Sheryl Sandberg says a simple question from Mark Zuckerberg helps keep meetings on track at Facebook

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Mark Zuckerberg Facebook

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Are you making a decision, or having a discussion?

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Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg's day is always jam-packed with meetings.

But, as anyone who's attended a pointless, drawn-out meeting can tell you, running a truly productive meeting is often easier said than done.

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So how does Sandberg do it?

In a Quora post post, she credited Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg with helping the entire company conduct more efficient meetings.

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"We try to be clear about our goal when we sit down for a meeting - are we in the room to make a decision or to have a discussion?" she wrote.

The "Lean In" and "Option B" author also has a few tricks up her sleeve.

As she tackles each meeting, Sandberg also stays on track by checking off tasks in a "decidedly un-digital spiral-bound notebook," according to Fortune's Miguel Helft. Once every item on the page is checked off, she rips it out of the book.

When she joined Facebook in 2008, Sandberg also brought along a new routine of "check-ins." At the start of every leadership meeting, participants can go around the table and discuss their "emotional and professional state," according to Bloomberg.

It's a quick way for the team to stay connected and feel heard before they get down to business.

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