Meeting minutes are also beneficial to anyone who misses a meeting. Meeting minutes are a tangible record of what happens during meetings and an excellent reference for anyone at the meeting. What is the purpose of the meeting minutes? Instead, they are a concise report, usually one to two pages, of everything discussed and decided upon during the discussion. Companies create meeting minutes at formal meetings, like board and investor meetings, and informal meetings, like routine staff meetings.ĭespite their name, meeting minutes are not a record of everything that went on each minute of the meeting. Meeting minutes, also known as m.o.m., are a written record of everything discussed during a meeting. By the end of this article, you’ll know which template to use, how to take meeting minutes effectively, and what should always be included in your meeting minutes. Today, we’re going to share an informal meeting minutes template and a formal meeting minutes template with you, as well as written samples for both. If you’ve been tasked with writing meeting minutes, you may be wondering how to take meeting minutes effectively and correctly. Use this as an opportunity to shine while performing a necessary and important job function for your organization.Minute meetings are an essential communication tool for your company and organization. Although it can be a stressful job at times, it also allows you to showcase your skills, both in person and on paper, in a way that other job responsibilities don't allow. Similar to public speaking, taking meeting minutes is something that you get more comfortable with the more you do it. By doing this timely, everyone who was in attendance will still have the meeting fresh in their memory and won't need to try to recall information that has since been forgotten. Finally, send the minutes of your meeting out as soon as possible for feedback and comments. This is an extra step to keep your credibility high as an accurate notetaker. By having another set of eyes on your notes, you are likely to have an accurate finished product. If you can have someone who was also in the meeting, do it that's even better, since they are familiar with what went on during the meeting. And have someone proofread your minutes, whenever possible, before you send them out. Your attendees should be willing to give you the information that you need to ensure the accuracy of your notes. Don't be afraid to interrupt the meeting for the purpose of the minutes. Also, if you need clarification, or something that was said on a decision that was made, ask for it. You should be focusing on decisions, assignments, action steps, etc. This is nearly impossible, unless you are a trained transcriptionist. Third, don't try to capture every word of every conversation in the meeting verbatim. As soon as I have completed my minutes and they have been approved, I delete the recording, unless my meeting retention guidelines say I need to keep it for a specific time period. These recordings have come in very handy when needing to transcribe my notes or ensure that I have captured the information accurately. I utilize a handheld voice recorder or use an app on my iPhone. I, of course, only do this if the participants are comfortable and agreeable. Second, physically record the meetings for future playback when constructing the minutes. Remember to create your template using your meeting agenda as a guide. Your template can be paper or digital, depending on your comfort and skill level. I have created my own template that captures the highlights of the information that is important for my organization. There are a variety of meeting minute templates available online. First, create or find a template that you can use to capture the pertinent information of your meeting. Here are some of the top tips and techniques that I have learned and practice throughout the years. Because information is communicated quickly and meetings move fast, you want to ensure you are armed with a set of good practices to help keep you on track. If you are an administrative support professional that is responsible for taking minutes, you can find ways to make your job easier.
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