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How to Write Effective Takeaways From a Meeting

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S.w.o.t analysis, after the meeting, how can i ensure clarity in my meeting takeaways.

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The importance of well-documented meeting takeaways cannot be overstated. While meetings are crucial in collaboration, decision-making, and achieving goals, having a clear record of the key takeaways ensures these decisions and objectives are met. 

Moreover, not everyone attending meetings can recall every important detail mentioned during the meeting. This is why knowing how to write effective takeaways from a meeting is crucial.

This post seeks to help you elevate your meetings and make them productive by highlighting: 

• The importance of takeaways from meetings;
• Identifying crucial takeaways to record;
• Tips for writing effective meeting takeaways.

What Are the Meeting Takeaways?

Meeting takeaways are the actionable items or key discussion points your team takes after a meeting. They include various crucial details surrounding the agenda of the meeting, including action items, decisions, and commitments. 

These takeaways are usually shared with attendees and other stakeholders not in the meeting to know the points discussed. Moreover, they are sent out as a reminder and can be used for accountability. 

Why Are Meeting Takeaways Important?

There are many things that usually go on during a meeting, and in most cases, some of the attendees may leave it feeling confused or disengaged. Moreover, the human mind has limited concentration spans, and it is easy to miss out on the most important discussion items during a meeting, even when using the best meeting apps .

To create effective meeting takeaways, it’s essential to refer to the meeting terms glossary , which provides definitions and explanations of key terms related to meeting documentation and communication.

For meetings to truly contribute to progress and success, capturing and communicating the key insights and action items effectively is crucial. This is where taking meeting notes and takeaways come into play. 

Here are some of the key reasons why meeting takeaways are crucial for the success of any team: 

Ensuring clarity

Having meeting takeaways from every meeting ensures the relevant stakeholders have clarity on the discussions, decisions, and action items. This makes it possible for all the attendees to share a common understanding of the outcomes and objectives. 

This is an important consideration, especially when attendees may forget the important points, perhaps due to virtual meeting fatigue .

Moreover, by distilling complex information into digestible takeaways, clarity, and focus are maintained, leading to improved productivity and goal alignment.

Promoting accountability

Meeting takeaways act as a reference point for assigning responsibilities and tracking progress. 

Once everyone is fully aware of their expectations, it makes them establish a sense of accountability. Since the action items are well-documented, they can always be referred to during follow-up sessions, ensuring the objectives are honored.

Facilitating decision-making

Meeting takeaways are valuable for referencing and revisiting the thought process that led to specific outcomes. 

Since they capture key decisions made during the meeting, they can also provide a record of the rationale behind those decisions. By having decision-related takeaways, organizations can maintain transparency, minimize misunderstandings, and make informed choices in the future.

Enhancing communication

Not all relevant stakeholders may be present during a physical or hybrid meeting . With the help of meeting takeaways, they can also be kept abreast of all that was discussed and decided during the meeting.

Meeting takeaways serve as a repository of knowledge and institutional memory. They capture valuable insights, best practices, and lessons learned during discussions. 

By preserving this information, organizations can facilitate knowledge transfer. This includes other important organizational activities like onboarding new team members and avoiding reinventing the wheel in future meetings.

Key Takeaways You Should Have After A Meeting 

Meeting takeaways are vital to the success and productivity of a team, as it ensures clarity, promotes accountability, and decision-making, among other benefits. 

But when writing takeaways from meetings, what are the most important takeaways that you should include in your summary? 

Actionable decisions

Every takeaway from a meeting should be able to identify the actionable decisions made during the discussion. These decisions act as the foundation for the takeaways as they determine how follow-ups and accountability will be done.

Action items 

Takeaways from meetings should include a list of action items that specific individuals are responsible for. By clearly stating the expectations of a team member, it becomes much easier to follow up and ensure effective execution and successful outcomes.

Follow-up tasks

When there should be follow-up tasks that require attention or further exploration after the meeting, it is important to document them in the meeting takeaways. 

Capturing them in a well-documented format ensures they are not overlooked or forgotten. Addressing follow-up tasks contributes to a seamless workflow and timely completion of important actions.

Strategic insights

Meeting attendees might come up with valuable and innovative ideas during the discussions. These insights might provide a fresh perspective, identify opportunities, or solve existing challenges. 

It is crucial to capture these insights as key takeaways to maximize their potential for driving organizational growth and improvement.

During strategic meetings, members might discuss their Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (S.W.O.T). These are vital considerations that are crucial to the success of any organization. 

Whenever any of these considerations are mentioned during the meeting, it is important to have them well-documented so that the relevant stakeholders can follow up and ensure that the organization runs smoothly. 

Mastering the Art of Writing Effective Takeaways From a Meeting

Effective takeaways distill the key insights, decisions, and action items from a meeting, ensuring that the time spent in discussion translates into tangible results. But how exactly should you write them? 

Here’s how to write takeaways from a meeting like a pro:

Before the Meeting: Setting Clear Objectives

Setting clear objectives and expectations from the meeting enables you to capture the most important details and discussion items. 

Creating an effective meeting agenda enables you to define the purpose of the meeting and identify the topics of discussion. This allows you to outline the expected outcomes, ensuring that the meeting stays on track and that all the discussions are geared towards a similar goal.

During the Meeting

The heavy lifting of writing effective takeaways from a meeting happens during the meeting itself. Here are a few crucial tips to consider:

Actively listen and engage

Active participation during meetings is crucial for you to get important takeaways. Be attentive throughout the meeting and engage in the discussion to fully comprehend the key discussions. 

Moreover, if you do not understand a point, it is advisable to seek clarification to ensure accuracy when capturing the main ideas.

However, you can always trust a reliable AI transcription , such as the one from Krisp, to take note of all your discussions so that you can be actively engaged in the meeting.

Prioritize 

Focus on the most important information discussed during the meeting. Do not capture everything, as this may deviate you from actively engaging in the discussion. Doing so also might invalidate the whole point of the meeting, as it will take unnecessarily long. However, you can learn how to take meeting minutes if documenting almost every detail is crucial.

You should prioritize key decisions, action items, and critical insights. Being concise in your takeaways helps to ensure clarity and avoid overwhelming readers with unnecessary details. 

Use clear Language

Meeting takeaways are often meant to be shared with others. This is why it is essential to consider that other people can also read and understand the text, stressing the importance of using clear and actionable language. 

When writing the takeaways from a meeting, you should be more specific and avoid ambiguity. Clearly communicate what needs to be done, by whom, how, and when. 

Using the services of an AI note-taker can significantly boost your takeaways, making them easily understandable by everyone.

Use clear formatting

It is important that you structure your takeaways in a format that facilitates understanding. 

For instance, you should consider using bullet points, headings, or numbered lists to create a clear visual hierarchy. This format makes it easier for readers to grasp the main points quickly and navigate the takeaways efficiently. 

Alternatively, you can have a good meeting takeaways template you can follow.

Although much of the information is captured during the meeting, it is advisable to go further to enhance and foolproof the documentation before sharing it with other stakeholders. 

