Do you remember what was discussed during last week’s meeting?
What about the one last month?
If your meetings feel like a blur and you have no actionable takeaways, then you’re probably missing something in your meeting summaries.
A well-crafted summary can transform unproductive discussions into actionable next steps. This article will teach you how to draft one that captures the essence of every meeting and drives action.
What is a meeting summary?
A meeting summary is a brief overview of all the key discussions, decisions, and action items in a meeting. It serves as a quick reference point for anyone who attended and keeps everyone on the same page about what was discussed and agreed upon.
How small businesses can use a meeting summary
Meeting summaries help your small business stay on top of progress. You can easily refer back to them and track progress on important initiatives like menu rollouts, marketing campaigns, or staffing changes.
By sharing meeting summaries with your team, you can align efforts and drive action. Everyone leaves each meeting with the same takeaways and has a clear idea of what they need to do next.
Meeting summaries also empower your business to make informed decisions based on records of discussion, decisions, and action items.
5 differences between meeting summaries and meeting minutes
While both meeting summaries and meeting minutes are important tools used for meetings, they have distinct purposes and differ in five main ways:
Time of creation: After the meeting vs during the meeting
A meeting summary is created after the meeting. It documents what was discussed during the meeting, any major decisions that were made, and the next steps.
On the other hand, meeting minutes are recorded during the meeting in real time. They contain a detailed account of the meeting, including individual contributions, any questions raised, and specific discussions on each agenda item.
Amount of detail: Concise vs comprehensive
What are the essential takeaways from each meeting? Meeting summaries focus on these. They document the crucial decisions and action items in a concise format.
Meeting minutes keep a more comprehensive record of the meeting. They add a bit more context with specific details about each discussion.
Readability: Easy vs structured
Meeting summaries are easy to read and understand since they single out the most important information. Effective meeting summaries use bullet points, clear headings, and concise language to enhance readability.
In contrast, meeting minutes follow a more structured format. They include a chronological account of the discussion and are typically organized into sections by agenda item.
Purpose: Quick updates vs official record
Consider why you’re creating each document. Meeting summaries are used for quick reference and to share important information with those who couldn’t attend the meeting. They give a snapshot of what happened and what's next.
Meeting minutes, on the other hand, are an official record of the meeting. They can be used for legal or compliance purposes, as they document the decisions made and the actions taken.
Tone: Informal vs formal
Meeting summaries tend to be more informal and conversational, as they’re primarily used for internal communication. They can have a friendly tone and even include personal touches or humor to make them more engaging.
Meeting minutes are more formal because they can potentially be shared with external stakeholders or used as official documentation for legal or compliance purposes. They use professional language for accuracy and objectivity.
How can your team benefit from a meeting summary?
Here’s how meeting summaries help your team turn talk into action:
Get everyone up to speed
Sometimes, it can be hard to keep track of all the details discussed during a meeting. Refer to your meeting summary for a quick recap of the key discussions and decisions. This is particularly helpful when multiple topics are covered.
It’s also easy to update team members who didn’t attend the meeting with these summaries. They'll be able to quickly understand the key points and decisions made without having to go through lengthy notes or recordings.
Establish a single source of truth
When there's confusion or disagreement, turn to your meeting summary for clarification. Having a single reference point helps avoid misunderstandings and makes sure everyone is working with the same information.
You can also reference meeting summaries whenever you need to. For example, during a follow-up meeting, you can quickly browse through past decisions and action items to track progress.
Promote clarity and transparency
Meeting summaries foster a transparent and accountable workplace since they clearly outline the important details of a meeting for everyone to see. No more second-guessing or time wasted on miscommunication. This helps everyone on the team stay on the same page and aware of the next steps, which ultimately improves team efficiency and productivity.
Foster alignment and collaboration
Meeting summaries help align team members and improve collaboration, which is especially important when you have a distributed or remote workforce.
Your team(s) can collaborate better when they have access to the same information and understand the key takeaways. A shared understanding ensures that everyone is working toward the same goals, regardless of their respective locations or time zones.
What makes a great meeting summary?
A great meeting summary should have these four sections:
Key discussion points: Capture the most important conversations or debates during the meeting. Remember to also highlight different perspectives and potential solutions for future reference.
Key decisions: Include all meeting decisions made and the reasoning or context behind each. This helps everyone understand how key decisions were reached.
Open questions or issues: Identify any unresolved topics or lingering questions that need follow-up discussion or investigation.
