If you've been in the job market long enough, you've likely faced this very common scenario: a team meeting ends, and immediately afterward, people start sending private messages to clarify what just got discussed. Even if matters aren't so extreme—maybe just one or two details slip through the cracks—it can still be frustrating. Luckily, there’s a simple solution: the post-meeting email.
Read on for everything you need to know about sending the perfect follow-up email after a meeting—so that you’re never responsible for prohibiting progress, only creating momentum.
The goal of a follow-up email after a meeting is to recap the key topics discussed, including important deadlines, new company guidelines, or the next steps of a project.
“It holds everybody accountable to the same expectations—so you have a team on the same page working toward the same goals, which keeps things efficient and productive and also keeps frustrations down,” says Heather Yurovsky, a Muse career coach and the founder of Shatter & Shine. “Nobody likes feeling like they sat in a meeting that had good momentum and then nothing happens afterwards.”
OK, maybe you’re all in on the idea of a follow-up email. But how do you know if you’re the one who should be sending it?
Often it’s obvious. If you organized the meeting, created the agenda, and ran the thing, then chances are you should be the one closing the loop with a post-meeting missive.
“But sometimes it’s not clear, especially if it’s maybe a new project that no one department technically owns yet,” Yurovsky says. In those situations, “if you feel equipped to send that email afterward, then raise your hand and say, ‘Hey, happy to send out the post-meeting email, unless there’s anyone else that feels like it’s more appropriate to come from them.’”
“Just make sure you don’t come off like you’re barking orders at other people, and that it really comes from the right person that people are going to listen to and respect the ownership and deadline,” she adds.
Once the “from” field is settled, it’s time to think about the “to” and “cc” fields. Be sure to send your note to all the meeting participants, including anyone who was on the invite list but perhaps wasn’t able to attend.
Then think about whether there’s anyone you realized should have been in on the meeting as well as any other stakeholders who need to take action or have visibility on the topic. Finally, if you’re dealing with more senior colleagues, consider copying their assistants.
“It’s best to send the recap shortly after the meeting,” Yurovsky says. “If the meeting’s at the end of the day and you want to wait until first thing the next morning, that’s fine, but the closer you are to the meeting, the more momentum is created and it doesn’t start to fall to the bottom of people’s piles.”
In other words, consider the recap an extension of the meeting and send it off while the discussion is still fresh in your mind and everyone else’s. If you know in advance that you’ll be the one tackling this item, you can even plan ahead by blocking off time on your calendar right after the meeting to get it done.
OK, you've mastered the post-meeting email essentials. Now it's time to start writing yours.
“The purpose of the email is getting everyone on the same page,” says Muse career coach Kristina Leonardi. But what exactly goes into it depends, of course, on the nature of the meeting and its intention.
Need some guidance? Here's our six step guide on how to send a follow-up email after a meeting.
You obviously don't want your follow-up email to get lost in everyone's inbox, so it's wise to write a subject line that (hopefully) won't be ignored. Make it clear what the email is about, and avoid being vague.
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