Just a Minute?

The meeting was exciting. Ideas. Passionate debate. Scribbles on the whiteboard. Post-it notes everywhere. Cocktails and a fine dinner to follow. All at company expense. Lovely day. Productive, overall.

But where are the minutes? Were they ever put together? If so, was it done at a later time, when a lot was hazy? Does anyone remember who said what? 

More important: does anyone remember who has to do what next? Deadline?

Over the decades, minute taking - or perhaps compiling - is no longer seen as an exciting task. Typically, it gets assigned to the person at the bottom of the ladder. The glamour is in making the showy presentation - the one everyone has been wowed by. And we think it is all done and sealed. In corporate jargon, it’s when “everyone is aligned.” That’s until something goes wrong….strange lapses of memory are then very common. Did you just smile? Sounded familiar?

Having suffered from this first hand, rather late in life, I made it a point to draft and send out the minutes myself - especially if there was something significant for me on the agenda. Or if there was a commitment made by someone else that would impact me. A clear articulation of who (always by name - not by designation. Seeing one's name against a deliverable is certainly more personal and impactful.

The fun part is sending a draft of the minutes out and then waiting for the squeals and back-tracking on the bravado of a meeting. Chuckle as you may, but it seems like a sober morning after a great discussion in the pub. A good cure for selective amnesia as well.

Minutes are a great way to keep people to their commitments so consider taking on the onus crafting them yourself. After all, ‘He who writes the Minutes, controls the Meeting.’  And yes, keeping a formal record may seem terribly old-fashioned in today’s world of ultra-short WhatsApp messages. But it does have its uses. Especially when things go wrong. I’ll venture to add it may even save you your job!