Here are a few tips to consider immediately after the meeting: 

Review and verify

Before sharing the meeting takeaways, it is advisable to review and verify the accuracy of the captured information. Ensure all crucial decisions, action items, and insights are correctly captured. 

During verification, go through the names, dates, or other details to avoid potential misunderstandings or errors. 

Assign responsibility

Besides each action item in the takeaway, assign the relevant individuals or teams to make them aware and understand the expectations. Doing so fosters accountability, and follow-ups become easier. 

Share and follow up on the progress

You should share the finalized takeaways promptly with the relevant stakeholders. Use appropriate or company-approved communication channels like email or project management tools. 

Moreover, effective takeaways serve as a guide for follow-up actions. If you are the team leader, you should regularly organize catch-up meetings to review the status of the action items to improve accountability.

How Krisp Can Enhance Meeting Takeaways

Writing effective takeaways from a meeting is a critical skill that drives productivity and ensures that discussions translate into actionable results. By actively listening, being concise, providing context, and structuring takeaways thoughtfully, individuals can capture key insights, decisions, and action items. 

However, the process can be further enhanced with the help of Krisp’s AI meeting assistant .

Krisp offers valuable benefits to streamline the process of writing effective meeting takeaways. The AI meeting assistant can transcribe entire meetings when using online platforms like Zoom, eliminating the need for manual note-taking. 

With the AI note-taker, teams can rely on a summarized version of the meeting, capturing the most important points in a concise and actionable format.

By leveraging Krisp’s AI-powered tools, individuals can focus on actively participating in the meeting, knowing that the note-taking and summarization of effective takeaways are efficiently handled. This not only saves time and effort but also ensures that no critical details or insights are missed.

Frequently Asked Questions

How should i prepare to write meeting takeaways.

The best way to prepare yourself to take effective meeting takeaways is to jot down the main objectives of the meeting. This enables you to know the expectations from the meeting, enabling you to determine the most important takeaways to document.

How should I structure meeting takeaways?

It is advisable to organize takeaways in a logical order that follows the flow of the meeting by using concise and actionable language. Use an easy-to-understand format when writing, including headings, numbering, etc. 

To ensure clarity in your meeting takeaways, be specific and avoid ambiguous language and clearly highlight action items, including what needs to be done, how, and by whom.

Related Articles

• assignments basic law

Assignments: The Basic Law

The assignment of a right or obligation is a common contractual event under the law and the right to assign (or prohibition against assignments) is found in the majority of agreements, leases and business structural documents created in the United States.

As with many terms commonly used, people are familiar with the term but often are not aware or fully aware of what the terms entail. The concept of assignment of rights and obligations is one of those simple concepts with wide ranging ramifications in the contractual and business context and the law imposes severe restrictions on the validity and effect of assignment in many instances. Clear contractual provisions concerning assignments and rights should be in every document and structure created and this article will outline why such drafting is essential for the creation of appropriate and effective contracts and structures.

The reader should first read the article on Limited Liability Entities in the United States and Contracts since the information in those articles will be assumed in this article.

Basic Definitions and Concepts:

An assignment is the transfer of rights held by one party called the “assignor” to another party called the “assignee.” The legal nature of the assignment and the contractual terms of the agreement between the parties determines some additional rights and liabilities that accompany the assignment. The assignment of rights under a contract usually completely transfers the rights to the assignee to receive the benefits accruing under the contract. Ordinarily, the term assignment is limited to the transfer of rights that are intangible, like contractual rights and rights connected with property. Merchants Service Co. v. Small Claims Court , 35 Cal. 2d 109, 113-114 (Cal. 1950).

An assignment will generally be permitted under the law unless there is an express prohibition against assignment in the underlying contract or lease. Where assignments are permitted, the assignor need not consult the other party to the contract but may merely assign the rights at that time. However, an assignment cannot have any adverse effect on the duties of the other party to the contract, nor can it diminish the chance of the other party receiving complete performance. The assignor normally remains liable unless there is an agreement to the contrary by the other party to the contract.

The effect of a valid assignment is to remove privity between the assignor and the obligor and create privity between the obligor and the assignee. Privity is usually defined as a direct and immediate contractual relationship. See Merchants case above.

Further, for the assignment to be effective in most jurisdictions, it must occur in the present. One does not normally assign a future right; the assignment vests immediate rights and obligations.

No specific language is required to create an assignment so long as the assignor makes clear his/her intent to assign identified contractual rights to the assignee. Since expensive litigation can erupt from ambiguous or vague language, obtaining the correct verbiage is vital. An agreement must manifest the intent to transfer rights and can either be oral or in writing and the rights assigned must be certain.

Note that an assignment of an interest is the transfer of some identifiable property, claim, or right from the assignor to the assignee. The assignment operates to transfer to the assignee all of the rights, title, or interest of the assignor in the thing assigned. A transfer of all rights, title, and interests conveys everything that the assignor owned in the thing assigned and the assignee stands in the shoes of the assignor. Knott v. McDonald’s Corp ., 985 F. Supp. 1222 (N.D. Cal. 1997)

The parties must intend to effectuate an assignment at the time of the transfer, although no particular language or procedure is necessary. As long ago as the case of National Reserve Co. v. Metropolitan Trust Co ., 17 Cal. 2d 827 (Cal. 1941), the court held that in determining what rights or interests pass under an assignment, the intention of the parties as manifested in the instrument is controlling.

The intent of the parties to an assignment is a question of fact to be derived not only from the instrument executed by the parties but also from the surrounding circumstances. When there is no writing to evidence the intention to transfer some identifiable property, claim, or right, it is necessary to scrutinize the surrounding circumstances and parties’ acts to ascertain their intentions. Strosberg v. Brauvin Realty Servs., 295 Ill. App. 3d 17 (Ill. App. Ct. 1st Dist. 1998)

The general rule applicable to assignments of choses in action is that an assignment, unless there is a contract to the contrary, carries with it all securities held by the assignor as collateral to the claim and all rights incidental thereto and vests in the assignee the equitable title to such collateral securities and incidental rights. An unqualified assignment of a contract or chose in action, however, with no indication of the intent of the parties, vests in the assignee the assigned contract or chose and all rights and remedies incidental thereto.

More examples: In Strosberg v. Brauvin Realty Servs ., 295 Ill. App. 3d 17 (Ill. App. Ct. 1st Dist. 1998), the court held that the assignee of a party to a subordination agreement is entitled to the benefits and is subject to the burdens of the agreement. In Florida E. C. R. Co. v. Eno , 99 Fla. 887 (Fla. 1930), the court held that the mere assignment of all sums due in and of itself creates no different or other liability of the owner to the assignee than that which existed from the owner to the assignor.

And note that even though an assignment vests in the assignee all rights, remedies, and contingent benefits which are incidental to the thing assigned, those which are personal to the assignor and for his sole benefit are not assigned. Rasp v. Hidden Valley Lake, Inc ., 519 N.E.2d 153, 158 (Ind. Ct. App. 1988). Thus, if the underlying agreement provides that a service can only be provided to X, X cannot assign that right to Y.

