3 questions to ask at the end of every meeting

We all occasionally have work meetings, but they are normally not perceived positively. While this can be for a multitude of reasons (including a lack of focus during the meeting), one common reason is due to a lack of action planning.

For meetings to actually lead to successful outcomes, it is important to establish commitments to action. Unfortunately, this does not always happen—and when it does, it typically is not done so effectively.

Robert C. Pozen, senior lecturer at Harvard Business School, provides some advice on three questions you should ask at the end of every meeting:

1. What do we see as the next steps?
2. Who should take responsibility for them?
3. And what should the timeframe be?

After asking these questions, he suggests the following:

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Record the answers and send out an email so that everyone is on the same page. This helps with accountability, too. No one can say they’re not sure what really happened.

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For other tips on keeping meetings on track, see the HBR and other CMA best practices.