Taking Meeting Minutes

An Important Skill

By Dawn Rosenberg McKay, About.com

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• meeting minutes
• workplace skills

At some point your boss may ask you to take minutes at a meeting. This task isn't reserved for secretaries only. Any person who attends a meeting may be asked to do this. Since the minutes will serve as an official record of what took place during the meeting, you must be very accurate. Here are some pointers to help you master this skill.

Before the Meeting

• Choose your tool: Decide how you will take notes, i.e. pen and paper, laptop computer, or tape recorder.

• Make sure your tool of choice is in working order and have a backup just in case.

• Use the meeting agenda to formulate an outline.

During the Meeting

• Pass around an attendance sheet.

• Get a list of committee members and make sure you know who is who.

• Note the time the meeting begins.

• Don't try to write down every single comment -- just the main ideas.

• Write down motions, who made them, and the results of votes, if any; no need to write down who seconded a motion.

• Make note of any motions to be voted on at future meetings.

• Note the ending time of the meeting.

After the Meeting

• Type up the minutes as soon as possible after the meeting, while everything is still fresh in your mind.

• Include the name of organization, name of committee, type of meeting (daily, weekly, monthly, annual, or special), and purpose of meeting.

• Include the time the meeting began and ended.

• Proofread the minutes before submitting them.

More Help With Minutes

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