Novation Compared to Assignment:

Although the difference between a novation and an assignment may appear narrow, it is an essential one. “Novation is a act whereby one party transfers all its obligations and benefits under a contract to a third party.” In a novation, a third party successfully substitutes the original party as a party to the contract. “When a contract is novated, the other contracting party must be left in the same position he was in prior to the novation being made.”

A sublease is the transfer when a tenant retains some right of reentry onto the leased premises. However, if the tenant transfers the entire leasehold estate, retaining no right of reentry or other reversionary interest, then the transfer is an assignment. The assignor is normally also removed from liability to the landlord only if the landlord consents or allowed that right in the lease. In a sublease, the original tenant is not released from the obligations of the original lease.

Equitable Assignments:

An equitable assignment is one in which one has a future interest and is not valid at law but valid in a court of equity. In National Bank of Republic v. United Sec. Life Ins. & Trust Co. , 17 App. D.C. 112 (D.C. Cir. 1900), the court held that to constitute an equitable assignment of a chose in action, the following has to occur generally: anything said written or done, in pursuance of an agreement and for valuable consideration, or in consideration of an antecedent debt, to place a chose in action or fund out of the control of the owner, and appropriate it to or in favor of another person, amounts to an equitable assignment. Thus, an agreement, between a debtor and a creditor, that the debt shall be paid out of a specific fund going to the debtor may operate as an equitable assignment.

In Egyptian Navigation Co. v. Baker Invs. Corp. , 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 30804 (S.D.N.Y. Apr. 14, 2008), the court stated that an equitable assignment occurs under English law when an assignor, with an intent to transfer his/her right to a chose in action, informs the assignee about the right so transferred.

An executory agreement or a declaration of trust are also equitable assignments if unenforceable as assignments by a court of law but enforceable by a court of equity exercising sound discretion according to the circumstances of the case. Since California combines courts of equity and courts of law, the same court would hear arguments as to whether an equitable assignment had occurred. Quite often, such relief is granted to avoid fraud or unjust enrichment.

Note that obtaining an assignment through fraudulent means invalidates the assignment. Fraud destroys the validity of everything into which it enters. It vitiates the most solemn contracts, documents, and even judgments. Walker v. Rich , 79 Cal. App. 139 (Cal. App. 1926). If an assignment is made with the fraudulent intent to delay, hinder, and defraud creditors, then it is void as fraudulent in fact. See our article on Transfers to Defraud Creditors .

But note that the motives that prompted an assignor to make the transfer will be considered as immaterial and will constitute no defense to an action by the assignee, if an assignment is considered as valid in all other respects.

Enforceability of Assignments:

Whether a right under a contract is capable of being transferred is determined by the law of the place where the contract was entered into. The validity and effect of an assignment is determined by the law of the place of assignment. The validity of an assignment of a contractual right is governed by the law of the state with the most significant relationship to the assignment and the parties.

In some jurisdictions, the traditional conflict of laws rules governing assignments has been rejected and the law of the place having the most significant contacts with the assignment applies. In Downs v. American Mut. Liability Ins. Co ., 14 N.Y.2d 266 (N.Y. 1964), a wife and her husband separated and the wife obtained a judgment of separation from the husband in New York. The judgment required the husband to pay a certain yearly sum to the wife. The husband assigned 50 percent of his future salary, wages, and earnings to the wife. The agreement authorized the employer to make such payments to the wife.

After the husband moved from New York, the wife learned that he was employed by an employer in Massachusetts. She sent the proper notice and demanded payment under the agreement. The employer refused and the wife brought an action for enforcement. The court observed that Massachusetts did not prohibit assignment of the husband’s wages. Moreover, Massachusetts law was not controlling because New York had the most significant relationship with the assignment. Therefore, the court ruled in favor of the wife.

Therefore, the validity of an assignment is determined by looking to the law of the forum with the most significant relationship to the assignment itself. To determine the applicable law of assignments, the court must look to the law of the state which is most significantly related to the principal issue before it.

Assignment of Contractual Rights:

Generally, the law allows the assignment of a contractual right unless the substitution of rights would materially change the duty of the obligor, materially increase the burden or risk imposed on the obligor by the contract, materially impair the chance of obtaining return performance, or materially reduce the value of the performance to the obligor. Restat 2d of Contracts, § 317(2)(a). This presumes that the underlying agreement is silent on the right to assign.

If the contract specifically precludes assignment, the contractual right is not assignable. Whether a contract is assignable is a matter of contractual intent and one must look to the language used by the parties to discern that intent.

In the absence of an express provision to the contrary, the rights and duties under a bilateral executory contract that does not involve personal skill, trust, or confidence may be assigned without the consent of the other party. But note that an assignment is invalid if it would materially alter the other party’s duties and responsibilities. Once an assignment is effective, the assignee stands in the shoes of the assignor and assumes all of assignor’s rights. Hence, after a valid assignment, the assignor’s right to performance is extinguished, transferred to assignee, and the assignee possesses the same rights, benefits, and remedies assignor once possessed. Robert Lamb Hart Planners & Architects v. Evergreen, Ltd. , 787 F. Supp. 753 (S.D. Ohio 1992).

On the other hand, an assignee’s right against the obligor is subject to “all of the limitations of the assignor’s right, all defenses thereto, and all set-offs and counterclaims which would have been available against the assignor had there been no assignment, provided that these defenses and set-offs are based on facts existing at the time of the assignment.” See Robert Lamb , case, above.

The power of the contract to restrict assignment is broad. Usually, contractual provisions that restrict assignment of the contract without the consent of the obligor are valid and enforceable, even when there is statutory authorization for the assignment. The restriction of the power to assign is often ineffective unless the restriction is expressly and precisely stated. Anti-assignment clauses are effective only if they contain clear, unambiguous language of prohibition. Anti-assignment clauses protect only the obligor and do not affect the transaction between the assignee and assignor.

Usually, a prohibition against the assignment of a contract does not prevent an assignment of the right to receive payments due, unless circumstances indicate the contrary. Moreover, the contracting parties cannot, by a mere non-assignment provision, prevent the effectual alienation of the right to money which becomes due under the contract.

A contract provision prohibiting or restricting an assignment may be waived, or a party may so act as to be estopped from objecting to the assignment, such as by effectively ratifying the assignment. The power to void an assignment made in violation of an anti-assignment clause may be waived either before or after the assignment. See our article on Contracts.

Noncompete Clauses and Assignments:

Of critical import to most buyers of businesses is the ability to ensure that key employees of the business being purchased cannot start a competing company. Some states strictly limit such clauses, some do allow them. California does restrict noncompete clauses, only allowing them under certain circumstances. A common question in those states that do allow them is whether such rights can be assigned to a new party, such as the buyer of the buyer.

A covenant not to compete, also called a non-competitive clause, is a formal agreement prohibiting one party from performing similar work or business within a designated area for a specified amount of time. This type of clause is generally included in contracts between employer and employee and contracts between buyer and seller of a business.

Many workers sign a covenant not to compete as part of the paperwork required for employment. It may be a separate document similar to a non-disclosure agreement, or buried within a number of other clauses in a contract. A covenant not to compete is generally legal and enforceable, although there are some exceptions and restrictions.

