Do you want to make your meeting productivity levels at work soar?

Are you looking for tips on how to make the most of your time after a meeting?

It’s an all-too familiar scenario. You’ve just stepped out of a meeting.

You’re feeling good about everything that was covered in the last hour.

You walk back to your desk so you can return to your regular work assignments.

Once a meeting is over, why, that’s it…right? Well, not exactly.

In this post, you’ll find tips to help you make the most of your time after a meeting.

While people commonly think of meetings as single chunks or units of time, they actually have a much longer reach.

The purpose of a meeting is to help you deal with and plan for the future.

In fact, what you do after a meeting is just as important as organizing and holding a meeting.

Learn how to make the most of your time after your next meeting with these tips.

Schedule time for a post-meeting review.

Get into the habit of blocking out time in your calendar after each of your meetings.

If this isn’t possible, try holding your post-meeting review later in the day or the next day, at the very latest.  

What’s the reason for this quick turnaround?

The answer is simple: the longer you wait to review your meeting, the more likely it is you’ll forget meeting details. 

When you’re ready for your post-meeting review, you should gather up any and all information from the meeting.

This may include the agenda, meeting minutes, your notes, handouts, and any other relevant media. 

Review the meeting in detail.

Now that you’ve gathered your meeting materials, it’s time to take a good look at everything. 

Take a moment to recreate and walk through the meeting in your mind. Then, answer the following questions as best you can:

• Were all the agenda topics covered? Why or why not?

• Was the ultimate goal of the meeting reached? Why or why not?

• What final decisions were made during the meeting?

• What action steps do you need to take after this meeting?

Communicate and ask questions, if necessary.

Once you’ve reviewed all materials related to your meeting, you should ask yourself a final question: does it all make sense?

If all of the meeting information makes sense, fantastic! You can skip to the next tip.

And what if something is unclear or vague about the meeting? Well, you’ll want to do some follow-up work.

Don’t be afraid to ask a fellow meeting attendee (or two) for some additional clarity.

Should something be completely puzzling, you can ask one of the meeting organizers for assistance.

Plan out next steps.

Now that you’ve answered all of your questions and concerns about the meeting, it’s time to do some post-meeting planning.

Grab a sheet of paper and a pen, and jot down all the tasks or actions that were assigned to you during the meeting. If necessary, jot down the tasks or actions you need to take care of on your own.

Once you’ve assembled your tasks, you can transfer items to your to-do list, project task list, or directly into a calendar as necessary. Don’t forget to set specific completion dates for tasks.

Learn how to manage your time at work

Practical time management skills can help you manage your schedule in your business.

My time management guide can help you learn how to prioritize tasks, manage time in meetings, and arrive on time to appointments.

If you want me to help you manage your time in your business so you get things done, then check out my time management coaching services. Book a strategy session with me today!

How about you? Where do you put more of your energy? Meeting preparation or review? Why? Join the conversation and leave a comment below!