How to: Take Minutes in a Meeting

If you have a good reason to have a meeting, meeting minutes can be a highly effective tool to keep everyone on the same page.

What are meeting minutes?

Meeting minutes, also called meeting notes, are the written record of what happened during a meeting. They are not the same as the meeting agenda, which is prepared in advance and refers to the list of activities that participants are hoping to accomplish during their meeting.

Despite their name, Minutes are not a minute-by-minute record and instead focus on the outcomes of the meeting. Minutes usually capture information such as:

Names of participants
Date and time of the meeting
Agenda items covered
Decisions made by participants
Follow-up actions and next steps

What is the purpose of meeting minutes?

Taking meeting minutes means condensing the meeting down to the most important points
Minutes provide a written record of what was agreed at a meeting. Minutes allow participants to recall what happened. A written record is the best way to avoid misunderstandings stemming from people having different recollections of the meeting.
Minutes advise people of tasks assigned to them, what the next steps are, who is responsible for what and when actions are due. This makes sure no action items are forgotten.
Minutes are useful records for members who were unable to attend the meeting. They also help other stakeholders stay informed, for example when the meeting’s decisions affect other activities, work units or projects.
They allow participants to go back and revisit the key ideas and discussion points that led to a decision. Without a clear record, it is easy to forget why a certain decision was made. In the worst case, you may end up having to repeat the meeting and have the same discussions all over again.

How to take effective meeting minutes

1. Use a template

Metro North Health has a range of templates to assist with running meetings: Meeting templates | Metro North HHS (health.qld.gov.au)

2. Record attendance

Include a list of participants, both present and absent, and share the minutes with them after the meeting. You use your attendance list as a distribution list for the minutes. Make sure to record:

The date of the meeting.
Where the meeting was held.
Who (and the correct spelling of names) was present and who was an apology.
The role of each participant.
Lastly, if meetings are taking place across more than one location via video conference, each delegate’s attendance is usually listed according to location.

3. Follow a clear structure

Using your meeting agenda as an outline, separate your notes into clear categories, for example, discussion items, decisions made, and tasks and next steps.

Use the meeting minutes template and follow it consistently.

4. Action Minutes

“Action minutes” are also called “decision-only minutes”. They include only the decisions made and none of the discussions that went into making them. They capture only the conclusion of discussions and the actions that need to be taken. Action minutes provide a broad overview of the decisions made in a meeting including:

The outcome (or milestone) to be achieved.
The individual(s) responsible for effecting that outcome.
How progress will be communicated/confirmed.
Date(s) of delivery.

5. Minute Taking Tips

The aim is to provide a professional record of the meeting.

Keep minutes brief, while making sure you note all the essential information, including motions and actions.
Minutes should not:
- repeat what was said at the previous meeting
- be a long and complicated repetition of every word said.
Use an objective, factual tone in your writing.
Provide a summary of any important comments, making sure to avoid inflammatory or personal remarks.

6. Ask the participants to review

Make sure that your minutes are complete and accurate by asking other participants to go over them.

7. Share with all relevant stakeholders

After the meeting, share the minutes with anyone who might find them relevant (even if they didn’t participate). Make sure that everyone who has been assigned a task is aware of their next steps and the deadlines by which they need to complete them.