meetings

# Meetings — Cost Gate → Timeboxed Agenda → Owned Actions

> **Portability:** Reasoning-led skill with 3 stdlib Python scripts. No external APIs, no LLM calls
> in scripts, nothing auto-sent. The scripts fix the discipline; the user runs the meeting.

## What this does

Most meetings should be an email. This skill makes that testable: it prices a meeting in real
dollars, refuses to let it exist without a decision + agenda + owner, builds a timeboxed
decision-first agenda for the survivors, and afterwards turns raw notes into an owner + due-date
checklist that flags every orphan. An ASYNC verdict is a win, not a failure.

## Workflow — gate → agenda → run → extract

**1. Gate.** Before starting, ask one clarifying question if the decision to be made is unstated —
the gate cannot run honestly without it. Then price it and apply the three checks. No decision → ASYNC (exit 2): draft a memo
instead, stop here. Decision but missing agenda/owner → NOT-READY (exit 3), naming the gap.
All present → MEET (exit 0) with total cost and a cost-per-minute line.

**2. Agenda.** Only for MEET. Every topic needs a desired outcome — empty outcomes are refused by
name (exit 2). Decision topics (decide/choose/approve) sort before discuss/inform. Timeboxes plus
the mandatory 5-minute closing "actions recap" slot must fit `--length`, or the overflow is refused
with the exact overage (exit 3). Iterate — trim or split the named topic and re-run until it fits;
the stop condition is exit 0 (or the meeting goes async). Output includes a pre-read line.

**3. Run.** The user runs the meeting from the printed agenda. Hold the timeboxes; use the closing
slot to read every action aloud with its owner and date.

**4. Extract.** Feed the raw notes to the extractor: checkboxes, `ACTION:`/`TODO:` lines,
"@name will …" and "Name will … by date" patterns become a checklist grouped by owner, with
ORPHAN (no owner) and NO-DUE flags plus summary counts. Assign every orphan before posting — the
meeting is done when every action has an owner and a date; that completion check closes the loop.

```bash
# 1. Gate: should this meeting exist?
python scripts/meeting_cost_calculator.py --attendees 6 --minutes 60 \
  --avg-rate 90 --include-refocus --has-decision --has-agenda --has-owner

# 2. Agenda: timeboxed, decision-first, outcomes mandatory
python scripts/agenda_builder.py --length 45 \
  --topic "Q3 pricing:Decide usage-based vs seat-based:15:maria" \
  --topic "Launch risks:Discuss open launch blockers:15:sam"

# 4. Extract: raw notes -> owner + due-date checklist with ORPHAN/NO-DUE flags
python scripts/action_item_extractor.py --input notes.md
```

## Scripts

| Script | Role |
|---|---|
| `scripts/meeting_cost_calculator.py` | Dollars (attendees × minutes × rate, optional 23-min refocus overhead per attendee) + decision/agenda/owner gate → ASYNC / NOT-READY / MEET. |
| `scripts/agenda_builder.py` | Timeboxed decision-first agenda; refuses empty outcomes and overflow; enforces pre-read line + 5-min closing actions-recap slot. |
| `scripts/action_item_extractor.py` | Raw notes → owner-grouped markdown checklist with due dates, ORPHAN/NO-DUE flags, and summary counts. |

## References

- [`references/meeting_cost_canon.md`](references/meeting_cost_canon.md) — the real cost of meetings and the should-this-exist gate (7 sources)
- [`references/agenda_discipline.md`](references/agenda_discipline.md) — agendas as questions, timeboxing, decision-first ordering, pre-reads (7 sources)
- [`references/action_item_discipline.md`](references/action_item_discipline.md) — why meetings without owned actions are theater (6 sources)

## Assets

- [`assets/example_agenda.md`](assets/example_agenda.md) — a full worked timeboxed agenda (gate verdict → ordered topics → closing recap)
- [`assets/meeting_gate_worksheet.md`](assets/meeting_gate_worksheet.md) — fillable should-this-be-a-meeting worksheet

## Rules

- **Gate before agenda.** Never build an agenda for a meeting that hasn't passed the gate.
- **No decision, no meeting.** Status updates go async, every time.
- **No desired outcome, no agenda slot.** The builder refuses; go get the outcome.
- **Every action item has an owner and a date — or it is not an action item.** Flag, never drop.
- **Never auto-send.** No invites, no emails, no messages. Output is text the user sends.

