Five prompts for the work around a meeting: planning it, capturing what was decided, listing who does what, and sending the follow-up.
5 copy-ready prompts
Before and after meetings
Actions with owners
The prompts
Prompt 1
Build a focused agenda
A meeting is coming and you want it to end with decisions.
Create an agenda for a meeting.
Purpose: [decision, brainstorm, update, planning]
Attendees and roles: [list]
Length: [minutes]
Topics to cover: [list]
Decisions needed: [list]
Background material attendees should read first: [list or none]
Give me:
- A timed agenda with a clear outcome for each item.
- The one question each topic must answer.
- A suggestion for anything that should be handled by email instead.
If the topics cannot fit in the time, say so and propose what to cut.
Why it works: Stating the decision needed for each item is the single biggest improvement to most meetings.
Prompt 2
Turn a transcript into structured notes
You have a recording transcript or messy notes and need a clear record.
Here are notes or a transcript from a meeting:
"""
[paste text]
"""
Create meeting notes with:
1. Date, attendees and purpose (use what appears in the text).
2. A summary in 3-5 sentences.
3. Decisions made, each as one sentence.
4. Action items: task, owner, deadline.
5. Open questions that were not resolved.
Rules:
- Use only what is in the text.
- If an owner or deadline was not stated, write "not assigned".
- Do not add recommendations.
Why it works: The "not assigned" rule shows you straight away which actions will fall through the cracks.
Prompt 3
Extract action items with owners
Finding who promised what after a long discussion.
From the following meeting text, list every action item.
"""
[paste text]
"""
For each, give:
- What needs to be done.
- Who is responsible.
- The deadline, if mentioned.
- The exact phrase in the text that supports it.
Separate firm commitments ("I will send it Friday") from vague ones ("we should look into that"). List the vague ones separately so I can decide whether they need an owner.
Why it works: Asking for the supporting phrase lets you check quickly whether the model has read the discussion correctly.
Prompt 4
Write the follow-up email
Sending a summary the same day while it is fresh.
Write a follow-up email after this meeting.
Meeting: [topic] on [date]
Attendees: [names]
Decisions: [list]
Action items: [task, owner, deadline]
Next meeting: [date or "not scheduled"]
Format:
- A subject line.
- A two-sentence summary.
- Decisions as bullets.
- Action items in a simple table or list with owners and dates.
- An invitation to reply with corrections.
Keep it under 200 words.
Why it works: Invite corrections. It turns the email into a shared record and catches misunderstandings early.
Prompt 5
Prepare for a meeting you are not leading
You are joining a meeting and want to contribute well.
I am attending a meeting about [topic].
Agenda or description: [paste]
My role: [role]
What I know about the topic: [summary]
What I want from the meeting: [goal]
Risks or concerns I have: [list]
Help me prepare:
- Three questions I should ask.
- One point I should be ready to explain clearly.
- Anything I should check beforehand.
- One thing I could offer to take on.
Be specific to what I wrote. Do not add general advice.
Why it works: Going in with two good questions and one clear point makes you noticeably more useful than the average attendee.
The meeting is not over until the notes are sent
Most meeting time is lost afterwards, when nobody remembers what was decided. A short written record fixes that. AI makes producing it much faster, as long as you check it.
What good notes contain
Decisions. What was agreed, in plain sentences.
Actions. Who will do what by when.
Open questions. What is still unresolved.
Context. Only as much as a person who missed the meeting needs.
Be careful with recordings and transcripts
Before recording or uploading a conversation to any tool, check your organisation's rules and make sure everyone present has agreed. Meetings often contain personal, financial or confidential information that should not be shared with services you have not approved.
Check the summary against the room
AI summaries can merge two people's comments, miss sarcasm or assign an action to the wrong person. Read the result before sending, and invite attendees to correct it. A thirty second check protects you from a week of confusion.
Related resources
Plan your day with the Daily Planning Prompts, build routines with the Productivity System Roadmap, and write clearer messages using the Communication Skills Roadmap.
Frequently asked questions
Can AI write accurate meeting minutes?
It can produce a good first draft from a transcript or notes, but you should always check names, decisions and deadlines before sharing.
How soon should I send meeting notes?
The same day, while memories are fresh. Within 24 hours is a good habit.