Recording meeting minutes is an important role in capturing the important points that emerge during a group gathering. The minutes become a historical document that provides a summary of current decisions and a plan of action. Further, a meeting summary becomes a historical record and a reference point for future proceedings. Some meetings are organized ad hoc with no set schedule. Others are planned to convene periodically, such as every week or once a month.
The secretary, scribe, or recorder is the designated note-taker who gleans key points from the discussions and presentations to prepare an orderly summary of events, decisions, and actions to be taken. The following tips can help to ensure quality, accuracy, and continuity when preparing minutes of meeting examples of business meeting proceedings.
Meeting Preparation
Learning how to prepare minutes of meeting discussions begins ahead of time. The minute taker should be either a member of the group who is familiar with the objectives and members. Otherwise, it would be helpful to review previous meeting minutes for context about the group’s mission, objectives, and tasks. Checking with a senior member of the group about any special preparations or conditions may also lend insight on what to expect and how to be ready.
When you have an idea of how long meetings last, the agenda to be followed, and the purpose of the meeting, you will be prepared to focus on meeting elements that fall into those categories. In addition, you can use or develop a minute template that will pre-organize agenda topics so they are easier to identify during the meeting, facilitating the recording of relevant information in each category. Meeting agenda examples are available for adaptation to almost any group meeting plan.
Running Effective Meetings
A predetermined agenda, whether designed by the meeting chairperson or the minute taker, helps to keep the group focused and productive. Typical agenda topics include call to order, announcements, old business, new business, action steps, and for the good of the order. Many variations are used, depending on the group’s function and goals.
To keep meetings running efficiently, it may be helpful to set very specific meeting times, such as 9:03 a.m. instead of 9 a.m. Many chairpersons find it helpful to assign each group member a specific role to ensure committee work gets done within a reasonable timeframe and that the workload is shared more or less equitably.
Taking Meaningful Minutes
The meeting minute template can be partly filled in before the meeting with information like the date, meeting place, and members’ names. Then all you have to do is remove the names of members who do not attend, either indicating they are excused or absent. Under Old Business, copy items from the previous agenda to remind members of ongoing issues that require further attention. Any Action steps recorded in the previous meeting can be added to the current agenda for updating. Completing these standard items will reduce the workload at least slightly for a smooth start.
Follow the group’s prevalent practice of whether to name members who make motions or voice objections or use the passive voice: “It was stated that…” instead of “Joe Smith stated that…” Practice effective listening skills and watch for keywords that refer to specific agenda items. Avoid adding descriptive words or emotions, such as “Emily Jones ranted about…” Instead, use neutral language whenever possible.
Don’t hesitate to ask for clarification. If you cannot hear a mumbled statement or are unsure of a spelling, ask to ensure accuracy either during the meeting or right afterward. If the meeting discussions were prolonged or convoluted, consider asking a group member to review your minutes and provide corrections before distributing the minutes to everyone. Be succinct. Use concrete nouns and action verbs, along with bullet points if permissible, at least for sections with lists of information. If you are new to minute taking and unsure of how to do it well, you can find how to write minutes of a meeting example forms and guidelines online.
Double-check Accuracy
In addition to asking a group member to preview the minutes for information accuracy, you may want to have a colleague proofread the minutes for grammatical correctness. Run the document through your word processing program’s grammar-check feature and spell check feature to find and correct mistakes. Look up the correct spellings of names and places mentioned in the minutes. Also check dates for future meeting times and the completion of action steps unless the dates were confirmed during the meeting.
Recording trustworthy meeting minutes is a valuable workplace skill. Not everyone has it automatically. But it can be learned by studying previous company examples or finding models online, along with ordering sample templates for meeting use.
Caroline is a writer with years of experience in business administration. She enjoys meeting new people and reading more books to get inspired for her own book. Her twitter, @BCarolinebird12.
