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How to replace minutes with action logs
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CloseThings you'll need
- An Action Taker
- Excel
How many times have you arrived at a meeting to find that nobody else has read the minutes either? It's hard to find the time, we're all busy people. Make sure that important information doesn't get lost beneath a pile of 'he said, she said'. Replacing minutes with an action log can be a real boost to your productivity.
Change your mindset
Keeping an action log is easy. The hard part is changing your mindset. It's become ingrained in 'business culture' that we have to minute meetings.
The first thing to accept is that pages of minutes are not only laborious to read through, they are also counter productive. Information gets lost in what we think we're supposed to record.
Embrace change.
Understand the purpose of a meeting
A social event is where we get together and talk about 'how things are going.' An effective meeting is about bringing information to the table in order to make decisions.
We're usually really good at the first part but struggle to make clear decisions based on the information we have shared.
An action log takes the focus away from the information brought to the meeting and records what needs to be done once we leave.
If something is important enough to be minuted, it usually requires an action. Actions drive an organisation forward. They are what you monitor progress against.
What to record
Recording actions is easy. There are only three things you need to know:
- WHO: has agreed to the action
- WHAT: exactly have they agreed to do
- BY WHEN: will they complete this
Be specific, keep it concise, and don't abbreviate instructions. People will forget what was meant.
#3 is the most important point. Unless you set dates for the completion of tasks, you will not be able to monitor your progress.
What does an action log look like?
An Action Log looks like this:
It really is that simple.
Text description of image - excel document table showing date and who present at the meeting. Main body of the table is filled with a row with four column headings (left-right) who, what, by when, done. The next row has the following text in the columns under the headings: James C, email copy of action log to all present, 3 Jan 2012, a tick.
Always clarify actions
In order for an action log to be successful, everybody needs to be clear about what they have agreed to do.
END OF MEETINGS: The Action Taker should read out each action recorded, allowing participants the chance to clarify or change what they have agreed to. An updated copy of the action log should then be e-mailed to each participant.
BEGINNING OF MEETINGS: At the beginning of every meeting, the action log should be reviewed. Any actions that have been completed successfully should be ticked as 'done'. Participants should be encouraged to help to find new solutions for anything that has not yet been completed, and a new completion date should be set.
Productivity should increase once people get into a routine of setting tasks and reporting back. Tasks that are not completed may help to highlight capacity building opportunities within your organisation.
Recording votes and decisions
For official purposes, it's a good idea to keep a separate log of votes and decisions. If a vote or decision is taken during a meeting, make it an action to write the outcome in the Decision Log in case anyone wishes to dispute or review it in the future.Further information
- NHS Meeting Example of Action Log (PDF) by Essex PCT Board, South East
- Wait A Minute.. blog post by Marion Grace Woolley
ConsultantMGW wrote on Dec 03, 2012 11:40 AM
Sorry for the late reply Rowena, KHNP doesn't seem to notify HowTo contributors when comments are left, so I didn't realise you had asked a question.
Governance Documents for who? Once you know who, check what their legal requirements are.
Usually requirements for minutes are only interested in the dates of meetings and who was present. So long as there is a paper trail that proves a meeting took place, that should be enough.
I suggest you keep an official records book for decisions taken (votes). Usually anything you decide in a meeting requires a further action to be taken, so it's added to the action log. With votes or official decisions, make it an action to record the outcome in the decisions log. That way you've always got a record of official votes taken by the committee in case anyone wishes to dispute them.
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Rowena wrote on Jul 11, 2012 11:35 AM
This is an interesting concept. Does it apply to Governance minutes - for example for a Charity to use this method, would it be acceptable as a legal representation of the meeting?