Slite doesn't love meetings. We created a simple, easy-to-follow guide for writing effective minutes.
What is a meeting minute?
The minutes of meetings are the official records for participants. The minutes can also be used as a resource for colleagues who couldn't attend.
Meeting minutes are not a record for every minute. Instead, they allow you to focus on the most important information.
Meetings have become a common tool to help organizations move forward. They are also notorious for being inefficient.
According to 2021 Fellow's report, 51% are still taking notes for meetings on paper, and not using a collaborative tool.
Why do they call them "meeting minute"?
It has nothing to with time. The word "minutes" comes from minutia which means trifles and details. Meeting minutes provide attendees and others with the necessary details about a given meeting.
Who is in charge of taking minutes during a conference or meeting?
Corporate secretaries are responsible for taking notes and preparing meeting minutes. If this is not a role in your organization, it should be rotated between those who can take good notes. Use a template, such as Slite''s free template for meeting minutes when taking notes.
What is the purpose of meeting minutes?
Meeting minutes can be a very useful tool for your team. They offer a variety of benefits. You'll never look back once you've integrated it into your daily workflow.
1. Meetings are more productive with these tools
Meeting minutes make it easier to avoid back and forth discussions.
The list will help you avoid unnecessary humming or hawing.
It is helpful to have a format that allows for the minutes of meetings to be organized. Agenda items can often be placed into tables which assign people as contact persons, plan of action, and so on.
2. Structure of the meeting is described.
A meeting leader shouldn't enter a session without a clear agenda.
Regularly preparing corporate minutes will help you develop the habit necessary to plan meeting agendas.
Your meetings will be more structured and you can ensure everything is covered thoroughly, but efficiently.
3. Stay up-to-date with everyone
Sending the meeting attendees copies of relevant minutes will allow them to get up-to-speed immediately.
This benefit can be especially useful if your software is Slite. Meeting notes are stored and easily shared in a single workspace.
4. Important topics to remember
You can make sure that no important information is missed by revising your meeting notes and taking effective minutes.
You'll have the ability to check the meeting minutes of the past and refer back to the items that were marked on your agenda.
Meeting minutes are another useful document. They can be looked at to confirm that all the important points have been addressed.
6. Accountability
Meeting minutes provide accountability, both for what is said and done in meetings.
The person who takes the minutes of a meeting usually notes down the team, person to contact or leader associated with the topic.
This allows for accountability and eliminates any confusion over who is "in-charge" of a particular task.
Minutes from a meeting are a great way to make sure important deadlines remain visible. This allows everyone to allocate their resources efficiently, and the project can be completed on time. Slite software can be used to highlight deadlines and notify those responsible in advance.
7. Client relationships are improved
Meeting minutes are a great way to hold clients accountable. Minutes from meetings can help clarify any doubts about the content of a discussion or whether a specific meeting took place.
What should be included in the minutes of meetings?
Your company's policies will determine the content of your minutes.
It is important to consider the meeting type and how you normally conduct meetings. Most meeting minutes include the following:
1. Meeting details like date, place and name
Include basic information about your meeting in your minutes. This will help to ensure that your meeting is easily identifiable and organized.
2. Participants List
Include a list with the names of those present. Every person present should be listed in the minutes.
It's a way to identify everyone involved in a project or topic and also note which employees have been informed.
3. Meeting Purpose
Every sample minutes of staff meetings should have an overall goal. The agenda can include a range of subjects, but it should have a single main objective.
The meeting will be more focused and clear if you take note of this.
4. Agenda items
The agenda for the meeting should be included in a great example of a staff meeting minute.
Talk to the meeting organizer and write down the items of the agenda as soon as possible. This will help you take notes more efficiently.
What is a Agenda?
An agenda contains information that is important for the person preparing the minutes. Board meeting minutes, for example, can include the names of participants and the topics discussed in order to make sure that everyone has the required documents and keep the discussion on topic. If you want to make successful meeting minutes, then you need to know how the agenda is written. Our meeting agenda template can help.
5. Date and location of the next meeting
When the meeting is over, everyone should agree on the date and time of the next meeting. Note the date, time and location in your meeting's minutes.
6. Documents required for the meeting report
Add any additional documents from the meeting to your report to make it easier to refer back to. Reports, presentations, documents, etc., could be included. There are no limits. Slite allows team leaders to view and share their agendas with members and team leaders in real-time.
7. Action items
Meeting minutes are usually concluded with action items, which describe steps that have to be followed in order for the project to succeed. Slite and templates that help capture meeting minutes can make it easier to keep track of all the tasks that were discussed.
How to effectively take minutes of meetings
It is important to start planning your meeting well in advance of the minute-taking.
You should clarify your role as a note-taker to ensure that you can do it well, especially if you're new at the job.
The agenda should be set well in advance by the person who is hosting the event. It is important to have a well-organized team meeting.
The following steps will help you create an effective and efficient meeting minute:
- Use a template to outline the meeting or create your own outline. As attendees enter, check off their names.
- Take note of actions and decisions
- Do not write down everything
- Record your recordings
- As the minutes are being discussed, write them down.
- Review of meeting with participants
- Review your notes for any errors.
Here are the steps you need to follow in order to record minutes of your meeting.
1. Create a sketch
You can use the agenda to create a meeting outline and list attendees.
The Slite meeting minutes template creates a meeting outline and gives you a consistent format for meeting minutes. This template makes it easier to create an agenda, select speakers and record meeting content.
2. Enter the attendees' names to check them off
Check off attendees when they enter the room (virtual). This will ensure that you do not miss anyone. Record the final attendance results as the meeting begins.
3. Previous meeting notes
Include any references from earlier meeting minutes.
4. Do not write down everything
Only include relevant and important information when taking notes at meetings. Focusing on useful details will help you to keep the notes clear and concise.
5. Record your recordings
You can keep track of your meetings by recording them on an iPad, smart-phone, or another recording device. Be sure to inform all participants. Even if taking notes is something you are familiar with, recordings can still prove useful.
6. As the minutes are being discussed, write them down.
Write down your notes as soon as you can, before the meeting ends. You can determine the most important items by studying past meeting minutes.
7. Review the meeting with the attendees
Check the correctness of all the information in the MOM at the conclusion of the meeting. You can then make any necessary changes immediately.
8. Review your notes for any errors and correct them
Note-taking software such as Slite allows you to create templates for meeting minutes and attach relevant documents.
Meeting minutes that are more efficient and effective:
You can type directly into your laptop to avoid having to retype notes from meetings later.
You won''t need to rummage around in the aftermath if you ask for clarifications if something is unclear. Avoid ambiguity.
Just capture the essentials. Be sure to include all the important decisions and actions in a concise manner. You can always add to the minutes of your meeting when you are wrapping up afterward.
Finalizing the meeting minutes
It is important to summarize your meeting notes as soon as possible after the meeting ends
- Make sure you have taken down all the important points and decisions.
- Proofread carefully. Grammarly, for example, is a great automated tool to use.
- If you need to, send the draft to your meeting leader before distributing it to other attendees. It is important to do this for formal meetings such as Board of Directors meetings or committee meetings.
- Use Slite to easily format notes for readers.