Action items: Clearly define what needs to be done, who is responsible for each task, and any deadlines involved.
How to write an effective meeting summary
Learn how to write a clear and actionable meeting summary with these 10 simple steps:
Condense the important discussion points
Focus on the most important discussion points. Leave out any unnecessary details or tangents that don’t contribute to the meeting.
If a discussion point doesn't directly impact the meeting's objectives or future actions, then it probably doesn’t need to be included in the summary.
List all action items
Always include the action items discussed in meetings, as these are the tasks that need to be completed to move projects forward.
Additionally, clearly indicate the person responsible for each task and the tasks’ respective deadlines. This will help you track these tasks’ progress and keep team members accountable.
To keep action items clear, use a table or bulleted list for easy reference. This format makes it easier for team members to quickly scan the summary and find their assigned tasks.
Include a “key takeaways” section
Your summary should help your team understand the meeting’s main purpose and outcome at a glance. Keep it short and simple — one to two sentences is ideal.
You can even consider making this section inspiring to motivate your team and stakeholders. For example, instead of writing, "We discussed the new marketing campaign," you could write, "We brainstormed innovative strategies to elevate our brand awareness and reach new customers."
Incorporate relevant data or metrics
Any numbers, statistics, or key performance indicators (KPIs) that were discussed should also be included in your meeting summary. This data helps provide context and measure progress.
Using visual graphs or charts can help your team quickly understand the significance of the numbers and how they relate to the meeting's objectives.
Highlight any unresolved questions or concerns
If there are any issues or questions that still need to be addressed after the meeting, be sure to include them in your summary.
Be specific about what needs to be discussed or investigated, and assign these items to specific team members if possible. This helps ensure that these issues don’t fall through the cracks.
Pro tip: Create a separate section in your summary for unresolved questions or concerns so that no one misses them.
Attach relevant resources
Include any presentations, reports, and external links in your meeting summary.
All supporting materials should be centralized to one place. In doing so, your meeting attendees won’t have to dig through their inboxes or shared drives to find the resources they need.
Proofread for accuracy
Don’t forget to proofread your summary before sending it to the team. Make sure there are no mistakes or inconsistencies that could cause confusion or warrant a call for another meeting to clarify.
If you can, ask someone to double-check the meeting summary for accuracy and clarity. A fresh set of eyes might catch errors you'd initially missed.
Make it easily accessible for your team
Your summary needs to be accessible to your entire team.
Why? To keep everyone aligned.
Meeting summaries sent through email can easily get lost in overflowing inboxes. So, instead, share them through a platform like Lark Docs.
Lark Docs is a collaborative workspace that allows teams to create, edit, and share documents in real time, ensuring everyone has access to the latest version.
Express gratitude for participation
Remember to thank the meeting participants for their time, contributions, and insights. Although this may seem minor, it goes a long way in building team morale.
There are bound to be meetings where disagreements arise and tough decisions are made. By acknowledging everyone’s efforts and contributions, you make sure that your team members know they are appreciated and valued at meetings.
Schedule future meetings
Lay the groundwork for future meetings with each meeting summary. Outline the topics that will be covered next time so that everyone knows what to expect.
Also, include a proposed date, time, and agenda for the next meeting. This allows your team to better prepare for it and make time for it in their schedules. Moreover, it keeps the momentum going.
A template for meeting summary
Use this meeting summary template to craft your next summary:
Hi Team,
Thanks for your valuable input and ideas during our weekly meeting today. Here's a quick recap:
Weekly Management Meeting: Recap and Next Steps for XX Restaurant
Meeting Date: June 24, 2024
Time: 10:00 AM
Attendees: Chef, General Manager, and Front-of-House Manager
Executive Summary:
In this meeting, we finalized the exciting new summer menu and made the necessary staffing changes.
Key Discussion Points:
Discussion Topic 1: Summer Menu Rollout
We tasted and discussed each new dish, incorporating all feedback on flavors and presentation.
We set menu prices that reflect the quality of our ingredients while staying competitive.
We brainstormed promotions to introduce our new menu items.
Key Takeaway:
The new menu is fresh, seasonal, and profitable.
We'll kick off the summer menu with a special tasting event for VIP customers next week.
Discussion Topic 2: Staffing Update
We will be hiring new team members to support our summer rush.
We identified specific training needs for new and existing staff.
We adjusted the schedule to ensure we have the coverage we need for peak hours.
