A well-written meeting recap can save time and prevent confusion. Learn how to create effective recaps with our comprehensive guide, complete with templates and examples.
Meetings serve as a platform for communication, collaboration, and decision-making, and can be of different types, such as Departmental meetings, project meetings, client meetings, and many more.
However, irrespective of the type of meeting, it is important to have a proper meeting recap to ensure that everyone is on the same page and that the goals and objectives of the meeting are met. In this blog post, we will discuss the importance of meeting recaps, effective ways to create meeting recaps, and some tips for post-meeting follow-up.
A meeting recap is a short summary of what happened at the meeting, what decisions were made, and what tasks were given. A meeting recap is usually given to everyone who attended the meeting and can be used as a guide for future meetings or follow-up actions.
Two common methods of documenting meetings are meeting recaps and meeting minutes. While they may seem similar, there are some key differences between the two.
Meeting Minutes: Meeting minutes are a formal document that records everything that happened during a meeting, including who was present, what was discussed, any decisions made, and any action items assigned. They serve as legal documents and are often used in official meetings such as board meetings or shareholder meetings.
Meeting Recap: A meeting recap, on the other hand, is a more informal summary of a meeting's key points. It is typically written by one person, such as the meeting organizer or a designated note-taker, and is then distributed to all attendees. A meeting recap is often used for internal meetings, team meetings, or informal meetings, and is not usually considered a legal document.
Formality: The most significant difference between meeting minutes and meeting recaps is their formality. Meeting minutes are formal documents while meeting recaps are informal summaries.
Level of Detail: Meeting minutes are usually more detailed than meeting recaps. Minutes document everything that was discussed, including who said what, while meeting recaps focus on the key points and decisions made during the meeting.
Purpose: Meeting minutes are often used as legal documents and are required for official meetings while meeting recaps are typically used for internal or informal meetings.
Source: Pexels
Meeting recaps are essential for many reasons, let's discuss some of them below:
Meeting recaps are a record of what was said and decided at a meeting. They can be used to look back on discussions, decisions, and next steps. They also help make sure that everyone is on the same page and that nothing important is missed.
Meeting recaps are a great way to make sure that everyone does what they said they would do. Sharing the summary with everyone makes sure everyone knows their jobs and can follow up on them.
Meeting summaries help people remember what they need to do after the meeting. They give a clear list of things that need to be done and who is in charge of each.
By summarizing the main points of the meeting in a recap, everyone can refer back to it later to refresh their memories on what was discussed. This helps to avoid any confusion or misunderstandings that may arise later on, saving time and effort and increasing your team's productivity in the long run.
Meeting recaps can serve as a relevant resource for future reference. We all know how easy it is to forget important details over time, especially when there are multiple meetings and discussions taking place. By summarizing the key points of a meeting in a recap, you can refer back to it in the future to refresh your memories and ensure that nothing important is missed.
Making a good summary of a meeting is important to make sure that everyone is on the same page and that the meeting's goals and objectives are met. Here are some quick tips for writing an effective meeting recap:
Meeting Title and Type: To get started, it's important to include the meeting's title and type at the beginning of your recap. This will help everyone quickly identify what the meeting was about and what topics were covered.
Meeting Time and Participants: Next, make sure to include the date, time, and all participants who attended the meeting. This will help ensure that everyone who needs to be in the loop is included and informed.
Quick Recap: To give your readers an idea of what to expect, begin your meeting recap with a brief summary of the meeting's purpose and objectives. This will help everyone stay focused and understand the context of the discussion.
Detailed Meeting Notes: In the body of your meeting recap, include detailed meeting notes that cover all the key points discussed during the meeting. This should include any decisions that were made and any action items that were assigned. Make sure to capture as much information as possible, so everyone can have a clear understanding of what was discussed.
Action Items: It's important to list all the action items that were assigned during the meeting, including who is responsible for each item and when they are due. This will help ensure that everyone knows what they need to do and when.
Additional Documents: If any additional documents were reviewed during the meeting, such as reports, presentations, or proposals, be sure to include them in your recap. This will help everyone review the information discussed and stay informed.
Outstanding Questions: If there were any questions that were not addressed during the meeting, make sure to list them in your recap and indicate when they will be addressed. This will help ensure that everyone is aware of any unresolved issues and can follow up as needed.
Accomplished Goals: To highlight any accomplishments, make sure to include any goals or objectives that were successfully accomplished during the meeting. This will help everyone understand what progress was made and what areas still need attention.
Additional Projects: If any additional projects were discussed during the meeting, make sure to include them in your recap and indicate whether they require further follow-up. This will help ensure that everyone is aware of any new tasks that may have been assigned and can plan accordingly.
Potential Improvements: Finally, be sure to include any potential improvements or beneficial solutions that were discussed during the meeting. This will help ensure that everyone is aware of any new ideas or strategies that may be worth pursuing in the future.
Source: Pexels
Once you have created the meeting recap, it's time to share it with all meeting participants. One way to do this is through a meeting recap email. Here are some tips for writing an effective meeting recap email:
Here are some meeting recap examples to give you an idea of what a well-written meeting recap email looks like:
Example 1 - Internal Team Meeting Recap
Title: Internal Team Meeting Recap - March 28th, 2023
Quick Recap: During our internal team meeting on March 28th, we discussed our progress on the new product launch and assigned action items for the upcoming week.
Detailed Meeting Notes:
Relevant Resources: We discussed a helpful product resource during the meeting. Here is the link: https://www.example.com/product-resource
Title: All-Hands Meeting Recap - March 28th, 2023
Quick Recap: During our all-hands meeting on March 28th, we discussed our company's financials, upcoming projects, and employee training opportunities.
Detailed Meeting Notes:
Relevant Resources: We discussed a helpful product resource during the meeting. Here is the link: https://www.example.com/product-resource
There are several meeting productivity tools available that can help you write effective meeting recaps. Here are a few examples:
1. Project Management Tools: Tools like Trello, Asana, and Basecamp can help you keep track of action items discussed during meetings and assign them to team members with due dates.
2. Mind Mapping Tools: Tools like MindMeister and XMind can help you visually organize and brainstorm ideas discussed during meetings, making it easier to summarize the key takeaways in your meeting recap.
3. Meeting notes software: There are several meeting notes software available that automatically take meeting notes. One such tool that you can check out is Dive.
In conclusion, effective meeting recaps are essential to the productivity and success of any team or organization. Meeting recaps should highlight the important decisions made and the action items assigned during the meeting.
A meeting recap should be sent within 24-48 hours of the meeting, and it should include a follow-up email that summarizes the meeting and assigns responsibilities to the relevant team members.
In addition to the meeting recap, it is important to ensure that all relevant documents and resources are made available to the team members. This will help to ensure that the team members have access to all the information they need to complete their assigned tasks.
One more thing you can do to make meeting recaps a breeze is to use Dive. Dive is the fastest, easiest way to prepare for, run, & get meeting insights that drive accountability and alignment. Our intelligent meeting assistant takes notes, assigns action items, and creates a meeting summary that is easily searchable and shareable with your team. This way, you never have to wonder what was discussed in a meeting again and you can be confident that everyone is on the same page.
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