Tips for Writing Meeting Minutes

Do you want to be more efficient? Think about your meetings and the meeting notes that follow them:

When our meetings aren't effective, we waste valuable time figuring out what we are trying to accomplish in them.

When our meeting minutes aren't effective, we waste the time we spent in meetings. Without good meeting notes or minutes, we may not remember or recognize:

• What we decided in the meeting
• What we accomplished in the meeting
• What we agreed to in terms of next steps (action items)

And when we can't remember the items above, we end up going in different directions and then meeting again for the same original purpose!

(Definition: Notes and minutes are the same thing. Minutes are more formal and are often required by organizational bylaws.)

To avoid wasting your time spent in meetings, be sure your notes and minutes answer these 10 questions:

1. When was the meeting?
2. Who attended?
3. Who did not attend? (Include this information if it matters.)
4. What topics were discussed?
5. What was decided?
6. What actions were agreed upon?
7. Who is to complete the actions, by when?
8. Were materials distributed at the meeting? If so, are copies or a link available?
9. Is there anything special the reader of the minutes should know or do?
10. Is a follow-up meeting scheduled? If so, when? where? why?

Minutes need headings so that readers can skim for the information they need. Your template may include these:

Topics
Decisions
Actions Agreed Upon
      Person responsible
      Deadline
Next Meeting
      Date and Time
      Location
      Agenda items

Do's and Don'ts:

Do write minutes soon after the meeting--preferably within 48 hours. That way, those who attended can be reminded of action items, and those who did not attend will promptly know what happened.

Don't skip writing minutes just because everyone attended the meeting and knows what happened. Meeting notes serve as a record of the meeting long after people forget what happened.

Don't describe all the "he said, she said" details unless those details are very important. Record topics discussed, decisions made, and action items.

Don't include any information that will embarrass anyone (for example, "Then Terry left the room in tears").

Do use positive language. Rather than describing the discussion as heated or angry, use passionate, lively, or energetic--all of which are just as true as the negative words.

Do have a new year filled with productive meetings captured efficiently in crisp, clear meeting notes!

______________________________________________
Other search spellings: meetng, meting, defenition

Comments

[saeed ahmed]

your tips will help me draft better MOM from today. i m impressed. i would continue reading your notes. please keep sending me emails if possible.
good work! keep it up.

[Lynn]

Saeed Ahmed, be sure to sign up for my monthly newsletter if you want regular emails from me. You can do that on my website, syntaxtraining.com. Or sign up for this blog's feed.

Best wishes,

Lynn

[Aryssa Amin]

I am due to start a new job which will require some degree of minutetaking and making sense of dictation from a dictaphone. Although I have taken minutes before ( a while back ) I am nervous as the Terminology will be different within this line of work. Can you give me any advice on how to go about writing and abreviating minutes?

[Lynn]

Hi, Aryssa. Read my blog entry for December 16, 2007. It includes a link to an article, "Meeting Notes Made Easy."

Good luck!

Lynn

[Adeyemi Thomas]

I have been requested to be taking minutes during our Board Meetings. Please can you advise me the tense I shoud use when writing minutes. I know it is a reported speech.
Thanks
Adeyemi

[Lynn]

Adeyemi, past tense would probably be appropriate, as in "Dr. Rey reported" and "the group decided." However, I suggest that you ask for samples of past minutes so you can do what previous notetakers have done.

Good luck!

[Marilynn]

I have always had a hard time trying to get everyones information and trying to pick out what was important. have any good ideas for me?

[Lynn]

Marilynn, I'll send you a helpful article.

[Laura, Cameroon]

Thanks, you have eased my work today. Keep it up.

[Dave]

Thanks a lot. Your tips will help me write correctly minutes. Bye

[temitope]

i am currently a secretary but i want to know more about how i can write a good business meeting minute.

[Lynn]

Temitope, follow the suggestions in this blog post, and read through the blog when you have time. Also subscribe to my e-newsletter if you do not already receive it: http://syntaxtraining.com/signup.html.

[JACOB MAKANGA]

Your guideline is very good. Am a secretary of wedding committee please send me sample of minutes

[Joan]

Good afternoon

I am a secretary; I will be starting a new job very soon and so would like to know about business meeting minutes.

