Turn notes into actions
Convert messy meeting notes into accountable follow-up.
Complete prompt
Task
Convert messy meeting notes into accountable follow-up.
Instructions
Process these meeting notes: [NOTES]. Extract decisions, open questions, action items, owner, due date, and dependencies. Preserve uncertainty when the notes do not assign an owner or date. Quote a short source phrase for each decision.
Expected output
Decisions, action table, unresolved questions, and a follow-up message draft.
Checks
- No owner is invented.
- Dates are copied or marked unknown.
- Decisions are traceable to notes.Expected output and checks
Expected output
Decisions, action table, unresolved questions, and a follow-up message draft.
Checks
- No owner is invented.
- Dates are copied or marked unknown.
- Decisions are traceable to notes.
Worked example
Turn notes into actions: recorded example
Original input
Task
Convert messy meeting notes into accountable follow-up.
Instructions
Process these meeting notes: Synthetic Paper Lantern project meeting, 7 September 2026.
N01 Ada: We decide to hold the volunteer workshop on 19 September, 14:00–16:00.
N02 Bo: I will reserve the community hall by 9 September.
N03 Chen: We decide to cap registration at 24 people.
N04 Ada: I will publish the registration page by 10 September, after Bo confirms the hall.
N05 Bo: We could buy paid social ads. Ada: This is only a proposal; no approval today.
N06 Chen: I will count the existing supplies by 8 September.
N07 Ada: Someone needs to check accessibility by 11 September; no owner assigned yet.
N08 Bo: I will send the volunteer reminder; we have not set the deadline.
N09 Chen: We decide to reuse existing supplies before buying replacements.
N10 Ada: We have not confirmed whether the hall has a working projector.
N11 Bo: The hall booking must happen before the registration page is published.
N12 Chen: We will discuss the ad proposal at the next meeting; it is not a decision. Entire input is fictional. No messages should actually be sent.. Extract decisions, open questions, action items, owner, due date, and dependencies. Preserve uncertainty when the notes do not assign an owner or date. Quote a short source phrase for each decision.
Expected output
Decisions, action table, unresolved questions, and a follow-up message draft.
Checks
- No owner is invented.
- Dates are copied or marked unknown.
- Decisions are traceable to notes.
What the checks found
- Three confirmed decisions, source IDs, five operational actions, the page-booking dependency and both missing action fields are preserved.
- The first table also includes a sixth row for discussing the ad proposal at the next meeting. It labels this as discussion only, but mixes the next agenda with operational actions.
Revisions after the first output
- Editor moved the ad discussion out of the five-row action table and into the follow-up agenda. No name or deadline was supplied to fill a gap.
Original output
The workshop date, registration cap, and supply-reuse policy are decided; hall confirmation, accessibility ownership, reminder timing, and projector availability remain unresolved. This is a record of a fictional meeting, and the message below is a draft only.
Decisions
| Decision | Short source phrase |
|---|---|
| Hold the workshop on 19 September 2026, 14:00–16:00 | N01: “We decide to hold the volunteer workshop on 19 September, 14:00–16:00.” |
| Cap registration at 24 people | N03: “We decide to cap registration at 24 people.” |
| Reuse existing supplies before buying replacements | N09: “We decide to reuse existing supplies before buying replacements.” |
Paid social ads are a proposal, not an approved decision (N05, N12).
Action table
Dates below are in September 2026, using the meeting’s stated year.
| Action | Owner | Due date | Dependencies / constraints | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reserve the community hall | Bo | 9 September | No prerequisite stated; booking must precede page publication | N02, N11 |
| Publish the registration page | Ada | 10 September | Bo must confirm the hall first; if confirmation is delayed, publication is blocked | N04, N11 |
| Count existing supplies | Chen | 8 September | No prerequisite stated; count can inform application of the reuse-first decision | N06, N09 |
| Check accessibility | Unassigned | 11 September | No dependency stated | N07 |
| Send the volunteer reminder | Bo | Unknown / not set | No dependency stated | N08 |
| Discuss the paid-ad proposal | Unassigned | Next meeting; calendar date unknown | Discussion only; approval still required | N12, N05 |
The supply count informing reuse is an inference, not a separately agreed dependency. Projector verification needs follow-up, but the notes do not assign an action, owner, or deadline for it.
Unresolved questions
- Who will own the accessibility check due 11 September?
- When must Bo send the volunteer reminder?
- Does the hall have a working projector, and who will verify it by when?
- Has the hall been reserved and confirmed? The notes record a commitment, not completion.
- When is the next meeting, and will paid ads be approved then? No advertising spend is authorized by these notes.
Follow-up message draft
“Thanks, everyone. Our agreed workshop is 19 September 2026, 14:00–16:00, with registration capped at 24. We will reuse existing supplies before buying replacements.
Chen will count supplies by 8 September. Bo will reserve the hall by 9 September. Ada will publish the registration page by 10 September after Bo confirms the hall; publication depends on the booking.
We still need an owner for the accessibility check due 11 September, a deadline for Bo’s volunteer reminder, and confirmation of a working projector, including who will check and by when. Please also confirm the next meeting date so the paid-ad proposal can be discussed. Paid ads have not been approved.”
