# Meeting Autopsy Skills

> Meeting Autopsy

- Skill: `mcltyl/meeting-autopsy-skills` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add mcltyl/meeting-autopsy-skills`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/mcltyl/meeting-autopsy-skills/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Productivity
- Author: mcltyl (https://skillmd.com/u/mcltyl)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/mcltyl/meeting-autopsy-skills

---

# Meeting Autopsy

> That meeting just ended. What was the ONE decision? Who owes WHAT by WHEN?

---

## When to Use

- Right after a meeting ends (within 5 minutes)
- You have back-to-back calls and can't remember what just happened
- The meeting had lots of discussion but unclear outcomes
- You want to be the person who actually follows through

**Trigger:** "I just got out of [meeting]" or calendar event ends.

---

## The Problem

Meetings generate fog:
- Lots of talking
- Vague agreements
- "We should..." without "Who will..."
- Everyone leaves with a different understanding

**1 week later:** "Wait, I thought YOU were doing that?"

---

## The 2-Minute Autopsy

Do this immediately. Not after your next meeting. NOW.

### Question 1: What was decided? (30 seconds)

> "What is ONE thing that is now different because of this meeting?"

If nothing is different → the meeting was information-sharing (fine) or a waste (less fine).

**Format:** "[Thing] is now [decided/approved/killed/changed]"

Examples:
- "Launch date is now April 15"
- "We're NOT doing the rebrand"
- "Budget is approved for Phase 2"
- "Nothing was decided" (valid answer — but note it)

---

### Question 2: Who owes what by when? (60 seconds)

List every action item with:

| WHO | WHAT | BY WHEN |
|-----|------|---------|
| Name | Specific deliverable | Date/time |

**Rules:**
- "The team" is not a WHO. One person owns it.
- "Soon" is not a WHEN. Get a date.
- "Look into" is not a WHAT. What's the deliverable?

**If unclear:**
> "This action item doesn't have a clear owner or deadline. Flag it in your follow-up or claim it yourself."

---

### Question 3: What's the next interaction? (15 seconds)

- When do we meet again?
- Who's sending the summary?
- What triggers the next step?

If there's no next interaction defined → the project might stall.

---

### Question 4: What was unsaid? (15 seconds, optional)

> "Was there tension, disagreement, or something avoided?"

Sometimes the real outcome of a meeting is what DIDN'T get said:
- Someone disagreed but didn't speak up
- A risk was glossed over
- Political dynamics affected the decision

Note it for context. Don't action it yet.

---

## The Output

Generate a quick summary you can paste or send:

```
## [Meeting Name] — [Date]

**Decision:** [One sentence]

**Action Items:**
- [ ] @Person: Thing (by Date)
- [ ] @Person: Thing (by Date)

**Next:** [Next meeting or trigger]

**Notes:** [Optional — unsaid dynamics, context]
```

---

## Send or Don't Send?

**Send if:**
- Others need the clarity
- You want to establish yourself as the organized one
- There's ambiguity that needs to be locked down

**Don't send if:**
- It's just for your records
- Someone else is already doing meeting notes
- The meeting was truly informal

---

## Patterns to Watch

### The decision that wasn't
> Everyone nodded but no one actually agreed. Look for: "I think we're aligned?" (that's a question, not a decision)

### The orphaned action item
> "Someone should..." = no one will. If it matters, claim it or assign it.

### The phantom deadline
> "Let's try to get this done soon" = never. Push for a date.

### The meeting about the meeting
> If the main outcome is scheduling another meeting, flag it. This might be a process problem.

---

## Speed Mode (30 seconds)

If you're truly rushing:

1. **Decision:** [One thing, or "none"]
2. **My action items:** [Just yours]
3. **Next:** [When we reconnect]

That's it. Better than nothing.

---

## Output

By end of autopsy:
1. The ONE decision (or acknowledgment there wasn't one)
2. Action items with WHO/WHAT/WHEN
3. Next interaction defined
4. Optional: unsaid dynamics noted

---

*For pre-meeting prep, see [5-Min Panic Prep](https://github.com/mcltyl/five-min-panic-prep-skills) (coming soon)*
*For commitment tracking, see [Promise Debt Tracker](https://github.com/mcltyl/promise-debt-tracker-skills)*