Recording Minutes at Meetings
Guidelines
Briefly state the major topics of discussion or meeting conclusions up front. However, delay mentioning specific assignments until after you have recorded the essence of each topic discussion.
Use headings to help multiple readers focus on agenda items of individual interest. On occasion, you may want to use your discussion questions as headings and then record your conclusions and decisions in list form.
Remember space given to recording a topic discussion suggests its importance; don’t get carried away with minutiae. Avoid the once-upon-a-time detail that always surrounds each discussion topic and focus on the major problems identified or solved, the major questions raised or answered, and the results and/or related follow-up action.
Arrange topics in most-to-least significant format rather than in order of discussion.
Include specific follow-up assignments—who should do what by when.
Include names of attendees last.
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