Whenever a company recruits skilled employees, it invests a significant amount of time and training. For example, it often takes years before a research chemist or a design engineer develops a workable knowledge of a company’s product line, including trade secrets and highly sensitive information. Once an employee gains this knowledge and experience, however, all sorts of things can happen. The employee could work for the company until retirement, accept a better offer from a competing company or start up his or her own business.

A covenant not to compete may cover a number of potential issues between employers and former employees. Many companies spend years developing a local base of customers or clients. It is important that this customer base not fall into the hands of local competitors. When an employee signs a covenant not to compete, he or she usually agrees not to use insider knowledge of the company’s customer base to disadvantage the company. The covenant not to compete often defines a broad geographical area considered off-limits to former employees, possibly tens or hundreds of miles.

Another area of concern covered by a covenant not to compete is a potential ‘brain drain’. Some high-level former employees may seek to recruit others from the same company to create new competition. Retention of employees, especially those with unique skills or proprietary knowledge, is vital for most companies, so a covenant not to compete may spell out definite restrictions on the hiring or recruiting of employees.

A covenant not to compete may also define a specific amount of time before a former employee can seek employment in a similar field. Many companies offer a substantial severance package to make sure former employees are financially solvent until the terms of the covenant not to compete have been met.

Because the use of a covenant not to compete can be controversial, a handful of states, including California, have largely banned this type of contractual language. The legal enforcement of these agreements falls on individual states, and many have sided with the employee during arbitration or litigation. A covenant not to compete must be reasonable and specific, with defined time periods and coverage areas. If the agreement gives the company too much power over former employees or is ambiguous, state courts may declare it to be overbroad and therefore unenforceable. In such case, the employee would be free to pursue any employment opportunity, including working for a direct competitor or starting up a new company of his or her own.

It has been held that an employee’s covenant not to compete is assignable where one business is transferred to another, that a merger does not constitute an assignment of a covenant not to compete, and that a covenant not to compete is enforceable by a successor to the employer where the assignment does not create an added burden of employment or other disadvantage to the employee. However, in some states such as Hawaii, it has also been held that a covenant not to compete is not assignable and under various statutes for various reasons that such covenants are not enforceable against an employee by a successor to the employer. Hawaii v. Gannett Pac. Corp. , 99 F. Supp. 2d 1241 (D. Haw. 1999)

It is vital to obtain the relevant law of the applicable state before drafting or attempting to enforce assignment rights in this particular area.

Conclusion:

In the current business world of fast changing structures, agreements, employees and projects, the ability to assign rights and obligations is essential to allow flexibility and adjustment to new situations. Conversely, the ability to hold a contracting party into the deal may be essential for the future of a party. Thus, the law of assignments and the restriction on same is a critical aspect of every agreement and every structure. This basic provision is often glanced at by the contracting parties, or scribbled into the deal at the last minute but can easily become the most vital part of the transaction.

As an example, one client of ours came into the office outraged that his co venturer on a sizable exporting agreement, who had excellent connections in Brazil, had elected to pursue another venture instead and assigned the agreement to a party unknown to our client and without the business contacts our client considered vital. When we examined the handwritten agreement our client had drafted in a restaurant in Sao Paolo, we discovered there was no restriction on assignment whatsoever…our client had not even considered that right when drafting the agreement after a full day of work.

One choses who one does business with carefully…to ensure that one’s choice remains the party on the other side of the contract, one must master the ability to negotiate proper assignment provisions.

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ZIPDO GUIDES

How To Write Effective Takeaways From A Meeting

To write effective takeaways from a meeting, one should concisely summarise the key discussion points, decisions made, actions required, the responsible parties for those actions, and the set deadlines, facilitating clarity and accountability.

• Steps in this Guide: 9
• Updated: March 5, 2024

Leading a meeting is like conducting an orchestra, with each component playing a role, and there is an art to creating effective takeaways. Takeaways are key points, actions, decisions, or insights captured during a meeting. Your job is to summarize the discussion and outcomes, ensuring that participants understand what was discussed and what needs to be done to move forward.

Without a clear plan, obstacles may arise when transforming ideas into a strategy, risking the loss of important takeaways and leaving team members feeling disoriented. This can result in missed opportunities, communication breakdowns, and uncertainty. In the following sections, we will address these challenges and provide a roadmap for successful navigation.

To begin this journey, we will first explore factors that can hinder the effectiveness of meeting takeaways. Before delving into the step-by-step guide, it is crucial to understand these issues. This knowledge will empower you to lead your meetings effectively, ensuring that each element contributes significantly to your team’s progress.

Challenges of Writing an Effective Takeaway From a Meeting

• Information Overload: Leaders often struggle with the overwhelming task of navigating through extensive meeting information, making it difficult to distill key takeaways. To address this issue, you can take a proactive approach by implementing a structured note-taking process. This includes prioritizing key points and categorizing information to make it easier to find and understand.
• Follow-up Accountability: It can be challenging for leaders to effectively follow up on assigned tasks and action items after meetings. To improve accountability, you can create and implement a robust task tracking system. This includes assigning responsibilities during meetings so you can monitor progress and hold team members accountable for their commitments.
• Time-Consuming Preparation: When preparing for meetings, executives face time constraints and often spend a significant amount of time organizing agendas and notes. To streamline the preparation process, you can prioritize agenda items, focus on critical discussion points, and leverage technology for efficient documentation and access to historical meeting materials.

The following step-by-step guide will help you write an effective takeaway from a meeting.

How To Run The meeting takeaways As A Manager: Step-By-Step

Next, we will share our step-by-step guidelines for running a meeting takeaways:

Step 1: Create a Focused Agenda

Step 2: establish clear objectives, step 3: foster collaborative ideas, step 4: ensure comprehensive documentation, step 5: cultivate productive conversations, step 7: implement inclusive and effective strategies, step 8: clearly communicate responsibilities, step 9: close with key takeaways, step 10: communicate timely for continuity.

Begin the process by creating an agenda prior to the meeting. This step is critical to maintaining focus and ensuring comprehensive coverage, ultimately increasing efficiency and overall productivity during the meeting.

ZipDo, our Meeting Notes App, solves the issue of inefficient meetings due to lack of preparation. It offers a collaborative workspace for every meeting to edit notes and agendas together. Meetings are organized by theme and recurring meetings are shown on a timeline, simplifying the preparation process.

Begin the meeting by setting clear objectives that define the purpose of the meeting. This provides a roadmap to guide discussions and ensures a productive outcome by giving the team a clear direction.

Actively encourage all participants to participate and encourage diverse ideas and viewpoints. This step fosters collaboration and enriches the quality of discussions and outcomes by leveraging the collective intelligence of the team.

Assign responsibility for taking comprehensive notes during the discussion. This creates an important reference for all participants and facilitates post-meeting reflection by capturing key details and action items.

ZipDo offers a centralized system for storing and collaboratively updating meeting notes within specific channels. This feature simplifies the preparation for and follow-up after meetings, as information is always at your fingertips and searchable. For regular meetings, access past notes quickly with a timeline click, and prepare for future meetings by saving notes in advance.

