How to write action items people actually do
Every meeting ends with someone saying "great, let's do that". A week later, nobody has. It's rarely laziness. Usually the action was never really assigned: it had no owner, no date, or no clear finish line.
Why action items get dropped
- No single owner. "We should..." and "the team will..." mean nobody.
- No date. Without one, it loses to everything that has one.
- Vague wording. "Look into pricing" has no finish line, so it's never done.
- Nobody wrote it down. Or it was written in one person's notebook.
The four parts of an action item
- A verb and a finished result. "Send", "confirm", "book", "decide". Describe what done looks like.
- One owner. A person, by name.
- A due date. A day, and a time if it matters.
- A shared place. Minutes, a shared doc or your task tool, where everyone can see it.
Before and after
| Vague | Clear |
|---|---|
| Look into the budget | Confirm the launch budget with finance — Anna — today, 4 pm |
| Screenshots need review | Sign off on the store screenshots — Priya — Friday |
| Someone should tell the press | Send the press note draft to the team — Daniel — Wednesday |
| Follow up with Northwind | Send Northwind the revised quote — Priya — Thursday |
In the meeting
- Capture actions as they happen, not from memory afterwards.
- Ask "who owns this?" and "by when?" every time someone says "we should".
- Read the list back in the last two minutes, so owners agree before they leave.
After the meeting
- Send the list within a day, with the minutes. See the meeting minutes template.
- Set a reminder for each due date.
- Start the next meeting with open items. Thirty seconds each: done, or new date.
Let the recording catch them for you
It's hard to run a meeting and catch every action at the same time. VoiceVault records the meeting on your Android phone and, when you stop, lists the to-dos with an owner on each. Add a due date and it reminds you once, on the day. Before your next one-to-one, you can ask "What did I promise this week?" and get the list from your own meetings. Everything is done on the phone; nothing is uploaded.
Every meeting, written up. Right on your phone.
VoiceVault for Android: transcripts, summaries and to-dos with no account, no servers and no subscription. 30 days free, then pay once.
Questions
What is an action item in a meeting?
A specific task agreed in the meeting, with one person responsible and a date it's due. It's different from a decision (what was agreed) and from a discussion point.
How do you write a good action item?
Start with a verb, describe the finished result, name one owner and set a due date. For example: 'Send Northwind the revised quote — Priya — Thursday'.
Who should own an action item?
One person, even when several people help. Shared ownership is the most common reason actions get dropped.
How do you follow up on action items?
Send the list within a day, review open items at the start of the next meeting, and set a reminder for each due date.