After successfully conducting an online meeting, there are important steps to take to ensure effective communication and follow-through. This section covers distributing meeting minutes and following up on action items.
Step One: Distribute the Meeting Minutes
Once the meeting concludes, it’s crucial to distribute the meeting minutes to attendees, including invitees and relevant stakeholders. Consider uploading the minutes to a document repository for future reference. While their effectiveness may vary, meeting minutes are necessary in some projects for issue tracking and compliance purposes.
Follow up with a Written Summary
In addition to distributing the meeting minutes, provide a written summary that highlights who is responsible for each action item and their respective deadlines. Sending a separate email with the action list, attaching the meeting minutes, helps streamline communication.
Sample Email Script
Compose an email including:
- Quick summary of the meeting
- Attached meeting minutes document with detailed notes, actions, issues, and risks
- Immediate next steps summarized in the email body
- Relevant links and attachments discussed during the meeting
Step Two: Follow Up on Action Items
Following up on action items is vital for accountability and progress. Allow a few days before requesting updates from the team to give them sufficient time to work on their tasks. Maintain a written record of the status of action items, risks, and issues, either in a document repository or a spreadsheet.
Sample Follow-up Communication
Send a message to the team requesting status updates on action items, while also sharing your own progress if applicable. Track the status of all tasks and keep the information accessible for reference.
Conclusion
By diligently distributing meeting minutes and following up on action items, you ensure effective communication and accountability after your online meetings. These steps facilitate ongoing collaboration and keep projects on track. Make sure to start your next meeting with updates on previous action items to maintain continuity and progress.
If you’d like to learn more, check out “Better Online Meetings”
