# Best Tools For Tracking Action Items

Source: https://lessmeeting.com/blog/best-tools-tracking-action-items/

Creating action items is easy; getting them done is the hard part. Here's why they slip through the cracks, and the best tools for tracking them.

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At Less Meeting, we're huge fans of getting things done. But there's a real problem hiding in most teams' meetings. Creating action items is easy; *finishing* them is the hard part.

While over 63% of professionals create to-do lists, [a paltry 11% finish the tasks they plan to do each day](https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-ATWORKB-65). You just ran a great meeting and the team walked away with a solid list of to-dos. But two weeks later, at best half of them are done.

Before we get to the tools, a quick look at *why* action items stall, and what gets them across the finish line.

## Why action items don't get done

**1. Procrastination.** Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow? When people get overwhelmed by tasks, they keep pushing them off.

**2. Forgetfulness.** People forget — it just happens. A lot of the time, it's the to-dos they owe *you* that slip their mind.

**3. Prioritization.** There aren't enough hours in the day, and people will inevitably prioritize differently than you do.

## How to get action items done

**1. Simplify the task.** Make the action item as small and specific as possible. "Plan next month's sales conference" is overwhelming; "Pick a date for the sales conference" is something someone can knock out today.

**2. Remind the person.** It's fine to send a nudge. Don't email every hour, but a gentle reminder after a few days is fair game. Better still, get a tool to do it for you. If someone owes you an action item, Less Meeting automatically reminds them in their Daily Digest.

**3. Own the prioritization.** Be crystal clear about *when* you need it done and *why* it matters. That's what turns a vague request into a commitment.

One more thing: a to-do list is the right home for assignments and action items specifically. With an action item, you don't really get to decide whether it's important once it's been agreed on, so a list is a must for keeping it on the radar even when it's not top of mind.

## The best tools for tracking action items

Once you've got the habits down, the right tool makes tracking effortless. Four stand out:

## 1) [Google Tasks](https://support.google.com/a/users/answer/9310341)

* Free
* Integrates with Less Meeting

## 2) [Outlook Tasks](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/calendar/create-tasks-with-to-do-in-outlook)

* Most large companies already run Outlook for email, calendar, and to-dos
* Integrates with Less Meeting

## 3) [Basecamp](https://basecamp.com/)

* Best for project managers

## 4) [Salesforce](https://www.salesforce.com/)

* Best for sales reps

Meetings are largely about actions, but they only pay off if those actions get done. Keep these tips in mind next time someone owes you a to-do, and you'll clear a lot more than 11% of your list.

If you're specifically evaluating action item tracking software rather than a general to-do app, see [what to look for in action item tracking software](/action-item-tracking-software/), including how carry-forward across recurring meetings and automated follow-up compare to the tools above. Whatever tool you land on, someone still has to send the email when an item slips — we have [five templates for that](/blog/followup-action-items/). And if the same items keep resurfacing meeting after meeting rather than stalling out, that's a carry-forward problem rather than a to-do-list problem. Here's [how to carry action items forward across recurring meetings](/blog/tracking-action-items-recurring-meetings/).