Emphasize the importance of active listening to avoid misunderstandings and cultivate a productive conversation. This includes promoting attentiveness, empathy, and mutual respect among participants for effective communication.

Facilitate effective decision-making by involving all team members and considering their input. This step involves collectively determining the most effective course of action for organizational success, taking into account diverse perspectives.

After the meeting, clearly communicate tasks and actions by assigning responsibilities to specific individuals. This ensures accountability and facilitates progress by providing a clear roadmap for the team to follow.

Close the meeting with a concise summary of key discussions, agreed-upon actions, and future plans. This reinforces key takeaways and ensures alignment moving forward by summarizing the critical points of the meeting.

Send a timely post-meeting email or document. This serves as a recorded reminder, highlights key takeaways, and outlines next steps to keep everyone on track and ensure continuity and accountability.

In short, running a meeting is like conducting an orchestra, requiring meticulous coordination for fruitful outcomes. The hurdles of information overload, accountability, and time-consuming preparation are solved with a systematic, step-by-step guide. This comprehensive approach, coupled with tools like the ZipDo app, ensures that meetings evolve into collaborative, streamlined, and results-oriented sessions.

From creating a focused agenda to timely post-meeting communication, the guide emphasizes the importance of clarity, collaboration, and accountability at every stage. By cultivating a culture of active listening, inclusive decision-making, and transparent accountability, leaders can transform meetings into strategic forums that drive progress and reinforce a shared vision for the team’s journey.

'Meeting takeaways' refer to the key points, conclusions, actions or decisions made during a meeting that all attendees should remember and/or act upon after the meeting.

‘Meeting takeaways’ are vital for ensuring clear communication. They help to summarize the essence of the discussions, decisions, and action-items, allowing everyone to be on the same page post-meeting.

'Meeting takeaways' should be documented in the meeting minutes, which should ideally be distributed as soon as possible after the meeting via email or a shared workspace to ensure everyone has access to them.

While it's valuable for takeaways to be actionable, they can also be insights, reminders, or important points of information that do not require an immediate action but are worth recording for future reference.

Normally, the meeting’s facilitator or the person assigned to take the meeting minutes is responsible for determining and communicating the 'meeting takeaways'. It’s their responsibility to ensure that all key points, decisions, and action-items are accurately captured and communicated.

Step-by-Step: How To Write Effective Takeaways From A Meeting

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How to Create Key Takeaways for Any Type of Meeting

Aug 28, 2023

No matter how great you are at running flawless meetings , it can be hard for attendees to pay attention to every word. Whether you run daily team meetings or the occasional town hall , providing participants with a list of key takeaways can help them retain the most important information and leave with a clear set of ideas or items to act on.

But what are key takeaways, and should you prepare them before, during, or after the meeting? Here’s how to create key takeaways for any meeting, and how you can use automated note-taking tools to streamline the process.

What Are Key Takeaways?

A key takeaway is a short sentence or statement that summarizes the key points of a meeting, presentation, or document. These can take the form of project ideas, status updates, or actionable items that need to be assigned to team members.

In some cases, you’ll be able to come up with key takeaways in advance. For example, if you’re delivering a presentation, your final slide could include three bullet points that summarize the results of a social media survey or last year’s marketing metrics.

Other times, the key takeaways will depend on the content of the meeting, such as the outcome of a vote or an update on an important initiative. If that’s the case, you can use the meeting agenda to anticipate important points, but you’ll need to wait until after the meeting is over to create a list of key takeaways from it.

Why You Need Meeting Takeaways

There are so many ways to document meetings these days, from transcriptions to Zoom recordings . You could send out a link to the recording of your virtual meeting or webinar, but no one wants to re-watch the meeting they just sat through.

You can think of key takeaways as the recap of your meeting. They aren’t meant to be a play-by-play of your decision-making process — that’s what meeting minutes are for — but they can serve an important role in team-building and communication.

Here are three ways meeting takeaways can help you get more out of meetings:

1. They Help You Put Ideas Into Action

Providing participants with key takeaways during or after the meeting ensures that they walk away with a clear sense of direction.

If you’ve just spent the entire meeting discussing pricing models for your new podcast app, what are they supposed to do with that information?

Key takeaways help you translate complex ideas into real-world solutions, or even into literal action items you can add to your task management software.

2. They Encourage a Shared Vision

Some meetings, especially all-hands meetings , can cover a lot of ground. Maybe your co-founder brought up some market research questions, and your development team addressed app functionality — and maybe some stakeholders didn’t attend at all.

With the rise of remote work , it can be harder for team members to interact with other departments and get on the same page. Key takeaways help to keep everyone in the loop, and ensure that everyone is working toward the same objectives.

3. They Make Meetings More Memorable

Finally, key takeaways can be used to emphasize important points that might otherwise get overlooked. They’re like soundbites that distill an hour’s worth of discussion into a few key points that are easy to remember.

You don’t need to summarize absolutely everything that was said, but reviewing a few key takeaways at the end of a meeting can help with recall and retention.

Types of Key Takeaways

Key takeaways can come in a few different forms depending on the type of meeting in question. Here are three important things to include in key takeaways:

• Status updates: Status updates tell you how much progress you’ve made on a project since the last meeting or update. Be sure to include this as a key takeaway to keep all of your stakeholders informed.
• Committee reports : Nonprofit meetings and board meetings may include reports from multiple committees. Important points can be summed up as key takeaways and included in your meeting minutes.
• Action items: Actionable items are tasks that need to be followed up on after the meeting. Assign each one to a specific team member and write them down as key takeaways to ensure accountability.

Other things that can be considered key takeaways are workplace changes, decisions that affect multiple departments or team members, or the outcome of a vote.

3 Ways to Create Key Takeaways for a Meeting

Now that you know what key takeaways are and when to use them, how do you make sure you don’t miss anything? Let’s take a look at three ways to create key takeaways for a meeting — and why some kinds of takeaways practically write themselves!

1. Write Them Down In Advance

One easy way to write key takeaways is to look over the meeting agenda and identify the most important points. If the goal of the meeting is to inform — such as to review performance metrics or announce a remote work policy — chances are you already have some key takeaways ready to go. Here’s an example:

• New remote work policy comes into effect on January 1, 2024. Home office stipend available for employees who work from home.

Of course, this is less practical for a brainstorming meeting or a kickoff meeting , in which you don’t necessarily know what the key takeaways will be. But for webinars, presentations, and other information-driven meetings, you can make a list of key takeaways and distribute them to participants in advance.

2. Take Good Notes and Send Out a Follow-Up Email

For most meetings, it’s the note-taker’s job to identify and record key takeaways. You can either leave a space in your notes for key takeaways as you go, or review your notes later to pick out the most important points.

Be sure to use a consistent method like the Cornell note-taking system so it’s easy to come back to your notes and make sense of what you wrote down.

Once you’ve identified the most important takeaways from the meeting, send out a follow-up email to participants and those who couldn't attend. For example:

• IT team plans full system upgrade on 12/16. No action required.
• HR department to ramp up hiring in Q4. Referrals welcome.

Remember, your notes may include more details about the topic; you can send out both your key takeaways and a full set of notes or meeting minutes.

