[Liuginsac]

Hello everybody,

for the first time in my life I will take minutes of a meeting but I don't have any idea what should I do..could any of you give me some guidelines?

[GeeBee]

I have been taking minutes for many years. There are basically three types of meetings - formal, informal and legal. Formal and legal meetings require a more structured minute format that will usually follow your agenda (which is also structured for formal/legal meetings). Formal and legal minutes usually follow a standard (i.e.: Robert's Rules of Order) that records key outcomes, motions, motion outcomes and action items. Informal meetings can have a very relaxed agenda simply listing what will be discussed or in some cases no agenda (this is a mistake in most cases). If your company is not using agendas try to speak to the best practices of agendas and how they set the tone for a more productive meeting - but that's another topic all together.

If this is an informal meeting, usually all that needs to be recorded are action items. It's best to determine exactly what type of meeting and minutes your company requires for the meeting you will be taking minutes for.

So...if you have an agenda, get a copy of it and use it as a minute template. Make certain that you are familiar with the agenda topics - this will make you more effective when taking minutes if you are familiar with the subjects being discussed. You can get more insight into using your agenda to make a minute template on OfficeArrow under "Action Items, Agendas, Minutes....oh my!" Also you will find an agenda template that can be converted to minute template under "Documents and Templates". Also, take a look at your files to see how previous minutes have been recorded and their format. Reminder, agendas may not cover all topics and you may have to be on the look out for addition to the agenda items.

Hopefully this is not a formal or legal meeting. If it is, I would suggest a recorder for your first time (remember to check batteries and bring backup batteries). If it is an informal meeting and you have no agenda or past minutes to template from this is what you need to record. A header "Minutes of Meeting...(Company, Team, Department or Committee, etc. name). Also record the date, time and place of the meeting. Next record all attendees; if this is a formal or legal meeting consider passing around an attendance sheet (get them to print their name) for all to sign and for formal/legal you may also have to record apologies for absences - those who were supposed to attend but were unable to. Keeping track of who comes and goes at a meeting and times they leave and come back depends on the formality of the meeting and how important records are regarding voting on motions. If attendance is important remember to keep track of your attendees, new people joining and people leaving and returning (record time).

Remember to listen carefully to the conversations and only record what is relevant - don't try to transcribe word for word. Minutes should be a snapshot of what is discussed not a transcription. Try to remain impartial - usually the minute taker does not participate. If it is an expectation that you participate and record the minutes it is best to record the facts...no hear say, no my personal thoughts, no personal opinions, etc. try to get the FACTS just the FACTS. That applies to whether you are participating or not...just try to get simple concise statements of what actually occurred and is relevant.

Try to follow the agenda and record the minutes in the order on the agenda. If the agenda order is not followed say Item 4 is dicussed before Item 2; keep the old item number but place Item 4 before Item 2.

If required record the motions and who made them. Record whether the motions were adopted, rejected or deferred and in formal/legal cases you may have to make note of who voted, who agreed, objected or abstained from a vote. In formal/legal minutes it may also be required to record how the vote was taken (show of hands, voice, written, confidental, etc.) Focus on recording the actions, who's responsible and by what date.

Get copies of documents, presentation materials, brochures, reports, etc. that are introduced at a meeting to add to your meeting package.

At the end of the meeting record the time the meeting ended and if given the location, date and time of the next meeting.

It is much easier to expand upon your notes if you remember not only content but context - therefore transcribe your notes as soon as possible - I hate working on cold minutes. Place them in your chosen template and remember to include (for formal/legal - signature lines for both yourself as recording secretary and for whoever approves the minutes who is usually the Chair). For informal minutes usually your signature is enough. 'Proof' your minutes before sending them out to the Chair for consideration. If your action items are recorded on a separate template and distributed separately, have your Chair look at these as well.

Reminder, minutes of formal and legal are usually approved at the next concurrent meeting(and usually Item 1 on your next agenda).

I have not gone into "In-camera" sessions. Let me know if you need insight into this.

If you are interested there is a great book called "Mina's Guide to Minute Taking" by Eli Mina. It is availabe on the web.

There is so much more to share. Hopefully this covers what you are looking for.

[Liuginsac]

Thank you GeeBee. Hopefully it is an informal meeting.

From the bottom of my heart, I appreciate your cooperation.

Liuginsac

[Babsman]

Hi - Try to be as concise and to the point as possible. Do not get caught up in trying to get everything down that people say. Be sure to acclimate yourself to the people in the meeting so you can say "so and so" advised that the next meeting...I got lost in not knowing who all the people were in the meeting. In my past job it was okay to interupt to ask the person to repeat what they just said, as long as it was just a sentence or a few words. You just want to get the meat of the meeting. At first you'll probably be nervous and try to take everything down at once, but the more you do it, the more you'll relax. Just think of studying and how you had to pull out the important points in a chapter. That's exactly what you're doing here. Remember also to get the action items down that they mention. Good luck. You'll be fine.

[Jodith]

Another help is if you can use a laptop to take minutes. I find this very helpful in not having to retype everything I've already written. Most of the information is there, it just needs to be edited and formatted for distribution. It makes for a faster turn around on producing the minutes.

[GinaL]

Your goal should be to capture the most important things in the meeting, which are DECISIONS MADE and ACTION ITEMS. For each one, capture WHO (is responsible), WHAT (decision or action) and by WHEN (due date). Your boss will appreciate if you ask him/her if they are looking for anything else specifically. Also, don't be afraid to ask questions in the meeting if you are not clear on something specific (don't do it too much though ) Good luck!

[DevineWard]

One of the best things I found was the Agenda template in word. It allows you to print out note sheets - great for writing what is happening in simple format for organising.

[cbutcher]

If the meeting leader or one of the key players happens to be a "circle-talker" (ie, going round in circles, repeating or revisiting topics -- in other words, not sticking with an agenda!) I found it helpful to record the first few meetings (or ALL of them, if needed!), so I could go back over the meeting slowly - then I compressed all of Dr. Talker's scattered points into one paragraph in the minutes. The key is learning to pick up on the important things that are not necessarily listed in the agenda, as well as catching the important points from the agenda. It gets easier meeting by meeting. I've received high praise for my minute taking, but that doesn't mean that I don't have moments of "did I miss something here?" when I'm transcribing! Don't be afraid to go back to individuals and ask for explanation of something after the meeting, also.

And Good Luck -- minute taking can be taxing, but it can also be rewarding.

[tomidealabi]

How come no one has been given a sketchy format of minutes. I suspect there is no generic format but I guess after many years of experience in this position, olders EAs should help us new ones.
Management meetings are a hell if you are new