Thank you

[Lynn]

Joan, read my blog entry for December 16, 2007, "Be Kind to Your Note Taker." (Do a Google search on this site.) The entry includes a link to a helpful article "Meeting Notes Made Easy."

Good luck!

[Wasef Alhakim]

Thanks so much for the tips, I totally love your site and set it as my brower's homepage.
BR,
Wasef

[Brooke]

I am looking for a workshop to learn to write minutes better. Do you know of any in northern California? I seem to only find ones in Australia and the UK...

[Lynn]

Hi, Brooke. I do not know of any such classes in Northern California. However, I am teaching Note-Taking Made Easy in Seattle on Wednesday, March 18. The flyer is not available yet, but when it is finished, I will send it to you.

Lynn

[Marian Koomson]

i have been asked by my director to take minutes for management meeting, i did it for the first time, but my director said my grammer is not the best, what should i do? please help me out.

[Marian Koomson]

i am a ghanaian, please give some advise, i want to improve my gramme i am ready to learn.

thank you

[Lynn]

Marian, there are many things you can do. Begin with these five steps:

1. Use a grammar and spelling checker for everything you write. It will catch errors such as "i" for "I" and "grammer" for "grammar."

2. Write short, clear sentences with one idea. For example, this is correct:

I am a Ghanaian. Please give me some advice. I want to improve my grammar. I am ready to learn.

3. Always capitalize the first word in a sentence.

4. Get my "60 Quick Word Fixes," which is featured in the right-hand column of this blog.

5. Ask your coworkers to help you find your errors. When you make an error, find out what is wrong. Then do not make that error again.

Best wishes,

Lynn

[Lori Joubert]

Thank you for these wonderful tips and comments on writing meeting minutes. I have been taking meeting minutes for the last six months in an Academic Medicine environment. The terminolgy can be a real challenge. I would like to save some time with re-listening to the entire meeting to create accurate minutes. Any suggestions for best way to record minutes and find what you need quickly? thank you, Lori

[Tony]

When referring to people during the typing up of minutes, we are currently referring to people who attended the meeting by their initials e.g. GL. However, individuals not actually at the meeting are referred to by their full name e.g. John Smith. Is this correct?

[Lynn]

I don't recommend referring to anyone by initials, unless an individual is known generally by initials (for example, JC for Juan Carlos).

Using initials forces readers to continually review the list of attendees to recognize who is meant.

[Benny]

benpereira2003@yahoo.com

[Benny]

though i have completed my diplome in secretarial, i still need to know much more on how to write the letters and minutes

[sarah]

i wanted to know the differences between action and narrative minutes.

[Samed]

please can I get a sample minutes?

[Elisabeth de Snaijer]

At our last board meeting a member requested that previously approved minutes be revised. I have done that but would like to know if these revised minutes need to go on the upcoming agenda for teh next meeting? Do the revised minutes need to be approved again?

[umar Alhassan]

your tips on how to write minute has realy helped me to improve brilliantly on minute writing.

[Jolynn Chow]

Dear Lynn,

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and viewpoints so generously.

I have a question on the use of subject lines in email.

Some people put their whole (short) message in the subject line, and there's nothing to read when the reader opens the message.

Don't you think that this is sloppy and unprofessional?

Jolynn

[Jolynn Chow]

When using reported speech in minutes, the reporting verb should obviously be a past-tense one.

What about verbs in the reported clause? For example: The President reminded members that security in the club (is/was) everyone's responsibility.

If the issue is still current, should it not be "is", although grammatically it sounds awkward?

Jolynn

[Lynn]

Hi, Jolynn. You can find the answer to your question about subject lines if you use the search string "Blips on the Email Screen" on this site.

As for the tense of verbs, I recommend the present tense for your example: "The president reminded members that security IS important." If you use "was," you suggest that the president believes security is no longer important.

[Jolynn Chow]

Thanks, Lynn. That confirms my belief.

[REV.DAVID KALEEBU]

Your notes are splendid.I have been assisted much as an Anglican Diocesan Secretary-Mityana Anglican Diocese,Uganda East Africa.
Humbly iam requesting you to be my mentor in secretarial issues.
God bless you,
DAVID KALEEBU+
P.O BOX 286,MITYANA,UGANDA EAST AFRICA
TEL+256772363839

[Amoakwa Ben. Baah]

Thanks for your helpful tips. I always have a problem getting the important idea out of various submisions on an issue at a meeting.Pleasse kindly help me.

