Why Strategy Meetings Never Work

Why do we have 16 people on a Zoom call just to decide the font size on a slide?Rahul and I have both sat through too many of those meetings. The ones that go in circles, where nobody wants to decide, but everyone wants to be heard. So in this episode, we decided to break it down: why corporate decision-making feels like a slow dance in quicksand.We talk about the silent politics, the endless decks, and the mysterious art of socialising an idea. If you’ve ever left a call wondering what just happened, this one’s for you.IN THIS EPISODE(00:40) Funniest Philanthropy Set You’ve Seen(03:17) Chaos Enters with Bottoms Up(04:11) Strategy Meeting or Stand-Up Show?(05:41) Going Glocal… But What’s That?(07:00) Everyone’s Adapting, Nobody’s Agreeing(08:58) The Throne You Didn’t Ask For(13:22) Three Strategies, No Clear Plan(15:26) Stickers Decide the Future. Seriously.(17:28) Project Joke Becomes Project Real(20:00) What Was This Meeting Again?(20:30) How to Survive the MadnessRahul PhondkeRahul Phondke has been a prolific writer of humour columns since his childhood days which ended sometime last year. People are still wondering how this happened. He turned to writing humour at an early age in an effort to find some meaning to the angst of life, which he found almost immediately after his first two cans of beer. Based in Singapore, he is extremely sought after by the locals ...unfortunately most of whom happen to be the police. He is an active member on Facebook and can be easily reached...unless he happens to owe you moneyConnect with Rahul at https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahul-phondke-522a17/Paddy RangappaPaddy Rangappa has worked in marketing for more than twenty |six years. After over a decade in Procter & Gamble in India, Indonesia, and Singapore, he became vice president, brand development for McDonald’s in Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa (APMEA) and developed strategies to significantly grow breakfast, beverages, and desserts, especially the McCafé brand, across APMEA. Outside work, Paddy is an avid tennis player and a freelance writer. He has also taught Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) to senior undergraduates and MBA students at the Singapore Management University (SMU). He is the author of Been There Bungled That and Spark.Connect with Paddy at https://www.linkedin.com/in/paddyrangappa/About the ShowThe Jest Business is a podcast that pokes fun at the wild world of corporate speak and boardroom absurdities. Hosted by Paddy Rangappa and Rahul Phondke, it’s where business meets banter—with a healthy dose of self |deprecating humour. From buzzwords to bloopers, we decode jargon, laugh at leadership, and challenge the serious side of success. If you’ve ever sat through a strategy meeting and thought, Wait, what did that mean?—this one’s for you.