Following up Post Meeting

 One of the key points I have learned over the past 30+ years of working in the N-F-P areas and participating in meetings is that having an ‘Action Sheet’, or ‘Follow-up post meeting’ sheet for the different people involved is a very helpful document.

So, what I am talking about?

You attend a meeting, take notes, type minutes, correspondence, etc. as a secretary.  You send out the final minutes, and a week before the next meeting, one of the managers/directors, etc. will contact you asking what they were supposed to complete before the upcoming meeting? So, you scurry through the last set of minutes trying to note where they were assigned tasks and then collate all you’ve found to send to them.

One way I have learned to overcome this issue from many years of experience writing minutes is to have an ‘action sheet’ where I note the tasks to be completed by different portfolios/managers as I am finalizing the minutes to be sent out.

You may have one sheet and note all actions with the name of the assigned person and perhaps a ‘tick box’   next to their name; alternatively, you may choose to have a sheet per portfolio/manager and list for them all their assigned tasks.  It would be very helpful to them if you also include where in the minutes each task has been assigned to them.

Example:

Name of Portfolio:                           XXXX XXXXXXXX

Minutes of Meeting:                       XX – XX XXXX

Tasks Assigned:

             Item #                                 Task: ______________________________________________

             Item #                                 Task: ______________________________________________

 

This step in your finalizing minutes and post-meeting steps will assist, not only you but also the portfolios/managers who have been assigned tasks.

You may think, well it’s their responsibility, and that is true, however, as the secretary/administrator, it helps you to be a positive communicator.