Have you ever had an idea but didnāt write it down, telling yourself you would just remember it later? Did you remember it? Chances are, you didnāt.Ā
Writing things down helps us stay organized, remember important details and decisions, and helps guide the brainstorming process.Ā
Thatās why itās so important to document your meetings. Documentation before, during, and after your meetings keeps the group on track, provides context for key decisions, and sparks collaboration.Ā
But documenting meetings isnāt just about writing meeting minutes or following an agenda.Ā
Use the following best practices to make the most of your meeting documentation and improve collaboration across the board.Ā Ā
Why itās important to record meetings
Recording your meetings through clear agendas, meeting minutes, and other note-taking tools like Lucid has many benefits.Ā
Documenting meetings helps you:
- Acknowledge contributions from different team members so they feel heard
- Keep track of decisions, assignments, and action items
- Maintain a record of the discussion to refer back to in the future
- Relay key info to people who didnāt attend the meeting
- Engage team members in the discussion
- Facilitate effective brainstorming and collaboration among the group
- Increase meeting efficiency by keeping everyone on track and reducing repetition or circular discussions
In other words, without good documentation practices, your meetings will be less efficient, engaging, and productive.Ā
Best practices for documenting meetingsĀ
Okay, so you know meeting documentation is important. But how do you actually do it?Ā
There are many ways to record meetings, including agendas, minutes, attendance, assignment sheets, and visuals. Whatever tools you use, follow these best practices for documenting meetings to make sure all your meetings are organized, clear, and effectiveāon and off the page.Ā Ā
1. Collaborate in one shared document
If everyone is taking notes separately, itās harder to engage the group and foster collaboration. Instead, create a live shared agenda that everyone can access and contribute to during and after the meeting.Ā
When all your notes and information are stored in one shared document, itās easier for team members to find the information that they need, keep the group on track, and brainstorm together.Ā
When everyone can see each otherās ideas (even if they arenāt fully formed), itās easier to spark discussion and build on each otherās contributions. And thatās when innovation comes alive.Ā
Lucidspark makes it easy to collaborate and brainstorm in one place so you can easily share and organize your ideas. Our documentation toolkit is full of powerful templates to help you get started.Ā
2. Document decisions and action items in real time
Good meeting notes keep everyone on the same page. If someone couldnāt attend that last meeting, they should be able to refer to your documentation to get up to speed quickly and easily. But meeting notes arenāt just for future reviewāthey can also help your group organize the discussion in real time.Ā
When youāre in the middle of a meeting, it can be easy to get lost in the discussion and forget to take active notes. However, keeping track of decisions and talking points in real time can help you minimize confusion and ensure clear and accurate documentation for everyone to refer to later.Ā
Take note of any key decisions, outcomes or action items as they are discussed throughout the meeting. Donāt wait until the end of the meeting to record those points from memory.Ā
By recording meeting notes in real time, you are less likely to forget anything. Plus, if thereās any confusion about what was said or what decisions were made, you can clarify those points as you document them so everyone is on the same page. This results in a more accurate meeting document that has group consensus.Ā
Lucidspark makes this easy. Vote on topics, assign action items, build timelines for next steps, and more, all in one shared document.
3. Identify meeting attendees
Keep a record of who is present at each meeting. It may seem small, but documenting your attendees helps you track who was involved in key decisions and which team members need to be brought into the conversation.
To make your attendee list most effective:
- Include a designated space in the document for each meeting attendee to list updates and questions. That way, you can address important questions or concerns without missing key points of discussion.
- Track contributions so you never forget who said what. Lucidsparkās Collaborator Colors make this easy by allowing you to identify othersā contributions at a glance.
- Record the names of everyone who was invited to the meeting (even if they couldnāt participate), so you know who you need to follow up with and share information.Ā
4. Let your agenda guide you
Agendas work hand-in-hand with meeting minutes to direct and document your meetings successfully. Before the meeting starts, outline an agenda of key items the group will discuss, including a review of past decisions, follow up on previous assignments, and new questions or problems to address.Ā
Your agenda helps set the tone and goals for the meeting. Use it to guide the discussion so you donāt forget anything important. Distribute the agenda ahead of time to all participants so they know what to expect and are prepared to contribute productively.Ā
Remember to make it a shared document so everyone has access to the same file and can contribute to it in real time on the cloud.Ā