Key Takeaway:
We're actively addressing staffing challenges to ensure smooth summertime operations.
Ongoing training will help our team deliver the best possible customer service.
Key Decisions:
Decision 1: Finalized Summer Menu
The summer menu featuring grilled peach with burrata salad and the shrimp scampi with zucchini noodles has been finalized.
Decision 2: Updated Staffing Schedule
The staffing schedule has been adjusted to cover peak hours and accommodate new hires for the summer season.
We will be adding an additional server on Friday and Saturday nights.
Decision 3: Expedited Hiring Process for Summer
We agreed to prioritize hiring two additional line cooks and one server to handle the expected increased summer volume.
Action Items:
Order new ingredients for summer menu: [Assigned to Chef] - [Due Date: June 26, 2024]
Post updated schedule in the break room: [Assigned to Front-of-House Manager] - [Due Date: June 26, 2024]
Send invitations for VIP tasting event: [Assigned to General Manager] - [Due Date: June 26, 2024]
Post job listings for additional staff: [Assigned to General Manager] - [Due Date: June 27, 2024]
Attachments:
[Link to new menu draft]
[Link to new shift schedule]
Next Steps:
Our next meeting is scheduled for:
Date: July 1, 2024
Time: 10:00 AM
Agenda:
Discuss customer feedback on the new menu
Plan promotions for the Fourth of July week
Common meeting-related challenges in this day and age
While meetings are essential for collaboration, they're not without their challenges. Here are some of the most common hurdles teams face:
Remote work environments
The rise of remote work has been made possible through virtual meeting platforms and communication tools. In fact, 42% of meetings in North America happen solely online now.
However, unreliable internet connections, audio and video glitches, and other tech issues can easily disrupt meeting flow and hinder productivity. Plus, keeping everyone engaged and focused amid these and other distractions can be a struggle.
Dispersed teams across multiple locations
Trying to coordinate and collaborate with a distributed team can quickly become a logistical nightmare. Something as simple as finding a time that works for everyone across different time zones and schedules is often a major challenge.
Moreover, it can be harder to build rapport and trust when team members don’t interact in person.
Language and cultural barriers
For global teams, language and cultural barriers lead to misunderstandings and misinterpretations, making attempts at communicating ineffective.
Different communication styles and cultural norms can cause confusion or conflict if they aren’t acknowledged. For example, what might be considered a direct approach in one part of the world could be perceived as rude in another.
Lack of a clear agenda
Did you know that meetings are ineffective 72% of the time? When there are no clear objects (a.k.a. an agenda), they often feel pointless. They can also easily veer off-topic, lack purpose, or result in no action, causing team members to feel demotivated and disengaged.
Using Lark to enrich your meetings
Lark revolutionizes the way teams collaborate and communicate through the following features:
Automatic transcriptions
Lark Minutes automatically transcribes your meetings, which means there’s no need to take notes manually. This lets your team focus on the conversation at hand.
You can also search through transcripts to find specific information or revisit important discussions. Easily clarify details or follow up on action items after each meeting.
Real-time auto-translation
Your global team deserves to communicate effortlessly, even when members speak different languages. Remove language barriers altogether with Lark’s real-time meeting translation feature.
Create an inclusive work environment where everyone can fully understand each other and contribute to important discussions.
Large-scale meetings
Hold large-scale meetings of up to 1,000 participants and 50 breakout sessions without compromising meeting quality.
Make company-wide meetings, webinars, and online workshops possible with Lark. With features like live polling, Q&A sessions, and interactive whiteboards, you can keep everyone engaged and focused, even in a large virtual setting.
Magic Share
Enjoy real-time collaboration right there on your screen. With Magic Share, your team can view, comment on, and edit shared documents together during the meeting.
Supercharge your team’s productivity with a more interactive and dynamic meeting experience.
Easy scheduling
Scheduling meetings that work for everyone can be a hassle, right? With Lark, you can easily coordinate schedules, check others’ availability, and send group meeting invites. No more endless back-and-forth emails or double-bookings.
Plus, stay on track of your meetings with automated notifications and reminders when they’re coming up.
Lark Docs
With Lark Docs, you can create, share, and edit meeting summaries, agendas, notes, and other relevant documents with your team in real time. Moreover, Lark Docs’ version history feature ensures that everyone is working with the most up-to-date documents.
Take care of your next meeting with Lark
Get started with Lark today, and don't let another meeting go to waste.
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