Create effective meeting recaps using the 5W’s and 1H methods to keep teams aligned and ensure actionable outcomes.
A meeting recap is a short summary of what was discussed and decided in a meeting. It's important because it helps everyone remember the main points and know what to do next. A good recap includes the meeting's main topics, any decisions made, and tasks assigned to people. It's useful not just for those who attended but also for team members who couldn't make it. By keeping everyone on the same page, recaps help turn meeting talks into real actions, making sure important things don't get forgotten or misunderstood.
What to include in a pre-meeting recap?
Pre-meeting recaps enhance team productivity significantly. Send a concise summary a day before important meetings, outlining key points, previous decisions, and the upcoming agenda. Include action items and any necessary preparation. Encourage participants to review briefly before the meeting starts. Use the recap to guide discussions and update it with new decisions afterwards. This approach transforms meetings into focused sessions that drive progress. Regular use leads to more efficient discussions and better alignment on team goals.
We understand that meetings aren’t just a time block. There are a plethora of pre-, in, and post-meeting tasks involved in driving an effective meeting. And how significant the groundwork is that starts with meeting agendas.
That’s why we are building the Video Calling App - it helps product and engineering teams capture meeting context, automate tasks, and focus on high-impact work.
VCA’s AI-powered smart-agenda acts as a meeting precursor, helping you draft well-structured agendas by factoring in various elements. It pulls in meeting recaps, shared docs/pre-reads, messages from Slack's "remind me" feature, parking lot items, and more. This way, you've got a comprehensive agenda that sets you up for a productive meeting right from the start.
We are still in the early stages and rolling out access every day. If that sounds interesting, join the waitlist or fill out this form, and we’ll be in touch super soon.
Video Calling App puts all the best practices you just read into action. With VCA, product and engineering teams can capture meeting context, automate workflows, and keep everyone focused only on high-impact work.