innovations in software, driving the continuous improvement for a much better experience, and there's a lot going on here that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/we-re-focused-on-providing-innovations-in-software-driving-the/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Paper is no longer a big part of my day. I get 90% of my news online, and when I go to a meeting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/paper-is-no-longer-a-big-part-of-my-day-i-get-90-of-my-news-online/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Software will get to be somewhat more mature, ah, but it will never be as predictable as most areas of engineering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/software-will-get-to-be-somewhat-more-mature-ah-but-it-will-never-be/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Students deserve great teachers. And teachers deserve the support they need to become great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/students-deserve-great-teachers-and-teachers-deserve-the-support-they/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [The machines need to get faster. They need to get cheaper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/the-machines-need-to-get-faster-they-need-to-get-cheaper/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Like many others, I have deep misgivings about the state of education in the United States. Too many of our students fail to graduate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/like-many-others-i-have-deep-misgivings-about-the-state-of-education/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Over time, yes, countries will need to look at specific GMO products like they look at drugs today, where they don't approve them all.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/over-time-yes-countries-will-need-to-look-at-specific-gmo-products/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Competition is always a fantastic thing, and the computer industry is intensely competitive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/competition-is-always-a-fantastic-thing-and-the-computer-industry-is/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [I don't think there's anything unique about human intellience. All the nuerons in the brain that make up perceptions and emotions operate in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/i-don-t-think-there-s-anything-unique-about-human-intellience-all-the/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [At every juncture, advanced tools have been the key to a new wave of applications, and each wave of applications has been key to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/at-every-juncture-advanced-tools-have-been-the-key-to-a-new-wave-of/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Software is more important than hardware.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/software-is-more-important-than-hardware/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Talking to mothers, always brings it home because they're so anxious to do everything they can for their kids and so tragic for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/talking-to-mothers-always-brings-it-home-because-they-re-so-anxious/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) [Explore all 1,165 Bill Gates quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) ## More Choice quotes > [Making the right decision is hard,telling someone your decision is even harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/making-the-right-decision-is-hard-telling-someone-your-decision-is/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [“That’s all! Now either leave us alone or join us as a father rather than a receiver of sacrifices. You have the choice of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/that-s-all-now-either-leave-us-alone-or-join-us-as-a-father-rather/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [“In a world of fixed future, there can be no right or wrong. Right and wrong demand freedom of choice, but if each action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/in-a-world-of-fixed-future-there-can-be-no-right-or-wrong-right-and/) [Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/) > [“Exactly. So, what can't you take? Decide which of the two options is harder, and do the other. That way, no matter how hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/exactly-so-what-can-t-you-take-decide-which-of-the-two-options-is/) [Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/) > [“too—I realized that my only hope was to give up the life that had been, in order to make room for the life that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/too-i-realized-that-my-only-hope-was-to-give-up-the-life-that-had/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) Pancho Barnes > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [There has always been a feeling with people that they love my singing but not always the choice of material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/there-has-always-been-a-feeling-with-people-that-they-love-my-singing/) [Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/) > [I have too many options when it comes to guitars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-nielsen/i-have-too-many-options-when-it-comes-to-guitars/) [Rick Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-nielsen/) > [“Amazing how a small choice can change your life forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-c-dockens/amazing-how-a-small-choice-can-change-your-life-forever/) Randy C. Dockens > [Change is inevitable but personal growth is a choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/change-is-inevitable-but-personal-growth-is-a-choice/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [If you choose to draw from the inner well of free will, then you can make choices that are outside your current karmic patterns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-choose-to-draw-from-the-inner-well-of-free-will-then-you-can/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Since I don't outline my books very much, I feel like sometimes I don't have a choice in what the characters do; they just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-todd/since-i-don-t-outline-my-books-very-much-i-feel-like-sometimes-i-don/) [Anna Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-todd/) > [Act always so as to increase the number of choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinz-von-foerster/act-always-so-as-to-increase-the-number-of-choices/) [Heinz von Foerster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinz-von-foerster/) > [Words can only have an effect on you if you choose to listen to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/words-can-only-have-an-effect-on-you-if-you-choose-to-listen-to-them/) [Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/) [Browse all 8,092 Choice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You have a meeting to make a decision, not to decide on the question.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bill Gates" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/you-have-a-meeting-to-make-a-decision-not-to-decide-on-the-question/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Choice" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/you-have-a-meeting-to-make-a-decision-not-to-decide-on-the-question/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61a/bill-gates-137_choice_you-have-a-meeting-to-make-a-decision-no_2415422.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61a/bill-gates-137_choice_you-have-a-meeting-to-make-a-decision-no_2415422.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61a/bill-gates-137_choice_you-have-a-meeting-to-make-a-decision-no_2415422.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You have a meeting to make a decision, not to decide on the question.” — Bill Gates", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Bill Gates", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You have a meeting to make...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/you-have-a-meeting-to-make-a-decision-not-to-decide-on-the-question/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/you-have-a-meeting-to-make-a-decision-not-to-decide-on-the-question/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```