3. Generate Them Automatically

If note-taking isn’t part of your skillset, or you simply want to be able to pay attention to the meeting, use an automated note-taking tool to create key takeaways for you. Tools like Anchor AI can use artificial intelligence to identify action items during the meeting, and automatically add them to your task list or action item tracker.

For example, if Toni agrees to schedule a series of posts about an upcoming product launch, Anchor AI can turn it into an action item like this one:

• Action item: Schedule social media posts
• Task owner: Toni. B
• Due date: 10/20/23

And that’s not all: You can also Ask Anchor to summarize the meeting, transcribe the meeting, or generate a follow-up email automatically. Simply invite Anchor AI to your next meeting, or upload a recording afterwards to transcribe it on-demand.

Automate Key Takeaways With Anchor AI

Key takeaways are a few brief sentences that summarize the most important points of your meeting. You can create them based on the meeting agenda, from your notes, or by using an automated note-taking tool to generate them for you. Use them to remind meeting participants about key points or to keep other stakeholders informed.

Anchor AI takes the stress out of meetings by doing the hard work for you. Instead of trying to cram key takeaways into an action item template, you can be fully present in the meeting itself. You’ll get a searchable transcript and AI-powered action items to boost productivity and improve collaboration on your team.

Sign up today or contact the team to learn more!

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[ teyk - uh -wey ]

• something taken back or away, especially an employee benefit that is eliminated or substantially reduced by the terms of a union contract.

The takeaway was that we had to do a lot more work on the proposal before it could be shown to the governing board.

Let's pick something up at the Indian takeaway.

I get Chinese takeaway at least once a week.

The problem with most hockey statistics is they are not very consistent in how they determine takeaways and giveaways.

I got him a video entitled “Improving the Takeaway in Your Golf Swing” for his birthday.

a list of takeaway proposals presented by management.

• Chiefly British. takeout ( def 7 ) .

Discover More

Word history and origins.

Origin of takeaway 1

Example Sentences

Since then News UK has opened one of its cafes for takeaway service and desk use follows a rota system.

We spotlighted a few interesting takeaways in the Politics Report.

We’ll dive deep into the plan in the months ahead, but here’s some big-picture takeaways for now.

My takeaway from the experiment was that it’s not possible to do that.

Every message should have a takeaway that readers can apply to better themselves or their lives.

The takeaway message, whether intended or not, is clear: I became a complete woman when—and only when—I found a good man.

But the real takeaway is that all this cash apparently has little influence on who wins or loses elections.

The biggest takeaway: This is someone who really knows his music.

For me, the takeaway from these results is that creativity—just like grit—does not occupy a separate sphere from academics.

The real takeaway, though, was that not just anyone can be a great artist, but anyone can learn to draw.

Related Words

More about takeaway, what does  takeaway mean.

Takeaway is popularly used to mean the main thing you’ve learned, will remember, or need to take action on after having been presented with information, such as during a meeting or in a report.

Take away is a common phrasal verb that’s used in a lot of contexts, and takeaway as a noun has a lot of different meanings. It’s sometimes spelled take-away.

In the U.K., takeaway is the word for what Americans call takeout —food picked up from a restaurant to eat elsewhere, typically at home. It can also refer to the restaurant where you get it.

In hockey and American football, a takeaway happens when the puck or ball is somehow taken away from the opposing team.

Example: The biggest takeaway from the intern meeting was to not post pictures or videos on social media that could reflect badly on the company.

Where does  takeaway come from?

As a phrasal verb, take away has been in use since at least the 1400s, but the first records of the noun takeaway come from the 1900s.

In the sense of a main idea or point that you take away from something, takeaway is popularly used in business, especially in the context of meetings and presentations. The takeaways from a meeting are the one or two things you leave having learned or knowing that you now need to do. But takeaways can also come from any source of information that’s been presented to you. The takeaways from a news article will probably be the main facts you’ve learned from it.

Takeaway is also used in the context of business to refer to something that is taken away—removed—from an employee contract, such as certain benefits.

In the U.K., takeaway is the food you pick up, as in I don’t feel like cooking tonight—let’s get some takeaway . To get the takeaway , you go to the takeaway . (In American English, takeout is most often used as a noun, as in Let’s get some takeout. It can be used as an adjective referring to the type of restaurant, but not by itself—you would say, “Let’s get something from the takeout place,” not “Let’s get something from the takeout.”)

In American football, a takeaway is when the defensive team somehow takes the ball away from the offensive team. The defense can create takeaways by forcing a fumble (causing an offensive player to drop the ball) or intercepting the ball (catching it before an offensive player can catch it). The result of a takeaway is a turnover (when the other team gets possession of the ball).

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to takeaway ?

• take-away (alternate spelling)

What are some synonyms for takeaway ?

What are some words that share a root or word element with takeaway ? 

What are some words that often get used in discussing takeaway ?

• presentation

How is  takeaway used in real life?

In the context of business, takeaway is sometimes seen as a buzzword , but it’s useful, and there’s no very close synonym, so it has become very popular. In the context of fast food in the U.K., takeaway is just as common as takeout is in the U.S.

The key takeaway is it's important to shift your mindset from thinking VCs have an obligation to follow up to giving them a reason to follow up. Make your startup something they are excited to talk about when they leave the meeting. Think of it as sales 101. — Maren Bannon (@Maren_Bannon) February 18, 2020

getting treated like absolute royalty since being back from uni, mums just offered me nandos AND maccies takeaway in the space of 30 seconds? this woman that used to chant “there’s rice at home” 🤣 — who’sjurdaaanagen??? (@stephedo2) December 17, 2019

The #49ers had seven takeaways, including two interceptions, all of last season — the worst marks in NFL history. Thru three games, the 49ers have generated seven takeaways (five interceptions) and they’ve generated 32 points from those turnovers, which ranks second in the NFL. — Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) September 23, 2019

Try using  takeaway !

In which of the following situations could you come away with a takeaway ?

A. after attending a meeting B. after seeing a presentation C. after reading an article D. all of the above

[ ak -s uh -lot-l ]

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Understanding Assignments

What this handout is about.

The first step in any successful college writing venture is reading the assignment. While this sounds like a simple task, it can be a tough one. This handout will help you unravel your assignment and begin to craft an effective response. Much of the following advice will involve translating typical assignment terms and practices into meaningful clues to the type of writing your instructor expects. See our short video for more tips.

Basic beginnings

Regardless of the assignment, department, or instructor, adopting these two habits will serve you well :

• Read the assignment carefully as soon as you receive it. Do not put this task off—reading the assignment at the beginning will save you time, stress, and problems later. An assignment can look pretty straightforward at first, particularly if the instructor has provided lots of information. That does not mean it will not take time and effort to complete; you may even have to learn a new skill to complete the assignment.
• Ask the instructor about anything you do not understand. Do not hesitate to approach your instructor. Instructors would prefer to set you straight before you hand the paper in. That’s also when you will find their feedback most useful.

Assignment formats

Many assignments follow a basic format. Assignments often begin with an overview of the topic, include a central verb or verbs that describe the task, and offer some additional suggestions, questions, or prompts to get you started.

