To get something done, a committee should consist of no more than three men, two of whom are absent.

Fewer voices, faster decisions

We've all sat through the meeting that didn't need to happen. Eight people in a room, three doing email, one person repeating what was already said, and suddenly two hours vanished. There's a real truth buried in this old quip: sometimes fewer voices actually get you somewhere faster.

The counterintuitive part is that the absent members aren't really the problem—they're actually solving it. When you strip a decision down to one or two people actually present and paying attention, things move. You get decisive action instead of endless discussion. No one's performing for the room. No one's protecting their turf. The absent third person becomes almost symbolic—a reminder that not everyone needs to weigh in on every call.

This matters now more than ever, when we can instantly include anyone in anything. We've optimized for inclusion but sometimes sacrificed for speed and clarity. The best teams often know when to step back and let someone else drive. Not because you don't care—because you trust the person in the room enough to let them think without an audience.