How to Document a Discussion
Process
- Summarize what was said during the meeting.
- Describe the expectations - clearly state what the policy/procedure requires.
- Describe the behavior or performance that must change and that which should continue. **Remember to describe the conduct, not the employee.
- Include the employee's explanation why the expectations are not being met.
- Include the detailed action plan with specific deadlines.
Tips to Remember
- Set specific deadlines.
- Avoid vague, unclear statements about what the employee needs to do to improve.
- Avoid absolutes like "always" and "never".
- Include positive comments.
- Prepare the documentation as though a third party will read it.
Example
To: [Employee Name]
From: [Manager Name]
Date: 2/1/2021
Re: Follow-up to 1:1
Dear [Employee Name],
This email is to document our conversation today, regarding describe the performance/behavior issue. During the meeting, we spoke about ________. During our discussion you brought up that the reason for the issue was because _________.
As we discussed, the performance/behavior issue is not in line with list University/department policy / management expectation here. It is the expectation that moving forward you will ___________ by deadline date.
To assist you through this process, here are some resources/guidelines that you can utilize. I will schedule a follow-up meeting for date to review progress on this issue. Please let me know if you are unclear about any of the expectations or if you feel I have left out any details from our conversation.
Thank you,
[Manager Name]