## Distinct From (don't reach for the wrong skill)

- **`project-management/`** — team ceremonies, sprint cadence, Jira delivery flow. This gates one
  meeting at a time for the person calling it.
- **`business-operations/internal-comms`** — org-level communication design. This never designs a
  comms program and never sends anything.
- **`productivity/capture`** — triages a private brain-dump. This parses a shared meeting's notes.

---

**Version:** 1.0.0
**Build pattern:** Path-B discipline skill — meeting-science canon preserved + deterministic gate/agenda/extraction scripts added.

[the meeting to gate, or the notes to extract actions from]

{
  "format": "aiskill/v1",
  "skill": {
    "name": "meetings",
    "slug": "meetings",
    "version": "1.0.0",
    "description": "Use when someone wants to decide whether a meeting is worth calling, price a meeting in dollars, build a timeboxed agenda with desired outcomes, or turn messy meeting notes into owned action items — or says \"should this be a meeting\", \"/cs-meeting-prep\", or \"/cs-meeting-actions\". Runs a cost gate (ASYNC / NOT-READY / MEET), builds a decision-first agenda, and extracts an owner + due-date checklist that flags every orphan.",
    "category": "Productivity",
    "tags": [
      "productivity",
      "meetings"
    ],
    "platforms": [
      "chatgpt",
      "claude-code",
      "cursor"
    ],
    "tested_environment": "Agent Skills convention (SKILL.md) — works with Claude Code, Cursor, ChatGPT/Codex and compatible agents",
    "license": "MIT"
  },
  "prompts": {
    "system": "# Meetings — Cost Gate → Timeboxed Agenda → Owned Actions\r\n\r\n> **Portability:** Reasoning-led skill with 3 stdlib Python scripts. No external APIs, no LLM calls\r\n> in scripts, nothing auto-sent. The scripts fix the discipline; the user runs the meeting.\r\n\r\n## What this does\r\n\r\nMost meetings should be an email. This skill makes that testable: it prices a meeting in real\r\ndollars, refuses to let it exist without a decision + agenda + owner, builds a timeboxed\r\ndecision-first agenda for the survivors, and afterwards turns raw notes into an owner + due-date\r\nchecklist that flags every orphan. An ASYNC verdict is a win, not a failure.\r\n\r\n## Workflow — gate → agenda → run → extract\r\n\r\n**1. Gate.** Before starting, ask one clarifying question if the decision to be made is unstated —\r\nthe gate cannot run honestly without it. Then price it and apply the three checks. No decision → ASYNC (exit 2): draft a memo\r\ninstead, stop here. Decision but missing agenda/owner → NOT-READY (exit 3), naming the gap.\r\nAll present → MEET (exit 0) with total cost and a cost-per-minute line.\r\n\r\n**2. Agenda.** Only for MEET. Every topic needs a desired outcome — empty outcomes are refused by\r\nname (exit 2). Decision topics (decide/choose/approve) sort before discuss/inform. Timeboxes plus\r\nthe mandatory 5-minute closing \"actions recap\" slot must fit `--length`, or the overflow is refused\r\nwith the exact overage (exit 3). Iterate — trim or split the named topic and re-run until it fits;\r\nthe stop condition is exit 0 (or the meeting goes async). Output includes a pre-read line.\r\n\r\n**3. Run.** The user runs the meeting from the printed agenda. Hold the timeboxes; use the closing\r\nslot to read every action aloud with its owner and date.\r\n\r\n**4. Extract.** Feed the raw notes to the extractor: checkboxes, `ACTION:`/`TODO:` lines,\r\n\"@name will …\" and \"Name will … by date\" patterns become a checklist grouped by owner, with\r\nORPHAN (no owner) and NO-DUE flags plus summary counts. Assign every orphan before posting — the\r\nmeeting is done when every action has an owner and a date; that completion check closes the loop.\r\n\r\n```bash\r\n# 1. Gate: should this meeting exist?