Protocol
Interrupt for reflection only when the drift is worth the interruption
Reflection has a cost too.
When it fits
- A meeting has moved materially away from its intended outcome and passive cues are not enough.
When to avoid it
- Active prompts can disrupt flow; use them selectively and preserve participant agency.
Why it matters
Use an active prompt when the expected value of correction exceeds the disruption: state the goal, name the observed drift without blame, and ask whether to return, intentionally change the goal or park the new topic. Give the group control over that choice instead of letting an automated prompt dictate the conversation.
Steps
- The interruption results in an intentional choice about the meeting path rather than another layer of discussion.
An example
'We came to choose the data-fix approach; we are now debating UI naming. Return, or explicitly change today's goal?'
Check your result
The interruption results in an intentional choice about the meeting path rather than another layer of discussion.
Keep this limit in mind
- Active prompts can disrupt flow; use them selectively and preserve participant agency.
Connected ideas
Useful withReconfirm the goal when new information changes the meeting
Evidence and sources
The CHI 2025 meeting study found active reflection could trigger immediate reflection and action but also risked disrupting conversation flow.
This is a design tradeoff from a small probe study, not evidence that active prompts should always be avoided.
Are We On Track? AI-Assisted Active and Passive Goal Reflection During Meetings · Abstract findings