Capturing meeting commitments with the Who, What, When method

Executive overview

Commitments made in meetings are routinely forgotten because they exist only as spoken words with no structure to anchor them. The Who, What, When method fixes this by recording every commitment — who agreed to it, what they'll do, and by when — in a shared format at the moment it's made.

If a commitment isn't captured with a name, task, and deadline, it will be forgotten.

How the method works

• Record three things for every commitment: who, what, and by when
• Use any format — paper clipboard, Google Sheet, or task manager with due dates
• The format matters less than the habit of capturing consistently

Making it stick in your team

• Assign a dedicated note-taker who enjoys and is reliable at this role
• The note-taker listens specifically for commitments, not general discussion
• The role can rotate over time once the habit is established
• Capture at the moment of commitment, not after the meeting ends