While formal and informal meetings are conducted differently, and their minutes appear in different formats, your job remains the same: to prepare an accurate account of the decisions and actions at a meeting.

To be a good minute-taker, you should:

• Understand company jargon
• Have a background knowledge of the topics being discussed
• Know meeting participants, or at least the spelling of their names
• Be familiar with past minutes
• Have good communication skills

Before the Meeting

Here is a checklist of things to ask before the meeting.

• Are you taking notes for someone else to transcribe or will you do it yourself?
• Are there previous minutes to examine?
• When are you expected to have the first draft prepared?
• What is the purpose of the meeting?
• Are you permitted to voice your own comments in the meeting or is your function simply to take notes?
• Will you be expected to have certain information on hand?
• What is the parliamentary authority used by the organization? How familiar should you be with it?
• Has an agenda been sent out to all the participants?
• Are you supposed to call the participants and remind them of the meeting?
• Are you responsible for booking the room and room setup?

During the Meeting

If room setup is part of your responsibilities for the meeting, aim to arrive early to ensure everything is properly arranged. Here are some key preparations to consider:

 Seating

As the minute-taker, position yourself on the left side of the chairperson. The seat immediately to the right is typically reserved for special guests. This arrangement allows you to see all participants clearly.

 Reading Past Minutes

If the minutes from the previous meeting are distributed in advance, they generally aren’t read aloud. However, during general meetings open to all members, it is common practice to read the previous minutes aloud.

In such cases, the minute-taker usually reads the minutes. It’s advisable to have these minutes unofficially approved by the executive group beforehand to minimize concerns about errors. Additionally, practice reading them to ensure a smooth presentation.

 Corrections

Establish a system for noting any corrections to past minutes. These corrections can be included as an appendix.

 Technical Tips

If you are using a computer to record the minutes, ensure you have all necessary equipment, including access to electrical outlets. Also, keep a pen and paper handy as a backup for any unforeseen issues.

After the Meeting

If you can’t prepare the minutes immediately after a meeting, take the time to reread your notes and add any additional comments. This practice helps ensure you have enough detail to interpret the notes later.

Have you ever struggled to decipher your own handwriting, shorthand, or cryptic typing while trying to recall what happened in a meeting? With so much happening during any meeting, relying solely on memory to capture important information is not very reliable.

Consider a conversation you had earlier today; even if you were fully engaged, recalling it later can be challenging. As a minute-taker, you cannot afford to depend on memory alone to remember key decisions. Reviewing your notes right after the meeting, while the information is still fresh and your notes are understandable, is the best way to ensure you capture as much detail as possible.