How to record meeting minutes

You should first go over the meeting agenda before the start of the meeting. You might review relevant documents or information that is going to be touched on in the meeting.

• Determine a structured format for your minutes

Using a structured format for your meeting minutes can be very useful, it helps to keep your notes organized and clear. You might consider using a bullet point approach or even an outline approach. Depending on the topic or topics of your meeting, certain structures might work better than others. Look up some note templates to get a better idea of what would work.

• Put down general information about the meeting

Before the meeting officially starts you should first take down any necessary general information. This includes information like:

• Meeting date

• Location

• Those in attendance or those absent

This helps anyone viewing the minutes to understand the context of the meeting. Make sure once everyone is there, you take down exactly who is in attendance, and any absences.

• Utilize shorthand note-taking

It is extremely helpful to use abbreviations and shorthand when taking minutes for a meeting. For instance, instead of using each employee's name, you can use their initials.

• Document action items and key decisions

You must make sure you are documenting all action items and key decisions. You also should make note of any votes, if applicable, and how each member voted for each item at the meeting. These notes might serve as a document of the commitments and decisions of this body.