Finish strong by asking what was most useful and lock in learning

Most of us end meetings like sprint finishes—heavy breathing, quick goodbyes, then a dash to the next thing. The useful bits fade fast. There’s a small move that makes conversations stickier: ask, “What was most useful for you?” It sounds polite, but it’s actually neurological.

At a brown‑bag session last month, the energy was decent, the sandwiches average, and the projector fan annoyingly loud. The organizer closed with that question. People paused, then called out short takeaways. One person said, “Naming the real challenge.” Another said, “Three No’s for my Yes.” The organizer reflected back a couple and shared her own: “Asking one question at a time kept us focused.” The room left with concrete language, not just good vibes.

Here’s why it works. Memory strengthens when we generate our own connections and retrieve information after a delay. Asking “What was most useful?” triggers both generation and retrieval, and it interrupts the forgetting curve immediately. Adding “for you” personalizes the memory trace, making it more likely to stick. If you prompt a quick revisit later—“What stuck from last time?”—you stack another layer of recall. You also benefit as the manager. You learn what landed so you can do more of it.

There’s another bonus. People remember experiences by the peak moment and the ending. Ending on usefulness elevates the whole interaction in memory. Meetings feel more valuable, which nudges people to show up engaged next time. Honestly, it’s such a small question for such a big payoff that it’s easy to skip—until you see the difference it makes in follow‑through and mood.

This is retrieval practice and emotional tagging at work. It transforms “I was told” into “I discovered,” which builds autonomy and accelerates skill growth. If you only add one question to the end of your conversations this week, make it this one.

As you wrap up, ask, “What was most useful for you?” Pause long enough for people to think, then capture their words in a sentence and share your own most useful insight. Add a reminder to start the next check‑in with a quick, “What stuck from last time?” so the learning is retrieved and reinforced. Try it in your very next meeting and notice how people leave clearer and more energized. Give it a try tonight.