How To Write Effective How To Write Effective Meeting MinutesMeeting Minutes

How To Write Effective How To Write Effective Meeting MinutesMeeting Minutes

San Shway WynnSan Shway Wynn2nd February 20132nd February 2013

DEFINED• Minutes are the official record of

an organization. • It is crucial that they are accurate

since they are the legal record of the proceedings and actions of the organization. 

How To Write Effective Meeting Minutes

• Why meeting minutes are important

• What's involved with meeting minutes?

Why meeting minutes are important

• Decisions made (motions made, votes, etc.)  • Next steps planned • Identification and tracking of action items • When a meeting’s outcomes impact other

collaborative activities or projects within the organization

• Minutes can serve to notify (or remind) individuals of tasks assigned to them and/or timelines

What’s involved with meeting minutes?

• There are essentially five steps involved with meeting minutes:

• Pre-Planning • Record taking - at the meeting • Minutes writing or transcribing • Distributing or sharing of meeting minutes • Filing or storage of minutes for future reference

1. Pre-planning

• A well-planned meeting helps ensure effective meeting minutes. 

• If the Chair and the Secretary or minutes-taker work together to ensure the agenda and meeting are well thought out, it makes minute taking much easier.

• Depending on the meeting structure and the tools you use, the minutes-taker could work with the Chair to create a document format that works as an agenda and minutes outline as well.

agenda checklist • Name of the meeting • Date and Time • Exact location of the meeting • A list of expected attendees • Expected meeting duration • Clearly stated objectives of the

meeting • An agenda item to approve

the minutes of the previous meeting

• An agenda item to handle matters arising from the previous meeting’s minutes (actions that haven’t been completed for example)

• An agenda item at the end to handle AOB – Any Other Business

• Each agenda item should be numbered

• Each agenda item should have a time allotted to it

• Where you have a speaker, their name should be next to the agenda item so they know they are running that item of the agenda.

• An agenda should be circulated in advance (ideally the day before)

• As chair (or secretary) you should bring enough printed copies of the agenda to the meeting and print-outs of the last meeting’s minutes for everyone.

• The whole agenda should be simple and clear for all participants to understand, without extensive prior knowledge.

2. Record taking - what should be included?

• Before you start taking notes, it’s important to understand the type of information you need to record at the meeting.

• Your organization may have required content and a specific format that you’ll need to follow, but generally, meeting minutes usually include the following:-Date, time and place of the meeting -Name of the presiding officer and secretary -Names of the meeting participants and those unable to attend-Acceptance or corrections/amendments to previous meeting minutes

3. The Minutes Writing Process

• Once the meeting is over, it’s time to pull together your notes and write the minutes.- Write the minutes as soon after the meeting as possible while everything is fresh in your mind.

• Review your outline and if necessary, add additional notes or clarify points raised.

• Check to ensure all decisions, actions and motions are clearly noted. Check for sufficient detail: - include a short statement of each action taken by the board and a brief explanation of the rationale for the decision – when there is extensive deliberation before passing a

motion, summarize the major arguments – Edit to ensure brevity and clarity, so the minutes are

easy to read.

• Decisions made about each agenda item, for example: – Actions taken or agreed to be taken – Next steps – Voting outcomes – e.g., (if necessary, details

regarding who made motions; who seconded and approved or via show of hands, etc.)

– Motions taken or rejected – Items to be held over – New business – Next meeting date and time

• Be objective. – Write in the same tense throughout – Avoid using people’s names except for

motions or seconds. This is a business document, not about who said what.

– Avoid inflammatory or personal observations. The fewer adjectives or adverbs you use, the better.

– If you need to refer to other documents, attach them in an appendix or indicate where they may be found. Don’t rewrite their intent or try to summarize them.

What NOT TO INCLUDE

• The opinion or interpretation of the secretary• Judgmental phrases e.g. “heated debate”

“valuable comment”• Discussion: Minutes are a record of what was

done at the meeting, not what was said at the meeting

• Motions that were withdrawn• Name of seconder is unnecessary

4. Distributing or Sharing Meeting Minutes

• As the official “minutes-taker” or Secretary, your role may include dissemination of the minutes.

• However, before you share these, be sure that the Chair has reviewed and either revised and/or approved the minutes for circulation.

keep a record You don’t need to note every word.

Just keep a record as follows:• Names of everyone who was

there (and apologies from those who weren’t)

• Key decisions made• Actions agreed • Next steps

5. Filing/Storage of Meeting Minutes

• Most committees and Boards review and either approve or amend the minutes at the beginning of the subsequent meeting.

• Once you’ve made any required revisions, the minutes will then need to be stored for future reference. 

• Some organizations may store these online (e.g., in Google docs or SkyDrive) and also back these up on an external hard drive. 

• You may also need to print and store hard copies as well or provide these to a staff member or Chair for filing.

• ATTACHMENTS • APPROVAL • SIGNATURE • MINUTES BOOK • COPIES

Standard Meeting Minute Template

• Please note that since the format, style and content requirements for meeting minutes varies depending on the organization and the type of committee or Board .

• Meeting minutes normally include these elements as standard; – • Time, date and venue. – • Attendees and apologies from

absentees. • • Key outcomes from the meeting - decisions

made, actions agreed and open issues.

Example of Minutes Format

Name of Organization: Purpose of Meeting: Date/Time: Chair:

Topic Discussion Action Person Responsible

1.

2.

3.

Problem Solving(Circle table)

Training(Rectangular table)

Decision Making(U Table)

Thank You.