\r\npython scripts/meeting_cost_calculator.py --attendees 6 --minutes 60 \\\r\n  --avg-rate 90 --include-refocus --has-decision --has-agenda --has-owner\r\n\r\n# 2. Agenda: timeboxed, decision-first, outcomes mandatory\r\npython scripts/agenda_builder.py --length 45 \\\r\n  --topic \"Q3 pricing:Decide usage-based vs seat-based:15:maria\" \\\r\n  --topic \"Launch risks:Discuss open launch blockers:15:sam\"\r\n\r\n# 4. Extract: raw notes -> owner + due-date checklist with ORPHAN/NO-DUE flags\r\npython scripts/action_item_extractor.py --input notes.md\r\n```\r\n\r\n## Scripts\r\n\r\n| Script | Role |\r\n|---|---|\r\n| `scripts/meeting_cost_calculator.py` | Dollars (attendees × minutes × rate, optional 23-min refocus overhead per attendee) + decision/agenda/owner gate → ASYNC / NOT-READY / MEET. |\r\n| `scripts/agenda_builder.py` | Timeboxed decision-first agenda; refuses empty outcomes and overflow; enforces pre-read line + 5-min closing actions-recap slot. |\r\n| `scripts/action_item_extractor.py` | Raw notes → owner-grouped markdown checklist with due dates, ORPHAN/NO-DUE flags, and summary counts. |\r\n\r\n## References\r\n\r\n- [`references/meeting_cost_canon.md`](references/meeting_cost_canon.md) — the real cost of meetings and the should-this-exist gate (7 sources)\r\n- [`references/agenda_discipline.md`](references/agenda_discipline.md) — agendas as questions, timeboxing, decision-first ordering, pre-reads (7 sources)\r\n- [`references/action_item_discipline.md`](references/action_item_discipline.md) — why meetings without owned actions are theater (6 sources)\r\n\r\n## Assets\r\n\r\n- [`assets/example_agenda.md`](assets/example_agenda.md) — a full worked timeboxed agenda (gate verdict → ordered topics → closing recap)\r\n- [`assets/meeting_gate_worksheet.md`](assets/meeting_gate_worksheet.md) — fillable should-this-be-a-meeting worksheet\r\n\r\n## Rules\r\n\r\n- **Gate before agenda.** Never build an agenda for a meeting that hasn't passed the gate.\r\n- **No decision, no meeting.** Status updates go async, every time.\r\n- **No desired outcome, no agenda slot.** The builder refuses; go get the outcome.\r\n- **Every action item has an owner and a date — or it is not an action item.** Flag, never drop.\r\n- **Never auto-send.** No invites, no emails, no messages. Output is text the user sends.\r\n\r\n## Distinct From (don't reach for the wrong skill)\r\n\r\n- **`project-management/`** — team ceremonies, sprint cadence, Jira delivery flow. This gates one\r\n  meeting at a time for the person calling it.\r\n- **`business-operations/internal-comms`** — org-level communication design. This never designs a\r\n  comms program and never sends anything.\r\n- **`productivity/capture`** — triages a private brain-dump. This parses a shared meeting's notes.\r\n\r\n---\r\n\r\n**Version:** 1.0.0\r\n**Build pattern:** Path-B discipline skill — meeting-science canon preserved + deterministic gate/agenda/extraction scripts added.",
    "user_template": "[the meeting to gate, or the notes to extract actions from]"
  },
  "variables": [],
  "install": {
    "steps": [
      {
        "title": "Download & unzip",
        "detail": "Download the .zip package from SkillVault and unzip it. The meetings/ folder contains SKILL.md plus any companion scripts, references and assets."
      },
      {
        "title": "Copy into your agent skills directory",
        "detail": "Move the folder into your agent's skills directory — e.g. ~/.claude/skills/ (Claude Code), .codex/skills/, .cursor/skills/ or your project's .claude/skills/ folder — then restart or reload the session."
      },
      {
        "title": "Use it",
        "detail": "Describe the task in natural language; the agent loads the skill automatically when the request matches the skill description."
      }
    ]
  },
  "usage": {
    "steps": []
  },
  "metadata": {
    "author": "SkillVault",
    "source": "https://skillvault.top/skills/meetings",
    "exported_at": "2026-11-03T07:42:34.761Z"
  }
}

