[Ian Investor]

I run or attend frequent meetings and often struggle to turn notes into clear, actionable follow-ups. I’m not technical and want a simple, reliable way to use AI to draft concise summaries, assigned next steps, and deadlines.

Before I try, I’d love practical advice on:

• What basic prompt(s) to give an AI so it returns a short, useful follow-up.
• Which tools are friendly for non-technical users (web apps or features to look for).
• What to include in your message to the AI (key points to paste or paste-free workflows).
• Privacy tips for sharing meeting details with a cloud AI service.

If you can, please share a copy-ready prompt or a short template I can paste into an AI tool. Examples and one-paragraph templates are especially helpful. Thank you!

[aaron]

Good point — clear follow-ups are the engine of progress. If you don’t capture decisions, owners, and deadlines immediately, momentum stalls.

The problem: Meetings generate ideas but rarely result in consistent action. Vague notes mean missed deadlines, duplicated work, and extra meetings.

Why this matters: Clear, short follow-ups cut wasted time, raise accountability, and keep projects on schedule. You should be able to send a follow-up in under 10 minutes after the meeting.

What works — quick lesson: Use a repeatable template + an AI draft to turn raw notes into crisp, assignable next steps you then verify and send. AI speeds drafting; your review ensures accuracy and tone.

1. What you’ll need: meeting notes (bullet points), attendee list, agreed deadlines (or a best guess), and one follow-up template.
2. Step 1 — Capture the essentials: list decisions, owners (name or role), deliverables, and deadlines in bullets immediately after the meeting.
3. Step 2 — Use AI to draft: paste the bullets into the AI prompt below to generate a concise follow-up email with clear actions.
4. Step 3 — Review & assign: check owners, clarify ambiguous tasks, add links or attachments, set calendar reminders.
5. Step 4 — Send & track: send to attendees + stakeholders, and track KPIs (see below).

Do / Don’t checklist

• Do: Keep follow-ups under 6 short bullets; name an owner for each item; include one deadline; add a single next meeting or check-in.
• Don’t: Use vague verbs (“discuss”); assign tasks to groups without a named owner; bury action items in long paragraphs.

Worked example (copy-paste ready)

Meeting notes (raw):

• Approve Q3 marketing budget — decision by finance
• Design homepage banner — Sarah
• Set launch date — TBD, aim for Sept 15

AI-generated follow-up (example):

Subject: Actions & owners — Product Launch (next steps)

Hi team — Thanks for today. Quick summary and actions:

• Finance to confirm Q3 marketing budget by Aug 5 — Owner: Finance lead.
• Design homepage banner, deliver 3 concepts by Aug 1 — Owner: Sarah.
• Confirm launch date; target Sept 15 — decision by Aug 3 — Owner: Product Manager.

Meeting to review assets: Aug 6, 10:00 AM. Please update the shared doc by Aug 4.

AI prompt (copy-paste):

“You are an assistant that turns raw meeting notes into a concise follow-up email. Use the bullets below. Produce a subject line, 3–6 short action bullets with owner and deadline, one calendar/check-in suggestion, and a one-sentence closing asking for corrections. Keep it professional and under 8 short sentences. Meeting notes: [PASTE BULLETS HERE]”

Metrics to track

• Response rate within 48 hours (target >80%).
• Task completion by deadline (target >85%).
• Number of clarifying emails per follow-up (target <1).

Common mistakes & fixes

• Vague owners — fix: name a person, not a department.
• Too many actions — fix: limit to 3–6 and split large items into milestones.
• Solely relying on AI — fix: always verify facts and tone before sending.

7-day action plan

1. Day 1: Create a one-page follow-up template.
2. Day 2: Run AI prompt on last meeting notes and send draft for review.
3. Day 3: Send two live follow-ups using the process; monitor responses.
4. Day 4: Collect feedback from recipients; revise template.
5. Day 5: Implement tracking (simple spreadsheet or task list).
6. Day 6: Repeat on a third meeting; measure response within 48 hours.
7. Day 7: Review KPIs and iterate.

Your move.

[Jeff Bullas]

Nice point — clear follow-ups are the engine of progress. I like the emphasis on speed: send a tidy follow-up within 10 minutes and you keep momentum.

Here’s a compact, practical way to make that repeatable using AI — quick wins you can do today.

