Action Items are an essential part of the meeting process, but you may be confused by how broad ranging the term is. We have put together a simple guide to help you effectively utilise our Action Item tool.
What Is An Action Item?
Essentially, an Action Item is a specific task. So what makes it different from a regular task? Well, all tasks have a purpose but not all tasks have a meaning. An Action Item will always answer the 3 Ws of business, namely who, what, when?
Who?
This task should be assigned to an individual or specified group of people, and it will be them solely who will be responsible.
What?
Differing from other assignments, an Action Item is short and to the point. Clear, direct and concise information needs to be provided so the individual(s) can carry out the task with purpose. This should be no more than a short sentence.
When?
This is the deadline for the project, or the time the task should be completed. For example, if the Action Item is a follow-up meeting, it is the date and time of the meeting.
When Should You Make An Action Item?
Action Items are best implemented during a meeting. They should be specific tasks assigned to be completed by the next meeting in order to further the agenda. They should also be included in the meeting minutes of said meeting. This allows you to review the items at the following meeting to see what more needs to be done or the results of said Action Item.
5 Top Tips For Writing Action Items:
- You should start your description with a verb.
- Action Items are instructions, so make them authoritative and clear.
- Think about who you are giving the Action Item to, make sure they are up to the task.
- Action Items should be structured as steps.
- Think about Action Items as SMART goals - Specific, Measured, Achievable, Relevant and Time-Bound.
How Convene’s Action Item Feature Can Help You?
Sometimes in a meeting discussions can go off track. Use Convene’s Action Item feature to quickly organise a follow-up meeting on these issues with the relevant team members. You can highlight a section of the meeting pack so it is clear what item should be focused upon.
If a meeting is not necessary and it is a simple assignment then you can bypass the need to set reminders, as Convene will do this for you. This will also streamline your project governance processes with clear, actionable tasks allowing your team members to be fully aware of their roles and responsibilities.
All Action Items are automatically added to Convene’s auto generated Meeting Minutes so they can be easily reviewed at the following meeting.
Our Action Items feature is available in both our Board Portal and Convene in Teams product, so no matter how you use Convene, you can benefit from our efficient capabilities.
If you would like to learn more about Convene’s other features, please contact us or book a free trial today!
