![]() ![]() You can also type your minutes directly into a word processing package without entering the text in a table, but use sub-headings to flag which area of discussion you are writing about. If the meeting is mainly discussion with few actions, this column then looks bare. This format works well if your minutes record lots of actions. People can scan down the right-hand column for their initials to see what actions they picked up. Use three columns: item number, discussion summary and action owner. You can refer back to the discussion in the minutes. ![]() If the group decided anything, write it down! This is a good way to “help” people remember when, in a few months, they ask you why something is being done. ![]() For example, make a note of any project change requests that were approved or rejected, or budget decisions. Use your minutes to confirm the decisions that were taken in the meeting. Your attendees will also get used to reading the minutes in that format, especially if the meeting is held regularly. Using a standard template saves you time. If your company does not have a standard template for minutes, make one up, or ask your PMO. Photos are so much easier than trying to use words to describe what was drawn on the board. This is my favorite tip for meeting minutes! I have been known to snap pictures and insert them in my documents and my colleagues love it! You can take photos of what you wrote on flip charts with a phone camera - the resolution will be good enough to include in the minutes. ![]() If you use flip charts or mind mapping software in the meeting, include links to the documents, screenshots or embedded files. Make a note at the top of your minutes to reflect who attended and who sent apologies at the last minute. You will have included the names of attendees on the calendar invite and also the agenda, but who actually turns up to the meeting could well be different! Transcription software for meetings is another way of making sure you’ve got a good record of what was agreed. Remember to include the names of the people who are going to work on these actions and, if possible, a date by which they are going to have the task completed. You can also include an action summary at the end of the minutes. In the minutes, include these actions in the flow of the text. Document actions and ownersĭuring the meeting, you will have written down the new actions from this meeting and who will do them. Instead, add a line at the top of the action section that says all other actions were completed or are no longer relevant. If the action was completed, don’t bother to write it out again. Write down all the actions from the last meeting and a summary of progress against them. Whether or not you reviewed the actions from last time at the beginning of the meeting, put them at the start of the minutes. Use the meeting agenda to remind yourself what topics were discussed. If you can’t remember everything, get someone else to read your minutes and clarify any points before you send out your final version.Įven better, get someone else to take notes, and then compare your version with their version to produce the final version. Write meeting minutes while you still rememberĭon’t leave writing up your minutes until the meeting is a distant memory. Here are 10 tips for meeting minutes that will ensure your documents are a good record of what actually happened, without taking up too much of your time. Most of us will need to write minutes at some time in our career. Not all types of project meeting will need minutes, but may would benefit from it. Minutes are particularly helpful for formal meetings like Project Boards as they serve as a permanent record of the discussion and the decisions that were taken.Ī written record of the meeting in the form of minutes can be especially useful for people who were not able to attend in person as they get to see the kinds of things that came up in conversation. In this article we’ll look at why minutes are worth doing and then dive into the 10 simple tips for taking effective meeting minutes. Meeting minutes help with communication at work - they ensure people have a common understanding of what the meeting was about and what they should be doing next. ![]()
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