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Weekly Meeting Notes for Many Projects with Follow-Up Action Items

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Level 2
Hi there, How do you handle meeting notes taken in one sitting for a bunch of different projects each week that have action items that will need to be planned for in future meetings? I am brand new to Workfront and in the middle of a configuration on Phase 1 for our Graphics Team (we haven't launched anything yet). However, I am already planning for Phase 3 for Product Development projects. In the product development phase we will have a Stage Gate approach set up for product development projects across many categories (Soup, Broth, Non-Dairy Beverage, etc.). I am thinking they will also be across/in their own portfolio's. We have a weekly Stage Gate meeting and any products (each product will be it's own project) that are currently needing to be approved in a certain stage need to be discussed and there are meeting notes taken at that time. Then, we would need to be able to follow up on those action items at the date agreed upon. I am wondering how people handle this in Workfront. Do you take separate notes and then copy and paste them everywhere in to different projects and set future tasks to follow up? Would I set up a separate project or queue just for the intake of these meeting minutes, but then how do I connect them back to the actual project? Since Workfront is so robust it seems like there must be a simpler way? Thanks in advance for your help! Lori George Pacific Foods
21 Replies

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Level 4
Hi Lori, You have touched on some of the options; however, it all depends on what you need in the end. Do you need to have a meeting minutes report at the end or do you just want to make sure that all of the action items are processed effectively? Daniel Daniel Cooley Kenall Manufacturing

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Level 3
We created a RAID Log using the Issues section of WF. It allows us to capture Risks, Actions, Issues and Decisions using the Issue area of WF. If you can provide your email address, I can share further details with you. Jodi Biscevic GM Financial - International Operations

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Level 1

Hi @Jodi Biscevic‚ - thanks for sharing. Do you mind shooting to me as well please? jay.kollar@gartner.com. Many thanks.

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Level 2

Hi Jodi - can you give me some more information about how you are using the Issue area to capture Risks, Actions, Issues and Decisions? Thanks (jkeuniung@taftlaw.com)

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Level 2

Hi Jodi - would you be able to share this information with me please?

martin.weston@dominos.co.uk

Many thanks

Martin

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Level 3

Hi @Jodi Biscevic‚ - do you mind sharing with me also "pretty please"?

Justin.Fleming@trafigura.com

I've created one, just like to see what others have done.

Kind Regards,

Justin Fleming

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Level 2
Hello All, Great question! Jodi, I'd love to see how GM has it organized. My email is sarah.lemoncelli@whitecase.com. So many wonderful GM Financial sessions at LEAP, thank you! Sarah Lemoncelli White & Case LLP

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Level 5
Hi Jodi- I'd love more info regarding how you use your RAID log. If you want to email me offline- my email is karen_rutz@harvard.edu tks Karen Karen Rutz Harvard Alumni Affairs and Development

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Level 2
Hi Daniel - I would say we would need both. However suggestions for how to set up either even if they are separate from each other would be great! Thanks, Lori Lori George Pacific Foods Senior Marketing Operations Manager lori.george@pacificfoods.com

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Level 2
Hi Jodi, I would love to see your RAID log example, thanks so much. Any help you can provide is much appreciated. My email is lori.george@pacificfoods.com Thanks again, Lori Lori George Pacific Foods Senior Marketing Operations Manager lori.george@pacificfoods.com

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Level 4
Hi Jodi - I would be interested to learn more about how GM does this. My e-mail is nicolas.vivanco@bgrs.com. Thank you in advance for sharing. All - We have modeled our meeting management around an embedded dashboard within each project. The dashboard includes action items/issues, current work (open tasks due this week), upcoming work (open tasks due next week), risk log, different types of metrics and accomplishments (tasks completed on time) This idea came from a webinar Workfront hosted back in 2015. Attached is the PPT deck and here is the "https://resources.workfront.com/workfront-awareness/6-steps-to-eliminate-worthless-meetings" link to the webinar. Personally, I have been using this method of managing meetings for over 6 months and it works really well. I've received similar feedback from other colleagues as well. Nick Vivanco

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Level 4
Kathleen Palumbo Marketing Production Lead Blue Cross & Blue Shield of RI

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Level 2
Hi Jodi, If you don't mind please email the information on you RAID. My address is christopher.voss@progress.com Thank you! Chris Voss, PMP Sr. Project Manager, Professional Services, PMO Chris Voss, PMP Sr. Project Manager, Professional Services, PMO Progress Software

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Level 2
I would also be interested in seeing this. I am trying to figure out the best way to capture delays and other risks to my projects. vcalabro@bishopfox.com . Thank you, Vicki

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Level 10

That "https://resources.workfront.com/workfront-awareness/6-steps-to-eliminate-worthless-meetings">6 Steps to Eliminate Worthless Meetings video is a classic, Nick -- thanks for mentioning it. It was created by my good friend @Corey Young (who seemed to fall out of the car on our way to LEAP, for those who Glympsed it). Corey's now with Dayton Children's Hospital, and -- shortly after he started -- told me a very interesting story about their transition from in person meetings to (surprise!) Workfront based non-meetings. It's worth hearing in his own words, so I'll invite him to do so on this thread. Regards, Doug Doug Den Hoed - AtAppStore Got Skills? Lend a hand!

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Level 2
Aw shucks Doug - nice of you to link me in. I'm still a big believer in the approach. If I were to update the presentation for 2018, I wouldn't change much, other than adding a bit about how this works well for agile stand ups as well. Some clients find it more useful to maintain a separate custom data field for the most recent update by the task or project owner. That makes sense to me. If you do this, be sure to check the "Display field changes in the update feeds" so that you have a record of past updates. Corey Young Dayton Children's Hospital

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Level 1
Could I see your RAID log as well please? jason.hanson@tr.com Thanks! Jason Hanson Thomson Reuters - Corporate

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Level 1

Hi @Jodi Biscevic‚ could I see the RAID log as well? victoria.philippsen@atlascopco.com

@Doug Den Hoed‚ - I wasn't able to see the "6 steps to eliminate worthless meetings" .. is this still available somewhere?

Thanks!

Hi Victoria,

@Kyna Baker - inactive‚ and her team performing the conversion to 0ne have scripts to ensure those links are reinstated properly, so I’m tagging her so she can investigate and reply.

Regards,

Doug

Hi Doug! So this "6 steps to eliminate worthless meetings" video happens to actually be a video that wasn't part of the original community or Experience site, but was an asset that looks like it got moved a couple of years ago, so it must have been just after this original post went up. I have our marketing team looking into where the video is now, or if there is a similar one about great tips for meetings that I can post here. As soon as I have a link, I'll share it here.

Kyna