Try using these questions in your next team meeting. You don’t need to wait for permission or a formal process—just ask.

Tyler was exhausted. He’d recently been promoted to a new level in his organization, and his responsibilities meant he was serving on multiple cross-functional project teams, each of whom met weekly.

These teams were doing important work, vital to the future of the organization. Tyler should have felt energized by his higher-level view he now had on the company. Instead, his list of complaints was long:

“We have the same meeting every week,” he lamented. “No one accomplishes anything between meetings, and no one seems to know who is responsible for what. So we just get back together next week to have the same conversation and make the same decisions. Rinse and repeat.”

Turn talk into action

Like Tyler, we’ve all been in those meetings—full of good discussion, maybe even some great ideas—but as people walk out the door (or log off the call), there’s an unspoken question hanging in the air: So… what happens now?

Meetings can be an essential tool—but only if they lead to action. Too often, the dialogue in a meeting feels productive in the moment, but fails to produce follow-through because we don’t end the meeting well.

That’s where a few good questions can help.

By asking five focused questions at the end of every meeting, you turn well-meaning but vague intentions into concrete next steps. Whether you’re leading the meeting or just attending, offering these questions before everyone leaves can dramatically improve the team’s overall performance.

Here are five simple, powerful questions to ask at the end of every meeting—and why they work.

1. Let’s review our decisions.

People may walk away remembering different things—or thinking a decision was made when it wasn’t. That’s why it’s essential to pause and name what’s been agreed upon.

This question helps the group take a moment to say: Here’s what we decided. Here’s what we didn’t decide. Here’s what’s still under discussion. It’s a way to align everyone’s mental checklist and prevent misunderstandings later.

If Tyler’s team had taken this step, they could have reviewed decisions and given people a final chance to speak up if they misunderstood something or needed clarification. Instead, they repeated the same meeting next week.

And yes, we know “let’s review our decisions” is technically a statement rather than a question. But it’s also an inquiry: are we on the same page? Let’s make sure.

2. Who is responsible for each next step?

Ideas are easy. Execution is where the magic—and the mess—happens. This question helps bridge that gap by assigning clear ownership.

Too often, a group decides to move forward with something but doesn’t specify who’s driving it. As a result, everyone assumes someone else will take care of it, and no one does.

Alternatively, someone may know that a task is theirs; but if it hasn’t been formally assigned, they can dodge accountability.

When you explicitly name who’s responsible, you increase accountability and reduce confusion. The goal isn’t to dump work on someone, but to ensure every next step has a clear owner.

Bonus: It also surfaces any capacity issues or support needs that might otherwise stay hidden.

3. When is it due?

A task without a timeline is what we call a “ghost commitment.” In other words, it’s a commitment that lacks substance; it’s not really real.

Asking “when is it due?” helps shift the focus from abstract action items to a more tangible plan. Assigning a timeframe also creates space for negotiating reasonable deadlines and flagging potential bottlenecks early.

This is also the moment to check: Is this realistic? Do we need to adjust priorities to meet this timeline? If the answer is yes, you’ve just prevented a future fire drill.

4. What needs to happen before we meet again?

This is a great question for groups that meet regularly. It prompts people to think ahead, prioritize, and set expectations for what progress should look like before the next touchpoint.

Maybe you know you need to seek an opinion from someone not in the meetings; maybe research is needed on an idea that’s being debated; maybe you need to meet with a vendor to ask about options for the software you’re considering.

Asking and answering this question helps set up your next meeting for success.

5. How do each of us need to prepare for our next meeting?

Meetings are more effective when people come in ready to contribute. This question nudges the group to think proactively: What do I need to read, bring, or do before our next conversation?

This question helps reinforce shared responsibility. Preparation shouldn’t fall only on the project manager or team lead. By naming what each person needs to bring, you’re building a culture of ownership and participation.

Additionally, if information sharing can happen outside the meeting (such as by reading a 2-page report or flipping through a slide deck), then the focus of the meeting can be on debating ideas and making decisions. That’s a better use of executive time.

And let’s face it—some people will skip the prep unless it’s clearly spelled out. This question helps make expectations explicit, which leads to better meetings and better outcomes.

Better Endings Make Better Meetings

Ending a meeting well doesn’t take long—usually just 5 to 10 minutes, especially if a team member has been taking notes all along—but it can transform how your team follows through. You’ll make more efficient use of your meeting time, get more stuff done, and perform better overall.

These five questions help you document your progress, build shared accountability, and make the most of the time you’ve already invested. Here’s a quick recap:

1. Let’s review our decisions.
2. Who is responsible for each next step?
3. When is it due?
4. What needs to happen before we meet again?
5. How do each of us need to prepare for our next meeting?

Try using these questions in your next team meeting. You don’t need to wait for permission or a formal process—just ask. You might be surprised how much clearer things become, and how much more follow-through you get.

Because meetings shouldn’t just feel productive. They should be productive.

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