How to Take Minutes in a Meeting? An Ultimate Guide

Capturing accurate and concise Meeting Minutes is indeed crucial for effective communication and accountability. When there are no standardised practices to record the details discussed in a meeting, it can become challenging, leading to confusion and inefficiency. By learning How to Take Minutes in a Meeting with a standardised approach, you can effectively solve these issues.  

Moreover, it will also ensure that your Meeting Minutes are accurate, organised, and valuable for all stakeholders involved. In this blog, you will learn How to Take Minutes in a Meeting, from preparing for the meeting to writing. Additionally, you will also learn some effective tips for taking minutes.  

Table of contents  

1) What are Meeting Minutes?

2) How to Take Meeting Minutes?

     a) Prior planning

     b) Record the date, time, and names of the participants

     c) Writing the meeting notes

     d) Share the meeting minutes promptly

3) Tips to efficiently record Meeting Minutes

4) Conclusion

What are Meeting Minutes? 

The Meeting Minutes are the written document of all the important decisions that are made during the meeting period. Whether for an organisation’s board of directors, leaders, or investors, this knowledge is easily transferable. They are often referred to as ‘Minutes Of Meetings’ (MoM).

The written record or transcript of a meeting can be used to give information to members who missed it on what decisions were made.  It is also a note to look back at for decisions which can be revisited later.
 

How to Take Meeting Minutes? 

Now that you know what minutes of the meeting are, let's explore how to write it. Writing Minutes of the Meeting is rather simple if you follow these four steps:

1) Prior planning 

Preparing for the meeting well in advance, is a great way to make the task of note taking easier. Talk to the person in charge prior to the meeting to get an idea of the meeting's agenda so you can prepare your taking points well in advance.

Identifying the intentions of the meeting and what is going to be discussed, prepares you to take notes of the meeting. You can prep notes on the talking points, the purpose of meeting and the time frame before starting to structure your minutes of the meeting.

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2) Record the date, time, and names of the participants 

Make sure to state the date and time of the meeting before you move on to drafting the minutes. I think it goes without saying that it’s a must to provide some means of going back to the past meetings where a person will be able to see what has been done, what still needs to be done, and how far a team has come in its process.

A new step after that involves putting down all the names of those who took part and those who couldn’t join. The meeting usually starts with the review of the minutes of last meeting, which helps you get to know in advance who was there the last time in order to have your own draft version of an attendee list. Preferably, you could utilise the calendar invite to crosscheck the names immediately as the participants start joining or entering the room.

3) Writing the meeting notes 

Collect everything that you will need to write a precise meeting summary in a clear, readable format once the meeting has ended. Here are some pointers for you to keep in mind while doing so:

1) Avoid spending a lot of time waiting to write the notes, after you have attended the meeting. This will help you to recall all the actions that took place during the meeting easily.

2) Review the format that you planned earlier and make any possible adjustments beforehand. This could be to settle any queries or to provide further explanations on matters brought up. Besides that, you should have records of all activities, verdicts and motions in a clear way.

3) Revise your minutes with that they are crisp and clear.

4) Attach important documents

5) Proofread for clarity and eliminate grammatical or spelling errors.

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4) Share the Meeting Minutes promptly

In the first instance, the meeting notes should be sent to those leading the meeting, for example, the chair and any senior executives. Request for their consent and assess if there are other parties who also need to read and approve the summary. Make sure that all relevant people. have approved the notes and added their signatures.

Make the corrections and approve it if there are any necessary revisions. Once you have all the necessary approvals, you can now send the meeting notes to the respective employees.

Moreover, choose a method that adapts to your business style for sharing the minutes, for example, email. Verify the list of recipients with your leaders and add any extra employees to whom you are told to send the minutes.

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Tips to efficiently record Meeting Minutes

Taking minutes in meetings is a vital responsibility that requires careful attention and effective communication. Well-crafted Meeting Minutes provide a concise and accurate record of discussions, decisions, and action items. Here are some valuable tips for Minute-Taking that can enhance your knowledge of How to Take Meeting Minutes:   

1) Be prepared: Familiarise yourself with the meeting agenda and any relevant background information before the meeting starts. This will help you anticipate the topics and discussions that will take place.  

2) Use a template: Create or utilise a pre-designed template for your minutes. A structured template will ensure that you capture all the necessary information consistently and in an organised manner.  

3) Identify key participants: Make a note of the key participants in the meeting, including their names and roles. This will help you attribute statements and actions accurately in your minutes.  

4) Listen actively: Pay close attention to the discussions and decisions made during the meeting. Listen actively to ensure you capture important points, agreements, and action items accurately.  

5) Take succinct notes: Focus on capturing the main ideas and key takeaways rather than transcribing every word. Use bullet points, short phrases, and concise sentences to summarise the discussions effectively.  

6) Highlight action items: Clearly identify action items assigned during the meeting, including the responsible person and any deadlines. These action items are crucial for follow-up and accountability.  

7) Avoid interpretation: Stick to recording facts and decisions without adding personal interpretations or opinions. Your role is to document what happened, not to offer your own analysis.  

8) Use clear language: Write in a clear and conversational tone that is easily understandable. Avoid jargon unless necessary, and keep the tone professional.  

9) Review and edit: After the meeting, review your minutes for accuracy and clarity. Edit any grammatical errors, rephrase confusing sections, and ensure the minutes flow logically.  

10) Distribute promptly: Share the finalised minutes with all meeting participants in a timely manner. This allows them to review the information, clarify any misunderstandings, and take necessary actions.  

You can create effective Meeting Minutes that accurately reflect the discussions and decisions made during the meeting by following these tips. 

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Conclusion       

We hope you read and understood everything about How to Take Minutes in a Meeting.  Mastering the art of Minute Taking is crucial for effective communication and accountability. By following the above-mentioned steps, you can capture accurate and concise Meeting Minutes that drive successful outcomes.

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