What are the best practices for writing detailed and accurate meeting minutes?

1 Prepare before the meeting

One of the best ways to ensure that your meeting minutes are detailed and accurate is to prepare before the meeting. This means that you should review the agenda, the objectives, and the previous minutes if any. You should also clarify your role as the minute taker, and confirm the format, style, and level of detail expected by the meeting chair or organizer. Additionally, you should have the necessary tools and materials ready, such as a laptop, a recorder, a pen, and a paper.

2 Take notes during the meeting

During the meeting, you should focus on taking notes of the key points, decisions, actions, and outcomes. You should not try to write down everything that is said, but rather use abbreviations, symbols, and keywords to capture the essence. You should also use a consistent structure and format for your notes, such as headings, subheadings, bullet points, and numbering. Moreover, you should pay attention to the speakers, the time, and the agenda, and ask for clarification or confirmation if needed.

3 Write the minutes after the meeting

After the meeting, you should write the minutes as soon as possible, while the information is still fresh in your mind. You should use your notes as a guide, but not copy them verbatim. You should also check the accuracy of the facts, figures, names, and dates, and avoid any personal opinions, interpretations, or judgments. Furthermore, you should follow the agreed format and style for the minutes, and use clear, concise, and professional language.

4 Include the essential elements

The essential elements of meeting minutes are the date, time, location, attendees, apologies, agenda items, decisions, actions, and follow-up. You should include these elements in a logical order, and use headings and subheadings to organize them. You should also indicate who said what, who agreed to what, and who is responsible for what. Additionally, you should use bullet points, numbers, tables, or charts to highlight the main points, and use transitions, connectors, and signposts to link them.

5 Review and edit the minutes

Before you distribute the minutes, you should review and edit them carefully. You should check for any spelling, grammar, punctuation, or formatting errors, and correct them. You should also check for any inconsistencies, gaps, or ambiguities, and clarify them. Moreover, you should check for any irrelevant, redundant, or inaccurate information, and delete or modify it. Furthermore, you should review the minutes from the perspective of the readers, and ensure that they are clear, complete, and informative.

6 Seek feedback and approval

The final step of writing detailed and accurate meeting minutes is to seek feedback and approval from the meeting chair or organizer. You should send the minutes to them as soon as possible, and ask them to review and confirm them. You should also be open to any suggestions, comments, or corrections, and make the necessary changes. Additionally, you should ask them to approve and sign the minutes, and to authorize you to distribute them to the other participants and stakeholders.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?