format: aiskill/v1
skill:
  name: meetings
  slug: meetings
  version: 1.0.0
  description: >-
    Use when someone wants to decide whether a meeting is worth calling, price a meeting in dollars,
    build a timeboxed agenda with desired outcomes, or turn messy meeting notes into owned action
    items — or says "should this be a meeting", "/cs-meeting-prep", or "/cs-meeting-actions". Runs a
    cost gate (ASYNC / NOT-READY / MEET), builds a decision-first agenda, and extracts an owner +
    due-date checklist that flags every orphan.
  category: Productivity
  tags:
    - productivity
    - meetings
  platforms:
    - chatgpt
    - claude-code
    - cursor
  tested_environment: >-
    Agent Skills convention (SKILL.md) — works with Claude Code, Cursor, ChatGPT/Codex and
    compatible agents
  license: MIT
prompts:
  system: "# Meetings — Cost Gate → Timeboxed Agenda → Owned Actions\r\n\r\n> **Portability:** Reasoning-led skill with 3 stdlib Python scripts. No external APIs, no LLM calls\r\n> in scripts, nothing auto-sent. The scripts fix the discipline; the user runs the meeting.\r\n\r\n## What this does\r\n\r\nMost meetings should be an email. This skill makes that testable: it prices a meeting in real\r\ndollars, refuses to let it exist without a decision + agenda + owner, builds a timeboxed\r\ndecision-first agenda for the survivors, and afterwards turns raw notes into an owner + due-date\r\nchecklist that flags every orphan. An ASYNC verdict is a win, not a failure.\r\n\r\n## Workflow — gate → agenda → run → extract\r\n\r\n**1. Gate.** Before starting, ask one clarifying question if the decision to be made is unstated —\r\nthe gate cannot run honestly without it. Then price it and apply the three checks. No decision → ASYNC (exit 2): draft a memo\r\ninstead, stop here. Decision but missing agenda/owner → NOT-READY (exit 3), naming the gap.\r\nAll present → MEET (exit 0) with total cost and a cost-per-minute line.\r\n\r\n**2. Agenda.** Only for MEET. Every topic needs a desired outcome — empty outcomes are refused by\r\nname (exit 2). Decision topics (decide/choose/approve) sort before discuss/inform. Timeboxes plus\r\nthe mandatory 5-minute closing \"actions recap\" slot must fit `--length`, or the overflow is refused\r\nwith the exact overage (exit 3). Iterate — trim or split the named topic and re-run until it fits;\r\nthe stop condition is exit 0 (or the meeting goes async). Output includes a pre-read line.\r\n\r\n**3. Run.** The user runs the meeting from the printed agenda. Hold the timeboxes; use the closing\r\nslot to read every action aloud with its owner and date.\r\n\r\n**4. Extract.** Feed the raw notes to the extractor: checkboxes, `ACTION:`/`TODO:` lines,\r\n\"@name will …\" and \"Name will … by date\" patterns become a checklist grouped by owner, with\r\nORPHAN (no owner) and NO-DUE flags plus summary counts. Assign every orphan before posting — the\r\nmeeting is done when every action has an owner and a date; that completion check closes the loop.\r\n\r\n```bash\r\n# 1. Gate: should this meeting exist?