Action Item Best Practices (+2)

Action Item Best Practices

• Be specific: "Send redline of Section 4.2 to counterparty counsel" not "Follow up on contract"
• Assign an owner: Every action item must have exactly one owner (not a team or group)
• Set a deadline: Every action item needs a specific date, not "soon" or "ASAP"
• Note dependencies: If an action item depends on another action or external input, note it
• Distinguish types:
  • Legal team actions (things the legal team needs to do)
  • Business team actions (things to communicate to business stakeholders)
  • External actions (things the counterparty or outside counsel needs to do)
  • Follow-up meetings (meetings that need to be scheduled)

Follow-Up

After the meeting:

1. Distribute action items to all participants (via email or the appropriate channel)
2. Set calendar reminders for deadlines
3. Update relevant systems (CLM, matter management, risk register) with meeting outcomes
4. File meeting notes in the appropriate document repository
5. Flag urgent items that need immediate attention

Tracking Cadence

• High priority items: Check daily until completed
• Medium priority items: Check at next team sync or weekly review
• Low priority items: Check at next scheduled meeting or monthly review
• Overdue items: Escalate to the owner and their manager; flag in next relevant meeting