Taking the meeting minutes is always an important task, for many reasons. We want to capture all of the details for anyone who could not attend the meeting. We also use the minutes as a historical record of the discussion for future reference purposes in the event that the meaning participants need clarification or a reminder of the discussion at a later date. We also use the agenda to track and confirm any important decisions, action items, tasks, and assignments that were agreed upon. Meeting minutes also make it easier to track pending items, as agenda items for subsequent meetings may include revisiting and discussing the status of items that remain open from the previous meetings. Meeting minutes are most accurate and effective when taken by somebody who is a non-participant in the meeting. If that’s not possible, it may be a good idea to rotate the note taking role from person to person, from meeting to meeting. Or you might want to consider recording the meeting for later reference. When taking minutes, only the important points should be recorded. Those which are vital to the agenda, involve the outcome of votes or decisions, are those which lead to action items or follow up. Be sure to ask for clarification if necessary. Particularly if you’re the one responsible for the minutes and keeping good notes.
At the end of the meeting, it may be helpful to flesh things out while the meeting is still fresh in your mind. Review the notes to ensure they’re clear, on point, and specific about any follow up actions. It’s always a good idea to have a participant from the meeting review the minutes and approve their accuracy. Then the minutes should be distributed to all the participants who may review and provide feedback. This ensures complete understanding and agreement from the participants about what was discussed and what the next actions will be. It’s always a good idea to use a template for consistency and format purposes, and to make sure we don’t forget anything. The template can be used from meeting to meeting, allowing participants to become comfortable with the format over time, and the flow of the meeting based on the template. Some key entries in a meeting agenda template might include the following. Date, time, and location of the meeting, name of the facilitator, objective of the meeting, the note taker, in case there are questions about the contents, high level discussion points, and action items or next steps. It’s also important to note the persons responsible for taking action items and if there’s a deadline. A strong meeting agenda followed by detailed meeting minutes will ensure that your meetings are efficient, effective, and that there is follow through on action items. Meeting minutes also help create a cohesive flow from meeting to meeting.