Do you ever wonder if anyone ever reads your meeting minutes? Are you frustrated because no one seems to remember what the action items are from the meeting? Although you probably don’t have anyone raising their hand to take minutes for your meetings, one of the best ways to get people to actually read your minutes is to put the most important things first. The easier you make the minutes to read, the more likely people will read them! Join me this week as I provide three reasons why you want to put decisions made and action items at the beginning of your meeting notes. If you want to see the simple template I use, check out the 10 Keys To Accountability Resource.
Prioritizes importance
When you put the decisions made and action items at the beginning, you make them stand out and demonstrate their importance. When you leave them until the end or incorporate them throughout the notes, you minimize their importance. As you organize the notes from your next meeting, remember to keep the most important information at the beginning. When you narrow and clearly identify what is most important, you make it easier for your coalition staff, leaders and members to know what is expected which promotes engagement and accountability.
Recognizes limited attention
When we are quickly reviewing emails and attempting to take action on what is most important, we have limited time and attention. If our decisions made and action items are at the beginning of our meeting notes, we don’t have to worry if our members make it past the first page of information. The first page contains the essential information. If our members review the first page, they will know exactly what was decided and what they need to do to take action.
Prepares the next meeting agenda
If you have regularly occurring meetings, one of the best ways to support accountability is to begin the meeting agenda with the previous meetings action items. When you structure the meeting notes to begin with decisions made and action items, you automatically create the first part of your next meeting agenda. You also clarify expectations and support a culture of accountability.
How are you going to structure your meeting notes to make the most important things stand out?
If you would like more ideas like this one, check out my Masterclass recording from “The Thing No One Wants to Talk About Part 2”
Photo by Clayton Robbins on Unsplash