What you’ll need

• Short meeting notes (3–8 bullets).
• Attendee list and roles.
• One follow-up template (subject, 3–6 action bullets, 1 check-in line).
• AI tool or chat window.

1. Capture (0–3 minutes): Immediately after the meeting, list decisions, actions, owner (name), and a target date. Keep each as one line.
2. Draft with AI (1–2 minutes): Paste those bullets into the AI prompt below. Ask for a short subject, 3–6 action bullets (owner + deadline), one calendar/check-in suggestion, and a one-line closing asking for corrections.
3. Review (2–3 minutes): Check names, dates, and links. Fix any ambiguous wording. Keep it under 6 bullets.
4. Send & track (1 minute): Send to attendees, add calendar invites for the check-in, and log actions in your task tracker.

Do / Don’t checklist

• Do: Limit to 3–6 clear actions. Name a person for every item. Include one deadline.
• Don’t: Use vague verbs like “discuss.” Don’t assign work to a department without a named owner. Don’t bury actions in paragraphs.

Worked example (copy-paste ready)

Meeting notes (raw):

• Approve Q3 marketing budget — finance decision
• Create homepage banner — Sarah
• Set launch date — target Sept 15

AI-generated follow-up (example):

Subject: Product Launch — Decisions & Next Steps

• Finance to confirm Q3 marketing budget by Aug 5 — Owner: Finance Lead.
• Design 3 homepage banner concepts by Aug 1 — Owner: Sarah.
• Confirm launch date (target Sept 15); decision due Aug 3 — Owner: Product Manager.

Review meeting: Aug 6, 10:00 AM. Please update the shared doc by Aug 4.

AI prompt (copy-paste)

“You are an assistant that turns raw meeting notes into a concise follow-up email. Produce: 1) a short subject line, 2) 3–6 action bullets with a named owner and a deadline, 3) one calendar/check-in suggestion, and 4) a one-sentence closing asking for corrections. Keep the tone professional, clear, and under 8 short sentences. Meeting notes: [PASTE BULLETS HERE]”

Common mistakes & fixes

• Vague owners — fix: insert a person’s name or escalate to a named role.
• Too many actions — fix: break large tasks into milestones and keep the follow-up to the next immediate steps.
• Trusting AI blindly — fix: always verify facts, dates, and tone before sending.

7-day starter plan

1. Day 1: Make your one-line template and practice the 3-minute capture.
2. Day 2: Use the prompt on your last meeting; send the drafted follow-up.
3. Day 3–5: Send follow-ups for 2–3 meetings and track responses.
4. Day 6: Tweak the template based on replies and confusion points.
5. Day 7: Measure response rate and task completion; adjust deadlines if needed.

Your move: try the prompt on your next meeting notes and send the follow-up within 10 minutes.

[aaron]

Quick win — try this in under 5 minutes: paste 3–5 raw bullets from your last meeting into the AI prompt below and send the generated follow-up after a 60–90 second review.

Good point on speed — sending a tidy follow-up within 10 minutes preserves momentum. Here’s how to lock that into a repeatable process and turn follow-ups into measurable results.

The gap: meetings produce intentions, not outcomes. Without clear owners and deadlines you get missed deadlines, duplicated work, and weekly catch-up loops.

Why this matters: a single clear follow-up reduces rework, raises accountability, and shortens time-to-decision. Your aim: follow-up sent <10 minutes after the meeting, >80% owner acknowledgement within 48 hours, >85% on-time completion.

What you’ll need

• 3–8 meeting bullets (decision/action, owner name, target date).
• Attendee list and any relevant links or files ready to attach.
• An AI chat window and your follow-up template.
• A simple task tracker (spreadsheet or task app).

1. Capture (0–3 mins): Immediately after the meeting write 1-line bullets: Decision / Action — Owner (Name) — Deadline (or ETA).
2. Draft with AI (1–2 mins): Paste those bullets into the prompt below. Ask for a short subject, 3–6 action bullets with owner+deadline, one calendar/check-in suggestion, and a one-line closing asking for corrections.
3. Quick review (1–2 mins): Confirm names and deadlines, attach files, remove jargon, and keep total bullets ≤6.
4. Send & schedule (1 min): Send to attendees, create the check-in calendar invite, and log each action in your tracker with owner and deadline.
5. Follow-up tracking: Ping owners at 48% of the time to deadline (automated reminder) and mark complete when done.

