Now that it is over we relax, right?

After the meeting is over.

Now that your meeting has occurred, was well run, and everyone is pleased that their time was efficiently spent; it is time to do the follow-up.

Your note-taker will have taken down the names of people who asked questions and what their questions were, also they will have noted whether the question was answered right there, or if it is still outstanding.  The outstanding questions will be directed to you for answers while your Virtual Assistant puts the meeting minutes together with the distribution list of who will receive these minutes.  When you have answered the follow-up questions, send the info to your VA to make sure the answers are included in the minutes.  If necessary, address any tangents that may have started during the meeting as these asides are sometimes pertinent and can be used to further understanding of issues or topics that may be difficult to understand, or concepts that are difficult to explain.  If the tangent really has no connection what so ever to the meeting topic then it is safe to leave it alone.  Make sure all interested parties receive a copy of the minutes and that all questions from the meeting are addressed.  If this is a recurring meeting (quarterly, weekly, or monthly) attach next meetings agenda to the minutes so all parties are aware of the next meetings topics and can comment or ask questions ahead of time so your next meeting can be the best it can be.  The pre-questions can be addressed during the meeting so everyone gets the answers they need.  This will save you time and will help your meeting run more efficiently and smoothly next time as well.

These are general guidelines to make your meetings run more smoothly and efficiently.  Some meetings are more difficult to push into this model, but if you use this model your regular meetings will be much more efficient and will garner more engaged participation from your attendees.