How to Send the Perfect Meeting Follow-Up Email - The Muse

How to Send the Perfect Meeting Follow-Up Email - The MuseHow to Send the Perfect Meeting Follow-Up Email Theres a special kind of exasperation that comes with leaving a meeting feeling even less sure what the point of it was than when you walked in (in which case, maybe someone needs this guide to running effective meetings, this meeting agenda template, or this article outlining when you really should reschedule that meeting). Even if matters arent so extreme- maybe you had a stimulating and engaging conversation- its still disappointing if nothing landseems to come out of it. But theres a simple solution the post-meeting email. The overarching purpose is that it holds everybody accountable to the same expectations. So you have a kollektiv on the same page working toward the same goals, which keeps things efficient and productive and also keeps frustrations down, says Heather Yurovsky, a Muse career coach and the founder of Shatter Shine. Nobody likes feeling like they sat in a me eting that had good momentum and then nothing happens afterwards. Read on for everything you need to know about sending the perfect post-meeting email- so that youre never responsible for thwarting progress on whatever it is you were meeting about. Who Should Send the Post-Meeting Email?Okay, maybe youre all in on the idea of a follow-up email. But how do you know if youre the one who should be sending it? Often its obvious. If you organized the meeting, created the agenda, and ran the thing, then chances are you should be the one closing the loop with a post-meeting missive. Usually its clear at the end of the meeting whos responsible, but sometimes its not, especially if its maybe a new project that no one department technically owns yet, Yurovsky says. You just want to make sure you dont come off like youre barking orders at other people and that it really comes from the right person that people are going to listen to and respect the ownership and deadline.If its a more ambiguous situation, think about whether it makes sense for you to step up to the task. At the end of the meeting, if its not abundantly clear whos responsible for it and you feel equipped to send that email afterward, then raise your hand and say, Hey, happy to send out the post-meeting email, unless theres anyone else that feels like its more appropriate to come from them, Yurovsky says. So youre volunteering. Youre not calling anyone out to put it on them, but youre also giving other people the opportunity to say, Oh no, I think it actually needs to come from Joe.Who Should Be Included?Once the from field is settled, its time to think about the to and cc fields. Make sure youre sending your note to all the meeting participants, including anyone who was on the invite list but perhaps wasnt able to attend. Then think about whether theres anyone you realized should have been in on the meeting as well as any other stakeholders who need to take action or have visibility on the topic. Finally, if youre dealing with more senior colleagues, consider copying their assistants. When Should It Go Out?Its best to send the recap as close to coming out of the meeting as possible, Yurovsky says. If the meetings at the end of the day and you want to wait until first thing the next morning, thats fine, but the closer you are to the meeting, the more momentum is created and it doesnt departure to fall to the bottom of peoples piles.In other words, consider the recap an extension of the meeting and send it off while the discussion is still fresh in your mind and everyone elses. If you know in advance that youll be the one tackling this item, you can even plan ahead by blocking off time on your calendar right after the meeting to get it done. What Should It Include?The purpose of the email is getting everyone on the same page, says Muse career coach Kristina Leonardi. But what exactly goes into it to make that happen depends on the nature of the meeting and what is the intention, what i s the goal? Leonardi says. If there was an issue or a challenge that was being dealt with and the meeting resolved that issue or challenge, it can be kind of like a thank you and self congratulatory, she explains. Or it can be clarifying roles and direction in a particular project or the subsequent action steps that need to be taken and whos supposed to take them. As a general guideline, think about doing some or all of the following Thanking people for their time and effortSummarizing any key points covered or discussed during the meetingOutlining action items and owners as well as deadlines for these next steps Attaching or linking to any relevant resources and documentsInviting people to ask questions or reconveneLeonardi urges you to keep it short and sweet. But even the scope of the email depends on the meeting. If youre coming out of a voreingestellt monthly team meeting or a relatively quick and routine project update meeting, your email can reflect that in its length. If you re sending a follow-up note after a two-hour board meeting or a deep-dive strategy session, itll look a little different. The same goes for your tone. You always want to be polite, even if its a quick email that youre sending out, Yurovsky says. You also want to write in not only the tone of the organization, but of the meeting itself. In short, dont sum up a casual meeting with your teammates in an overly formal tone and dont send out a recap to executives that sounds like youre talking to your buddies at happy hour. As Yurovsky puts it, knowing your audience makes a big difference there. Is There a Template I Can Use?All sound good so far? Cool, now youre probably ready to get down to it. Heres a template you can use in part or in whole, depending on the particular situation. Hi all,Thanks so much for taking the time to meet about topic of meeting today/yesterday. The purpose of the meeting was to succinct articulation of the meeting goal/purpose.As a quick recap, we discussed A s entence or two about topic or point 1A sentence or two about topic or point 2A sentence or two about topic or point 3We came to the conclusion thatA sentence or two about conclusion or insight 1A sentence or two about conclusion or insight 2In order to make this happen, our next steps will beNext step 1 - Name of Owner will complete by dateNext step 2 - Name of Owner will complete by dateNext step 3 - Name of Owner will complete by dateNext step 4 - Name of Owner will complete by dateFor reference, see attached document 1 for a few words about whats in document 1 and why its relevant and attached document 2 for a few words about whats in document 2 and why its relevant.Well plan to meet again in amount of time, but please feel free to reach out with any questions, concerns, or relevant updates in the meantime.Thanks, Your NameWhat About an Example?Heres what that might look like in practice Hi all,Thanks so much for taking the time to meet about our Q3 sales goals earlier. The purpo se of the meeting was to get on the same page about our upcoming targets and discuss any changes we can make or steps we can take in the coming weeks ahead of the quarter to help us all be successful.As a quick recap, we discussed Some of the challenges we faced in Q2, particularly confusion about the implementation process and timeline for the new product internally as well as with prospectsSome of the successful tactics team members employed in Q2 that others might adoptWe came to the conclusion thatWe need clarity and additional training around selling the new product in order to be successful in Q3 as well some new collateral materials for internal and external useSince sharing tactics in this meeting felt so helpful, we will test out having biweekly huddles to pass on tricks and tips more frequentlyIn order to make this happen, our next steps will beSet up and run training session - Jackie will complete by June 20Create one-sheet for internal use - Rob will complete by June 25U pdate presentation materials for external use - Jorge will complete by June 30Set up recurring huddles - Quinn will complete by July 1For reference, see attached the current new product selling document for product info- please reach out with any questions that might be useful to address in new materials- and a document outlining individual, team, and company targets for Q3.Well plan to meet again in two weeks, but please feel free to reach out with any questions, concerns, or relevant updates in the meantime.Thanks, Gina