🎯 Key Characteristics of Objective Summaries
✅ What Objective Summaries Include
- • Factual information only - what was actually discussed
- • Direct quotes or paraphrases without interpretation
- • Specific decisions made and action items assigned
- • Neutral language - no emotional or loaded words
- • Chronological order or logical organization
- • Key data and numbers mentioned in discussions
❌ What to Avoid in Objective Summaries
- • Personal opinions - "I think John made a good point"
- • Interpretations - "Sarah seemed frustrated"
- • Emotional language - "exciting opportunity," "terrible idea"
- • Assumptions - "This probably means..."
- • Value judgments - "The best solution is..."
- • Speculation - "They might decide to..."
📋 Objective vs Subjective Summary Examples
✅ Objective Summary Example
Marketing Team Meeting - March 15, 2025
The team discussed Q1 campaign performance. Website traffic increased 25% compared to Q4 2024. Sarah reported the email campaign achieved a 3.2% click-through rate. The team decided to increase the social media advertising budget by $5,000 for April. John will prepare the revised budget proposal by March 22. The next meeting is scheduled for March 29 at 2 PM.
❌ Subjective Summary Example
Marketing Team Meeting - March 15, 2025
We had an amazing meeting discussing our fantastic Q1 performance! The website traffic boost was incredible - up 25%! Sarah was clearly excited about the email campaign's success. I think the decision to increase social media spending is brilliantand will probably lead to even better results. John seemed confident about handling the budget proposal.
🔧 How to Write Objective Summaries
📝 Step-by-Step Process
- 1. Focus on facts only - stick to what was actually said
- 2. Use neutral verbs - "discussed," "reported," "decided"
- 3. Include specific details - numbers, dates, names
- 4. Organize chronologically or by topic
- 5. Review for bias - remove opinions and interpretations
- 6. Keep it concise - focus on key information only
💡 Useful Neutral Phrases
🗣️ For Discussions:
- • "[Name] stated that..."
- • "The team discussed..."
- • "[Name] reported..."
- • "The group reviewed..."
✅ For Decisions:
- • "The team decided to..."
- • "It was agreed that..."
- • "[Name] will..."
- • "The deadline was set for..."
🤖 AI Tools for Objective Summaries
🥇 Best AI Tools for Objective Meeting Summaries
Fireflies.ai
$10-18/userExcels at creating factual, structured summaries with clear action items and decisions. Minimal interpretation or bias in output.
View Fireflies Review →Supernormal
$18-30/userProvides clean, professional summaries focused on key decisions and outcomes without editorializing.
View Supernormal Review →Fellow
$6-10/userStrong at organizing meeting outcomes in structured templates with objective language throughout.
View Fellow Review →⚡ Why AI is Good at Objective Summaries
- • No emotional bias - AI doesn't have opinions or feelings
- • Consistent language - uses neutral, factual phrasing
- • Focuses on content - doesn't interpret tone or emotions
- • Structured output - follows templates and formats consistently
- • Factual extraction - identifies key data, decisions, and actions
🎯 When to Use Objective Summaries
✅ Perfect For:
- • Board meetings and formal business meetings
- • Legal proceedings and depositions
- • Research interviews and focus groups
- • Medical consultations and patient records
- • Project status updates and reviews
- • Performance evaluations and HR meetings
🤔 Consider Subjective When:
- • Brainstorming sessions - capturing energy and enthusiasm
- • Creative reviews - including aesthetic opinions
- • Team retrospectives - capturing feelings and moods
- • Feedback sessions - including personal reactions
- • Cultural discussions - where perspectives matter
📊 Objective Summary Template
📋 Standard Template Structure
Meeting: [Meeting Name/Purpose]
Date: [Date and Time]
Attendees: [List of participants]
Key Discussions:
• [Topic 1]: [What was discussed, key points raised]
• [Topic 2]: [What was discussed, key points raised]
Decisions Made:
• [Decision 1]: [What was decided and by whom]
• [Decision 2]: [What was decided and by whom]
Action Items:
• [Task]: [Assigned to] by [Deadline]
• [Task]: [Assigned to] by [Deadline]
Next Steps:
• [Next meeting date/time]
• [Other follow-up actions]