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How to take board meeting minutes

By Zippia Team - Feb. 1, 2023

To take board meeting minutes, you must first put down general information about the board meeting, utilize shorthand, and watch for key action items and decisions. Here are some details on each of these steps and others:

  • Put down general information about the board meeting first. Before the board meeting officially starts, you should first take down any necessary general information. This includes information like:

    • Meeting date

    • Reason for the board meeting, if hyper-specific

    • Location

    • Those in attendance or those absent

This helps your superiors understand the context of the board meeting. Once ample arrival time has been given, ensure you take down exactly who is in attendance and any absences.

You must identify actions in your notes taken by the board members during the meeting, so it is critical to know who is there and who is not. You could also create an attendance chart.

  • Utilize shorthand note-taking. Using abbreviations and shorthand when taking minutes for a board meeting is extremely helpful. For instance, instead of using each board member's name, you can use their initials.

    You can also develop your own shorthand for note-taking and transcribe your notes into full meeting minute form after the meeting.

  • Watch for action items and key decisions. Paying very close attention is critically important to taking good board meeting minutes. You must make sure you are documenting all action items and key decisions.

    You also should note any votes and how each board member voted for each item at the meeting. These minutes serve as a document of the commitments and decisions of this body.

  • Use a template. You can also look up a minutes template to use. This can help if you are less experienced. Even if you have experience, templates are valuable because they help you stay organized and on track when taking board meeting minutes.

  • Get your minutes approved. After the meeting is over and you have typed up your transcript and official notes for the board meeting, you should have it approved by any professional with authority to do so in your organization.

    This person might have you make edits or adjustments to your minutes, so be prepared to continue to work on them in this instance.

  • Sending out the board meeting minutes. This part depends on how your particular organization operates. You often have to distribute the meeting minutes to all the board members and other relevant personnel.

    This is normally done within a few days after the board meeting. The distribution method also depends on your particular company. Common ones include:

    • Sending a physical document of the meeting minutes in the mail to board members

    • Emailing minutes to each board member or their appropriate receivers, such as their assistant or secretary

    • Some companies utilize a cloud-based document-sharing system in which board meeting minutes can be shared

    • Posting the meeting minutes to a secure company website

  • How to take board meeting minutes
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