Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, the world’s largest e-commerce and cloud company. He banned fancy PPT slides with bullet points and ruled that a 6-page report in narrative form should be used. Right after starting a meeting, no words are spoken, and attendees spend 30 minutes quietly reading the memo. Why did they keep this strict rule of silence?
Historical & Academic Evidence
This content is based on Amazon Shareholder Letters and Harvard Business Review (HBR) Research on Decision Making.
1. Why Reading Narrative Text Improves Brain Judgment
Unlike viewing fragmented words (bullet points), reading a complete narrative report intensively activates the brain’s prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex is the hub for in-depth analysis of causal relationships and making logical decisions. Reading prose increases information processing density in this region, preventing misjudgments.
2. 3-Step Practical Routine for Modern Professionals
Narrative Writing of Meeting and Decision-Making Topics
Before a meeting, write and distribute a complete narrative document (1 to 6 pages) that shows causal relationships, rather than summaries or lists.
Silently Reading Materials Right at the Start
Instead of listening to a presenter at the start, the entire boardroom stays completely silent for 15 to 30 minutes to read through the document.
Focused Discussion and Decision-Making with Unified Context
On the premise that all attendees have processed information at the same depth, skip unnecessary Q&A and proceed to core discussions and consensus.
3. Precautions & Tips
The caution in applying this habit is that you should not simply stretch a simple summary into a long text. When you summarize topics in narrative sentences, the causal relationships (A causes B, leading to solution C) must be clear, as simple list-style writing causes confusion in the brain.
📌 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why take time to read together during a meeting? ▼
If asked to read in advance, people often skim or skip it. Forcing reading in the room ensures everyone starts with the exact same depth of cognitive state.