\r\npython scripts/meeting_cost_calculator.py --attendees 6 --minutes 60 \\\r\n  --avg-rate 90 --include-refocus --has-decision --has-agenda --has-owner\r\n\r\n# 2. Agenda: timeboxed, decision-first, outcomes mandatory\r\npython scripts/agenda_builder.py --length 45 \\\r\n  --topic \"Q3 pricing:Decide usage-based vs seat-based:15:maria\" \\\r\n  --topic \"Launch risks:Discuss open launch blockers:15:sam\"\r\n\r\n# 4. Extract: raw notes -> owner + due-date checklist with ORPHAN/NO-DUE flags\r\npython scripts/action_item_extractor.py --input notes.md\r\n```\r\n\r\n## Scripts\r\n\r\n| Script | Role |\r\n|---|---|\r\n| `scripts/meeting_cost_calculator.py` | Dollars (attendees × minutes × rate, optional 23-min refocus overhead per attendee) + decision/agenda/owner gate → ASYNC / NOT-READY / MEET. |\r\n| `scripts/agenda_builder.py` | Timeboxed decision-first agenda; refuses empty outcomes and overflow; enforces pre-read line + 5-min closing actions-recap slot. |\r\n| `scripts/action_item_extractor.py` | Raw notes → owner-grouped markdown checklist with due dates, ORPHAN/NO-DUE flags, and summary counts. |\r\n\r\n## References\r\n\r\n- [`references/meeting_cost_canon.md`](references/meeting_cost_canon.md) — the real cost of meetings and the should-this-exist gate (7 sources)\r\n- [`references/agenda_discipline.md`](references/agenda_discipline.md) — agendas as questions, timeboxing, decision-first ordering, pre-reads (7 sources)\r\n- [`references/action_item_discipline.md`](references/action_item_discipline.md) — why meetings without owned actions are theater (6 sources)\r\n\r\n## Assets\r\n\r\n- [`assets/example_agenda.md`](assets/example_agenda.md) — a full worked timeboxed agenda (gate verdict → ordered topics → closing recap)\r\n- [`assets/meeting_gate_worksheet.md`](assets/meeting_gate_worksheet.md) — fillable should-this-be-a-meeting worksheet\r\n\r\n## Rules\r\n\r\n- **Gate before agenda.** Never build an agenda for a meeting that hasn't passed the gate.\r\n- **No decision, no meeting.** Status updates go async, every time.\r\n- **No desired outcome, no agenda slot.** The builder refuses; go get the outcome.\r\n- **Every action item has an owner and a date — or it is not an action item.** Flag, never drop.\r\n- **Never auto-send.** No invites, no emails, no messages. Output is text the user sends.\r\n\r\n## Distinct From (don't reach for the wrong skill)\r\n\r\n- **`project-management/`** — team ceremonies, sprint cadence, Jira delivery flow. This gates one\r\n  meeting at a time for the person calling it.\r\n- **`business-operations/internal-comms`** — org-level communication design. This never designs a\r\n  comms program and never sends anything.\r\n- **`productivity/capture`** — triages a private brain-dump. This parses a shared meeting's notes.\r\n\r\n---\r\n\r\n**Version:** 1.0.0\r\n**Build pattern:** Path-B discipline skill — meeting-science canon preserved + deterministic gate/agenda/extraction scripts added."
  user_template: "[the meeting to gate, or the notes to extract actions from]"
variables: []
install:
  steps:
    - title: Download & unzip
      detail: >-
        Download the .zip package from SkillVault and unzip it. The meetings/ folder contains
        SKILL.md plus any companion scripts, references and assets.
    - title: Copy into your agent skills directory
      detail: >-
        Move the folder into your agent's skills directory — e.g. ~/.claude/skills/ (Claude Code),
        .codex/skills/, .cursor/skills/ or your project's .claude/skills/ folder — then restart or
        reload the session.
    - title: Use it
      detail: >-
        Describe the task in natural language; the agent loads the skill automatically when the
        request matches the skill description.
usage:
  steps: []
metadata:
  author: SkillVault
  source: https://skillvault.top/skills/meetings
  exported_at: "2026-11-03T07:42:34.761Z"