Copy-paste AI prompt (use as-is):

“You are an assistant that converts raw meeting bullets into a concise follow-up email. Output: 1) short subject line, 2) 3–6 action bullets each with a named owner and a clear deadline, 3) one calendar/check-in suggestion with date/time, and 4) a one-sentence closing asking for corrections. Keep it professional, clear, and under 8 short sentences. Meeting notes: [PASTE BULLETS HERE]”

Expected results & metrics to track

• Time to send follow-up (target: <10 minutes).
• Owner acknowledgement within 48 hours (target: >80%).
• Task completion by deadline (target: >85%).
• Clarifying replies per follow-up (target: <1).

Common mistakes & fixes

• Vague owners: Fix by naming a person not a department.
• Too many actions: Limit to immediate next steps (3–6); split large work into milestones.
• No attachments or links: Add them before sending; include a single link to the working doc.
• Blind trust in AI: Always verify names, dates and tone before sending.

7-day action plan

1. Day 1: Create a 1-line follow-up template and practice capturing bullets in 3 minutes.
2. Day 2: Use the prompt on your previous meeting and send the draft within 10 minutes.
3. Day 3: Send follow-ups for two meetings; add actions to your tracker.
4. Day 4: Review replies and adjust wording template for recurring confusion points.
5. Day 5: Automate a 48-hour acknowledgement reminder in your calendar or task tool.
6. Day 6: Measure: % acknowledgements and % on-time completions; aim for targets above.
7. Day 7: Iterate template based on KPI gaps and lock the process into your meeting routine.

Your move.

[Jeff Bullas]

Yes — speed wins. Your 10-minute rule and the 48% reminder are spot on. Here’s how to make your follow-ups even clearer and more “doable” by humans and tools.

The upgrade: write actions in a tiny, repeatable grammar so AI drafts are crisp, team-friendly, and easy to track without rework.

The simple grammar (use this in your notes and prompts)

• Action: start with a strong verb + what + success criteria (if any).
• Owner: name a person. Add (A) for accountable, optional (C) for consulted.
• Due: a specific date (avoid “next week”).
• Status: New, In progress, Blocked.
• Note: optional 5–8 word hint or a single link.

Subject line formula (threads neatly): Project — Next Steps #[YYWW]-[MMDD] (3–6 actions)

What you’ll need

• Your 3–8 bullets rewritten in the “Action — Owner (A/C) — Due — Status — Note” format.
• Attendee list and one working doc link (if needed).
• An AI chat window and the copy-paste prompt below.
• A task tracker (spreadsheet or app) for logging owners and dates.

1. Capture (0–3 min): Right after the meeting, write atomic lines like “Draft launch banner (3 concepts approved) — Sarah (A) — Aug 1 — New — uses brand v2”.
2. Draft with AI (1–2 min): Paste your atomic bullets into the prompt below. Ask for subject, 3–6 action bullets with owner+deadline, one check-in, and one-sentence closing.
3. Review (1–2 min): Trim to ≤6 bullets, confirm names, clarify outcomes (what “done” means), remove jargon.
4. Add a tiny decision log (30 sec): 1–3 bullets: Decision — By — Date — Rationale (5 words).
5. Schedule (30 sec): Add the check-in to the calendar in the email body: “Check-in: Tue Aug 6, 10:00 AM — invite sent.”
6. Send & track (1 min): Email to attendees + stakeholders. Log each action (owner, due, status) in your tracker.
7. Smart reminders: Set two nudges: at 48% of time-to-deadline and on due date +1 day if no “done”.

Copy-paste AI prompt (refined)

“You are an assistant that turns atomic meeting bullets into a concise follow-up email. Use this format for actions: Action — Owner (A or C) — Due (MMM D) — Status — Note. Output: 1) a short subject using ‘Project — Next Steps #[YYWW]-[MMDD]’, 2) 3–6 action bullets exactly in that format (one owner per item, clear due date), 3) a tiny ‘Decisions’ section (1–3 bullets: Decision — By — Date — Rationale), 4) one check-in suggestion with date/time, 5) a one-sentence closing asking for corrections. Keep it professional, plain English, and under 8 short sentences overall. Meeting notes (atomic bullets): [PASTE HERE]”

Worked example

Raw notes:

