Imagine a meeting where all the participants are active in the conversation. Great ideas are shared and built upon. Everyone feels excited about the goals discussed. Was that a successful meeting? It could be, so long as something important is done before the meeting is adjourned.

Many seemingly productive meetings end up being for naught if the follow-through is fumbled. To ensure it happens, follow this simple rule.

Never end a meeting without summarizing the decisions and assigning the next actions to move items forward.

Prioritized next actions are the fruits of a successful meeting. When there is uncertainty over who is responsible to do tasks decided upon in the meeting, the risk of inaction is huge. Everyone attending the meeting should be clear on his or her responsibilities before adjournment.

Five key steps to remember:

• Write down the specific next actions decided on in the meeting
• Assign the task to participants and make them responsible for completing each action
• Be clear on the deadlines for each action item
• Have a means to share updates on each action completed with the rest of the group
• Finally, decide when and where the next meeting will happen if needed

Follow these steps to ensure that your valuable meetings lead to success afterwards.