We’ve all been there. That weekly or monthly meeting that seems to last forever. The countless slides of graphs and numbers, the multiple presenters, and the overall wealth of information that is provided can make the meeting some overwhelming and hard to follow. If you are ever in a position where you have to send a meeting recap email, learn the best steps to take to make sure everyone knows what to do next.
- Decide who should send the email. If you are running the meeting, it can be you, or you can have a project manager or assistant, take notes and send the email.
- Know who should be included. Make sure you’re sending your follow-up to all the attendees, including anyone who was on the invite list but wasn’t able to attend. It may be a good idea to copy senior executives on some of the emails.
- Think about what the email should say. An effective follow-up email contains the following:
- A thank you. Thanking people for their time and attendance.
- Summary of any key points covered or discussed during the meeting
- Common ground reference. A sentence about what you enjoyed about the meeting and what you have in common with those you met with.
- Outline of action items and owners as well as deadlines
- Attachment or link to any relevant resources or documents
- Invitation to ask questions
- A reminder of the next meeting date, time, and location
- Don’t wait to send it. A meeting recap should be sent as soon as possible after the meeting. If you need to block off time in your calendar to write the email.
Meetings aren’t always fun, and participants don’t always pay close attention. Sending a recap email will help make sure that team members are on the same page. Follow these steps and build a template that you can use every time you need to send out your recap email.
