Decision capture quality in executive meetings

What a usable record contains

A meeting record is usable when a person who was not present can tell what was decided, who owns the next step, when it is due, and what evidence supports the decision. Notes that only summarize discussion fail that test.

The audit scores each record on those four fields. It does not judge the quality of the decision, which belongs to the participants.

Sample meetings, not sentences

Select a mix of standing meetings, one-off decisions, and board or committee sessions. Include at least one meeting that ran long and one that ended early, because both produce different note quality.

Score the record as it was circulated, not a version cleaned up weeks later. The circulated record is what the team actually used.

Check for owners and dates

The most common failure is a decision without an owner, followed by an owner without a date. Count both separately. A decision with no owner is a topic that will return.

Where the record says the group will follow up, flag it. A group is not an owner unless a named person is responsible for convening it.

Feed the result back into the template

If most records miss dates, change the template and the chair's closing routine. If they miss decisions, the meeting may not be deciding anything, which is a different problem.

Re-audit after two cycles with the same method. A template change that does not improve the score was not the right fix.

Limitations

Some decisions are intentionally confidential and should not appear in a widely shared record. The audit should respect the approved distribution and note redactions.

The method measures capture, not implementation. A complete record can still be ignored.

Sources

Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants, O*NET OnLine.
Business Formation Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau.
Nonfarm Business Sector: Labor Productivity, Federal Reserve Economic Data.
Productivity Statistics, OECD Data Explorer.
World Development Indicators, World Bank DataBank.
ILOSTAT Labour Statistics, International Labour Organization.
2024 Work Trend Index Annual Report, Microsoft and LinkedIn.
The economic potential of generative AI, McKinsey Global Institute.
Creating helpful, reliable, people first content, Google Search Central.
Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide, Google Search Central.
Dear Manager, You Are Holding Too Many Meetings, Harvard Business Review.

Apply the research

Use the finding to frame one question for your own team: which support work is currently invisible, and who should own the next step? A scoped consultation can turn that question into a practical role.

Turn the finding into a support scope.

Bring the workflow that feels hardest to see. We will help define the role, the evidence it should maintain, and the decisions that stay with leadership.

Talk through the role