An Overview of Some Kind

The instructor might set the stage with some general discussion of the subject of the assignment, introduce the topic, or remind you of something pertinent that you have discussed in class. For example:

“Throughout history, gerbils have played a key role in politics,” or “In the last few weeks of class, we have focused on the evening wear of the housefly …”

The Task of the Assignment

Pay attention; this part tells you what to do when you write the paper. Look for the key verb or verbs in the sentence. Words like analyze, summarize, or compare direct you to think about your topic in a certain way. Also pay attention to words such as how, what, when, where, and why; these words guide your attention toward specific information. (See the section in this handout titled “Key Terms” for more information.)

“Analyze the effect that gerbils had on the Russian Revolution”, or “Suggest an interpretation of housefly undergarments that differs from Darwin’s.”

Additional Material to Think about

Here you will find some questions to use as springboards as you begin to think about the topic. Instructors usually include these questions as suggestions rather than requirements. Do not feel compelled to answer every question unless the instructor asks you to do so. Pay attention to the order of the questions. Sometimes they suggest the thinking process your instructor imagines you will need to follow to begin thinking about the topic.

“You may wish to consider the differing views held by Communist gerbils vs. Monarchist gerbils, or Can there be such a thing as ‘the housefly garment industry’ or is it just a home-based craft?”

These are the instructor’s comments about writing expectations:

“Be concise”, “Write effectively”, or “Argue furiously.”

Technical Details

These instructions usually indicate format rules or guidelines.

“Your paper must be typed in Palatino font on gray paper and must not exceed 600 pages. It is due on the anniversary of Mao Tse-tung’s death.”

The assignment’s parts may not appear in exactly this order, and each part may be very long or really short. Nonetheless, being aware of this standard pattern can help you understand what your instructor wants you to do.

Interpreting the assignment

Ask yourself a few basic questions as you read and jot down the answers on the assignment sheet:

Why did your instructor ask you to do this particular task?

Who is your audience.

• What kind of evidence do you need to support your ideas?

What kind of writing style is acceptable?

• What are the absolute rules of the paper?

Try to look at the question from the point of view of the instructor. Recognize that your instructor has a reason for giving you this assignment and for giving it to you at a particular point in the semester. In every assignment, the instructor has a challenge for you. This challenge could be anything from demonstrating an ability to think clearly to demonstrating an ability to use the library. See the assignment not as a vague suggestion of what to do but as an opportunity to show that you can handle the course material as directed. Paper assignments give you more than a topic to discuss—they ask you to do something with the topic. Keep reminding yourself of that. Be careful to avoid the other extreme as well: do not read more into the assignment than what is there.

Of course, your instructor has given you an assignment so that he or she will be able to assess your understanding of the course material and give you an appropriate grade. But there is more to it than that. Your instructor has tried to design a learning experience of some kind. Your instructor wants you to think about something in a particular way for a particular reason. If you read the course description at the beginning of your syllabus, review the assigned readings, and consider the assignment itself, you may begin to see the plan, purpose, or approach to the subject matter that your instructor has created for you. If you still aren’t sure of the assignment’s goals, try asking the instructor. For help with this, see our handout on getting feedback .

Given your instructor’s efforts, it helps to answer the question: What is my purpose in completing this assignment? Is it to gather research from a variety of outside sources and present a coherent picture? Is it to take material I have been learning in class and apply it to a new situation? Is it to prove a point one way or another? Key words from the assignment can help you figure this out. Look for key terms in the form of active verbs that tell you what to do.

Key Terms: Finding Those Active Verbs

Here are some common key words and definitions to help you think about assignment terms:

Information words Ask you to demonstrate what you know about the subject, such as who, what, when, where, how, and why.

• define —give the subject’s meaning (according to someone or something). Sometimes you have to give more than one view on the subject’s meaning
• describe —provide details about the subject by answering question words (such as who, what, when, where, how, and why); you might also give details related to the five senses (what you see, hear, feel, taste, and smell)
• explain —give reasons why or examples of how something happened
• illustrate —give descriptive examples of the subject and show how each is connected with the subject
• summarize —briefly list the important ideas you learned about the subject
• trace —outline how something has changed or developed from an earlier time to its current form
• research —gather material from outside sources about the subject, often with the implication or requirement that you will analyze what you have found

Relation words Ask you to demonstrate how things are connected.

• compare —show how two or more things are similar (and, sometimes, different)
• contrast —show how two or more things are dissimilar
• apply—use details that you’ve been given to demonstrate how an idea, theory, or concept works in a particular situation
• cause —show how one event or series of events made something else happen
• relate —show or describe the connections between things

Interpretation words Ask you to defend ideas of your own about the subject. Do not see these words as requesting opinion alone (unless the assignment specifically says so), but as requiring opinion that is supported by concrete evidence. Remember examples, principles, definitions, or concepts from class or research and use them in your interpretation.

• assess —summarize your opinion of the subject and measure it against something
• prove, justify —give reasons or examples to demonstrate how or why something is the truth
• evaluate, respond —state your opinion of the subject as good, bad, or some combination of the two, with examples and reasons
• support —give reasons or evidence for something you believe (be sure to state clearly what it is that you believe)
• synthesize —put two or more things together that have not been put together in class or in your readings before; do not just summarize one and then the other and say that they are similar or different—you must provide a reason for putting them together that runs all the way through the paper
• analyze —determine how individual parts create or relate to the whole, figure out how something works, what it might mean, or why it is important
• argue —take a side and defend it with evidence against the other side

More Clues to Your Purpose As you read the assignment, think about what the teacher does in class:

• What kinds of textbooks or coursepack did your instructor choose for the course—ones that provide background information, explain theories or perspectives, or argue a point of view?
• In lecture, does your instructor ask your opinion, try to prove her point of view, or use keywords that show up again in the assignment?
• What kinds of assignments are typical in this discipline? Social science classes often expect more research. Humanities classes thrive on interpretation and analysis.
• How do the assignments, readings, and lectures work together in the course? Instructors spend time designing courses, sometimes even arguing with their peers about the most effective course materials. Figuring out the overall design to the course will help you understand what each assignment is meant to achieve.

Now, what about your reader? Most undergraduates think of their audience as the instructor. True, your instructor is a good person to keep in mind as you write. But for the purposes of a good paper, think of your audience as someone like your roommate: smart enough to understand a clear, logical argument, but not someone who already knows exactly what is going on in your particular paper. Remember, even if the instructor knows everything there is to know about your paper topic, he or she still has to read your paper and assess your understanding. In other words, teach the material to your reader.

Aiming a paper at your audience happens in two ways: you make decisions about the tone and the level of information you want to convey.