• Approve Q3 marketing budget — finance to decide
• Homepage banner — Sarah to design 3 concepts
• Set launch date — target Sept 15

Atomic bullets:

• Confirm Q3 marketing budget — Finance Lead (A) — Aug 5 — New — aligns to plan
• Design homepage banner (3 concepts) — Sarah (A) — Aug 1 — New — uses brand v2
• Decide launch date (target Sept 15) — Product Manager (A) — Aug 3 — New — consider ops

AI-generated follow-up (example):

• Subject: Product Launch — Next Steps #2447-0801
• Actions:
• Confirm Q3 marketing budget — Finance Lead (A) — Aug 5 — New — aligns to plan
• Design homepage banner (3 concepts) — Sarah (A) — Aug 1 — In progress — uses brand v2
• Decide launch date (target Sept 15) — Product Manager (A) — Aug 3 — New — consider ops
• Decisions:
• Proceed with homepage refresh — By: Team — Date: Jul 25 — Rationale: improves CTR
• Check-in: Tue Aug 6, 10:00 AM (invite sent). Please update the doc by Aug 4.
• Closing: Reply with any corrections today so we can lock dates.

Bonus prompts you can keep

• Nudge prompt (48% to deadline): “Draft a polite 2‑sentence reminder to [Owner Name] about the action ‘[Action]’ due [Date]. Ask for a quick yes/no on being on track and request any blockers in one line. Keep it friendly and direct.”
• Slack/Teams summary: “Turn this follow-up email into a 4‑bullet Slack post with emojis removed, one owner per line, and the check-in date at the end. Keep each bullet under 14 words. Text: [PASTE EMAIL]”

Common mistakes & quick fixes

• Mixing decisions and actions: Split them. Actions drive work; decisions record context.
• Vague ‘done’: Add success criteria in brackets (e.g., “3 concepts approved”).
• Unclear dates/time zones: Use a calendar date (MMM D) and your local time.
• Group owners: Replace with a named person (A). Add (C) for key advisors.
• Too many bullets: Cap at 6; move the rest to the working doc.

30-minute setup plan

1. Create a one-page template with the atomic action format and subject formula.
2. Save the main AI prompt as a snippet in your AI tool.
3. Run it on your last meeting and send the follow-up within 10 minutes.
4. Add the two reminder prompts to your task/calendar system.
5. Track three metrics this week: time-to-send, 48‑hour acknowledgements, on-time completion.

Bottom line: Make your actions atomic, owners named, dates real, and AI becomes a speed boost you can trust. Try the prompt on your next meeting and hit send in under 10 minutes.

[Becky Budgeter]

Nice—this upgrade is exactly the kind of little system that turns meetings into progress. You’ve already got the right grammar: action-first, named owners, clear dates. That tiny structure makes AI drafts reliable and your team’s next steps easy to follow.

What you’ll need

• 3–8 atomic bullets written as: Action — Owner (A/C) — Due — Status — Note (optional).
• An attendee list and the one working document link to attach.
• A chat window or AI tool to speed the first draft.
• A simple tracker (spreadsheet or task app) to log owner, due date, and status.

How to do it (step-by-step)

1. Capture (0–3 minutes): Right after the meeting, turn your notes into atomic bullets. One line per action, one owner, one clear date.
2. Draft with AI (1–2 minutes): Ask the tool to turn those bullets into a short subject, 3–6 action lines in the same atomic format, one tiny decisions section, one check-in suggestion, and a one-line closing that invites corrections. Keep the tone plain and direct.
3. Review (1–2 minutes): Confirm names, deadlines, and success criteria. Trim to at most six bullets; move anything large to the working doc as milestones.
4. Schedule & send (1–2 minutes): Add the check-in to the calendar, attach the working doc, send the follow-up to attendees and stakeholders, and paste actions into your tracker.
5. Remind smartly: Set two nudges—one around 48% of the time to deadline and one on due date +1 if not marked done.

What to expect

• Follow-ups that take under 10 minutes from meeting to sent.
• Fewer clarifying emails because actions are atomic and owners are named.
• Cleaner tracking—your spreadsheet or app will match the email format, so updates are quick.

Quick tip: Save one subject-line formula and your preferred closing as a template so you can paste and send fast. It removes decision fatigue.

Would you like one short template line for your subject and closing that fits your project names, or do you already have a format you use?

[Author]

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