[Lynn]

Amoakwa Ben. Baah, you will find good ideas in this article: http://syntaxtraining.com/ezine/Meeting_Notes_Made_Easy.pdf

Copy the link into your browser.

Lynn

[Esther dominic]

yes! for a while now have been thinking on how to write a perfect and good minute when ever am in a meeting with my directors, but i find it hard, pls can any body send me copy or tips in writeing a perfect minute in a meeting!

[Esther dominic]

please i am ready to learn rather than to make mistake, pls LYNN you can as well give me tip and send me copy of it thanks.........

[juliet]

A great help to read your writing blog.hopefully im looking forward to learn more on this topic.

[Claire]

Can you rewrite and reissue minutes after they have been approved and adopted?

[Jimi Ogunmokun]

That will help. Thanks.

[James, Glasgow, Scotland]

Am I correct in thinking that it should be 'minute' of a meeting and not 'minutes'? One meeting. Singular. No?

[Lynn]

No, they are meeting notes--meeting minutes.

[Abraham Makur Mangok]

I have been asked be writing council of ministers minutes. could help on how to write such kind of minutes?

[Abraham Makur Mangok]

I have been asked to be writing council of ministers meeting minutes hence, I need some help on how to write such kind of minutes since they need resolutions by the end.

[Lynn Gaertner-Johnston]

Abraham, here is the advice I can offer:

Ask for samples of previous minutes. Then use those as models.

Once you yourself have written the minutes, you will get ideas for writing them better.

Good luck!

[kiki pipo]

i dont have the slightest idea about minutes taking and very soon i'm going to start a new job that requires the knowledge of minutes taking. so could you please give me an advice on this topic? and i also need a sample minutes taken during a meeting. Thank you very much for your cooperation.
regards,
kiki

[Adriana]

I have never done minutes. I will be doing so in 2days time. As this is my first job in a bank, i am not only afraid that i am not able to extract the important information but also the new terms that are being used.Help!

[Lynn Gaertner-Johnston]

Adriana, relax. Here are some ideas:

1. Get samples of other people's minutes so you will see which format is customary at the bank.

2. Sit next to a kind, wise person who is willing to whisper answers to your questions.

3. Get as much written information as you can in advance. Ask people for copies of any notes they contribute to the meeting.

4. Recognize that you will not do it perfectly the first time. Ask for help from more experienced note-takers.

I am planning a live online class on taking notes at meetings, but it is not ready yet. I will let you know when it is.

Good luck!

Lynn

[Julius]

Wow, I really appreciate for your tips on minutes writing as they helped me passing my coursework and continue guiding us the more.

[Lynn Gaertner-Johnston]

Hi, Julius. I am pleased to have been helpful to you.

Lynn

[Penny]

This page has been such a blessing. I am now having to take minutes in several executive meetings. I am supporting the executive director and chief medical officer. The meetings are horrible. I really need any help you can give. This is the only thing that seems to make me feel inadequate.

[Lynn Gaertner-Johnston]

Penny, check this site in a couple of weeks. I will announce a new online class called "Meeting Notes Made Easy."

I hope you will soon feel more comfortable in the meetings you describe.

Lynn

[Penny]

Thank you Lynn. I want to feel comfortable. I appreciate your blog and thankful I found it.
Penny

[Abby]

After attending quite a few meetings, I am still unable to get the minutes accurate, i.e. what exactly should I record; how do I get my attention span going to record the most important things in a meeting. Can you give me some pointers?

Abby

[Lynn Gaertner-Johnston]

Abby, I will offer a class called "Meeting Notes Made Easy" in March. Watch this blog or my website for an announcement.

Lynn

[Ali saidi]

Thank you for info.

[Lynn Gaertner-Johnston]

The next online Meeting Notes Made Easy class is on March 18, 2010, at 10 a.m. Pacific Time in the U.S.

You can get a link to a full desription of the class at http://syntaxtraining.com/upcomingclasses.html

Lynn