• Tone means the “voice” of your paper. Should you be chatty, formal, or objective? Usually you will find some happy medium—you do not want to alienate your reader by sounding condescending or superior, but you do not want to, um, like, totally wig on the man, you know? Eschew ostentatious erudition: some students think the way to sound academic is to use big words. Be careful—you can sound ridiculous, especially if you use the wrong big words.
• The level of information you use depends on who you think your audience is. If you imagine your audience as your instructor and she already knows everything you have to say, you may find yourself leaving out key information that can cause your argument to be unconvincing and illogical. But you do not have to explain every single word or issue. If you are telling your roommate what happened on your favorite science fiction TV show last night, you do not say, “First a dark-haired white man of average height, wearing a suit and carrying a flashlight, walked into the room. Then a purple alien with fifteen arms and at least three eyes turned around. Then the man smiled slightly. In the background, you could hear a clock ticking. The room was fairly dark and had at least two windows that I saw.” You also do not say, “This guy found some aliens. The end.” Find some balance of useful details that support your main point.

You’ll find a much more detailed discussion of these concepts in our handout on audience .

The Grim Truth

With a few exceptions (including some lab and ethnography reports), you are probably being asked to make an argument. You must convince your audience. It is easy to forget this aim when you are researching and writing; as you become involved in your subject matter, you may become enmeshed in the details and focus on learning or simply telling the information you have found. You need to do more than just repeat what you have read. Your writing should have a point, and you should be able to say it in a sentence. Sometimes instructors call this sentence a “thesis” or a “claim.”

So, if your instructor tells you to write about some aspect of oral hygiene, you do not want to just list: “First, you brush your teeth with a soft brush and some peanut butter. Then, you floss with unwaxed, bologna-flavored string. Finally, gargle with bourbon.” Instead, you could say, “Of all the oral cleaning methods, sandblasting removes the most plaque. Therefore it should be recommended by the American Dental Association.” Or, “From an aesthetic perspective, moldy teeth can be quite charming. However, their joys are short-lived.”

Convincing the reader of your argument is the goal of academic writing. It doesn’t have to say “argument” anywhere in the assignment for you to need one. Look at the assignment and think about what kind of argument you could make about it instead of just seeing it as a checklist of information you have to present. For help with understanding the role of argument in academic writing, see our handout on argument .

What kind of evidence do you need?

There are many kinds of evidence, and what type of evidence will work for your assignment can depend on several factors–the discipline, the parameters of the assignment, and your instructor’s preference. Should you use statistics? Historical examples? Do you need to conduct your own experiment? Can you rely on personal experience? See our handout on evidence for suggestions on how to use evidence appropriately.

Make sure you are clear about this part of the assignment, because your use of evidence will be crucial in writing a successful paper. You are not just learning how to argue; you are learning how to argue with specific types of materials and ideas. Ask your instructor what counts as acceptable evidence. You can also ask a librarian for help. No matter what kind of evidence you use, be sure to cite it correctly—see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial .

You cannot always tell from the assignment just what sort of writing style your instructor expects. The instructor may be really laid back in class but still expect you to sound formal in writing. Or the instructor may be fairly formal in class and ask you to write a reflection paper where you need to use “I” and speak from your own experience.

Try to avoid false associations of a particular field with a style (“art historians like wacky creativity,” or “political scientists are boring and just give facts”) and look instead to the types of readings you have been given in class. No one expects you to write like Plato—just use the readings as a guide for what is standard or preferable to your instructor. When in doubt, ask your instructor about the level of formality she or he expects.

No matter what field you are writing for or what facts you are including, if you do not write so that your reader can understand your main idea, you have wasted your time. So make clarity your main goal. For specific help with style, see our handout on style .

Technical details about the assignment

The technical information you are given in an assignment always seems like the easy part. This section can actually give you lots of little hints about approaching the task. Find out if elements such as page length and citation format (see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial ) are negotiable. Some professors do not have strong preferences as long as you are consistent and fully answer the assignment. Some professors are very specific and will deduct big points for deviations.

Usually, the page length tells you something important: The instructor thinks the size of the paper is appropriate to the assignment’s parameters. In plain English, your instructor is telling you how many pages it should take for you to answer the question as fully as you are expected to. So if an assignment is two pages long, you cannot pad your paper with examples or reword your main idea several times. Hit your one point early, defend it with the clearest example, and finish quickly. If an assignment is ten pages long, you can be more complex in your main points and examples—and if you can only produce five pages for that assignment, you need to see someone for help—as soon as possible.

Tricks that don’t work

Your instructors are not fooled when you:

• spend more time on the cover page than the essay —graphics, cool binders, and cute titles are no replacement for a well-written paper.
• use huge fonts, wide margins, or extra spacing to pad the page length —these tricks are immediately obvious to the eye. Most instructors use the same word processor you do. They know what’s possible. Such tactics are especially damning when the instructor has a stack of 60 papers to grade and yours is the only one that low-flying airplane pilots could read.
• use a paper from another class that covered “sort of similar” material . Again, the instructor has a particular task for you to fulfill in the assignment that usually relates to course material and lectures. Your other paper may not cover this material, and turning in the same paper for more than one course may constitute an Honor Code violation . Ask the instructor—it can’t hurt.
• get all wacky and “creative” before you answer the question . Showing that you are able to think beyond the boundaries of a simple assignment can be good, but you must do what the assignment calls for first. Again, check with your instructor. A humorous tone can be refreshing for someone grading a stack of papers, but it will not get you a good grade if you have not fulfilled the task.

Critical reading of assignments leads to skills in other types of reading and writing. If you get good at figuring out what the real goals of assignments are, you are going to be better at understanding the goals of all of your classes and fields of study.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Definition of assignment

task , duty , job , chore , stint , assignment mean a piece of work to be done.

task implies work imposed by a person in authority or an employer or by circumstance.

duty implies an obligation to perform or responsibility for performance.

job applies to a piece of work voluntarily performed; it may sometimes suggest difficulty or importance.

chore implies a minor routine activity necessary for maintaining a household or farm.

stint implies a carefully allotted or measured quantity of assigned work or service.

assignment implies a definite limited task assigned by one in authority.

Examples of assignment in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'assignment.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

see assign entry 1

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing assignment

• self - assignment

Dictionary Entries Near assignment

Cite this entry.

“Assignment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assignment. Accessed 22 Apr. 2024.

Legal Definition

Legal definition of assignment, more from merriam-webster on assignment.

Nglish: Translation of assignment for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of assignment for Arabic Speakers

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Meaning of assignment in English

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• It was a jammy assignment - more of a holiday really.
• He took this award-winning photograph while on assignment in the Middle East .
• His two-year assignment to the Mexico office starts in September .
• She first visited Norway on assignment for the winter Olympics ten years ago.
• He fell in love with the area after being there on assignment for National Geographic in the 1950s.
• act as something
• all work and no play (makes Jack a dull boy) idiom
• be at work idiom
• be in work idiom
• housekeeping
• in the line of duty idiom
• undertaking

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

assignment | American Dictionary

Assignment | business english, examples of assignment, collocations with assignment.

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Translations of assignment

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Word of the Day

the act of an animal running around, sometimes in circles, in a very energetic way

Binding, nailing, and gluing: talking about fastening things together

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• on assignment
• American    Noun
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Definition of take away from phrasal verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

take away from

• I don't want to take away from his achievements, but he couldn't have done it without my help.
• I don't want to take anything away from what you have all achieved.

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The Oxford Learner’s Thesaurus explains the difference between groups of similar words. Try it for free as part of the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app