Last Updated on 08/12/2021 by Steve Wanjie
Minute Writing explained!
Minute writing is a practice of recording meetings to record and organize the actions or events of the organization’s history.
Introduction:
Four main activities occur during the meeting with minute writing; taking notes, recording speech, summarizing the discussion and creating an agenda for the next meeting.
The first step requires you to take notes on your laptop or tablet to write them out later.
Once you are done with this step, it’s time to record what was said to make sure everything is accurately represented in the minutes later on.
It is imperative to share a document with someone else or if this particular document will be used as evidence later on.
The last step is to summarize what happened during the meeting so that others can easily understand it.
Meeting minutes are not just important for the official record; they’re also crucial for all employees who work in a company.
It is crucial that meeting minutes are kept accurate and safe and that anyone can easily record them.
It will help to ensure that meeting discussion records are correct.
You can follow the steps below to ensure that meeting minutes are accurate and safe.
- Make sure everyone knows they should take notes
- Have everyone sign their name
- Emphasize the importance of meeting minutes
- Keep a copy of your meeting in your file
- Keep a copy of your meeting on the company record
Minute Writing: What is a Meeting Minute, and Why Should You Keep One?
In a meeting, keep a minutes record of what happened.
The meeting host usually prepares this document and controls it on their laptop.
Some people use paper formats, and others take notes in the meeting room. But that is not the best way to record the minutes of your meetings.
A Meeting minute is a document that records what happened in a meeting organized by multiple attendees with an agenda list instead of taking notes in the meeting room.
The purpose of writing these minutes is to accurately understand what happened during the meeting and make sure there are no missed details or critical points that did not record in any form of documentation like agendas or speaker notes.
What is The Importance of Writing Minutes?
The importance of writing minutes affords you the ability to keep track of what went on in a meeting.
The minutes are helpful to share with others and keep records.
They also help the teams avoid miscommunication or confusion and ensure everyone knows what tasks to do.
Writing minutes is a requirement that many businesses have to fill out.
Unfortunately, minutes writing can be tedious and time-consuming.
Writing minutes is not just a requirement for some businesses.
But, it’s one of the most important things that business owners need to do for their companies.
It opens the door for more efficient decision-making and communication, and a better understanding of the company’s going on.
How to Create Effective Meeting Minutes
Meeting minutes are usually the most overlooked part of any meeting.
They often get lost in the hustle and bustle of things.
However, they are a crucial part of effective meetings, and it is always essential to keep them organized.
Steps that can help you create effective meeting minutes from start to finish include:
- Identifying purpose.
- Setting the tone.
- Respecting time limits.
- Make sure everyone knows what was said.
And what needs to be said at the meeting and making a plan after the session has ended.
Step 1: Identify the Point-Person for Your Next Meeting
If you organize a meeting, it’s best to identify one person who will make sure everything goes smoothly and that everyone is on the same page.
That person could be you or your boss or the organization’s chairperson.
This process can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be.
Start by finding the meeting location and start gathering info about your attendees.
If possible, try to get a headcount from each participant and their role in the meeting.
Step 2: Gathers Facts from all parties involved in the meeting
In a meeting, there will be different opinions and different facts.
The team needs to gather all the views to derive a successful decision.
It is helpful to have a speaker who can read out the opinions of everyone in the meeting.
This speaker can then provide statistics to see how many people agree with or disagree with particular views.
This step helps the team start on the right foot by gathering all the information before their decision-making process.
Step 3: Records the notes from all parties involved in the meeting
Document the meeting in written form, including messages from all parties involved.
Notes can include things such as:
– Who was present at the meeting?
– What were the main points discussed?
– What agreed on?
– What topics needed further discussion?
Step 4: Review and Edit the minutes
Review & edit is a process of making sure everything in your minutes is clear, accurate, and relevant.
Then, if you do not have time to complete the whole paper, you can look at what needs to be changed or added.
The reviewer must first read the minutes carefully before making any changes.
Then, when reviewing, they should focus on what is said and ensure that it is clear and understandable for the reader.
It’s important to note that reviewers should be careful when making changes to avoid harming the meaning or changing the text’s tone.
Why do you need a meeting-minute template?
Meeting minutes are an essential document for event planning.
They provide information about the meeting attendees and action items from the meetings.
The meeting attendees can refer back to these notes after a session and use them to plan the next meeting’s agenda.
A meeting minute template is a great way to ensure that your meetings are organized and leave no room for confusion or miscommunication while informing and motivating your team members.
You can create meeting minutes in both Microsoft Word and Google Docs.
Both of these applications provide templates that are easy to customize and share with others, allowing you to build up a team of meeting-minute template makers who can collaborate on creating the perfect templates for their events.
What is The Format for Writing Minutes?
Minutes are essential for recorded meetings or events.
They know what happened and who was present at the meeting.
The format for writing minutes is straightforward:
How do you write minutes of a meeting Example?
Example:
a) Njia Safi Self Help Group Meeting Held on 22nd December 2022 at Hilton Hotel Nairobi at 2 pm.
b) Members:
- Members present
- John
- Kamau
- Ahmed
- Lucy
- Susan
- Kimson
- Members absent with apologies
- Anne
- Steve
- Onyango
- Members absent without apologies
- Ibrahim
c) Meeting Agenda:
- Opening a saving bank account
- Savings Account Signatories
- Any other Business
d) Opening Remarks
I welcome you to today’s meeting, fellow members.
As your chairperson, allow me to invite Lucy to say the opening prayer.
We do need God’s guidance in everything we do.
Then the secretary shall guide us through today’s agenda. Lucy, please!
e) The minutes
Minute 1: Opening a Bank Savings Account
-discussion and voting
Minute 2: Savings Account Signatories
-discussion and vote
Minute 3: Any Other Business
discussion and vote
f) Any Other Business
-discuss and vote
g) Closing Remarks
-by the meeting chairperson
Minute writing: Let us explain the format for writing minutes – template
a) The heading contains:
-the name of the organization
-the date of the meeting
-the venue of the meeting
-the time the meeting took place
I.e.,
……………………….Meeting Held on…………………20__ at …………….at___am/pm
b) Members
Members present:
Write the names of members who were present for the meeting
Members absent with apologies:
Write the names of members who did not attend the meeting but had apologized for their absence.
Members absent without apologies:
Write the names of absent members without apologies.
c) Meeting Agenda:
Why did you call the meeting? List the reasons for calling the meeting.
The list of items to discuss at the meeting forms the agenda.
d) Opening Remarks
The chairperson or the master of ceremonies makes the opening remarks.
Then, they could invite a member to say a meeting opening player.
e) The minutes
The secretary reads the previous meeting minutes and agenda for the current meeting to members.
The chairperson then opens the floor for members to discuss the items on the agenda as listed.
Every agenda item discussed and voted for by members present is listed as a minute.
A meeting could record as many minutes as the items discussed by the conference.
f) Any Other Business
After the meeting agenda is fully covered, the chairperson allows members to discuss any other business of interest to the organization.
It is a part of the minutes.
g) Closing Remarks
Closing remarks contains:
- The chairperson’s meeting closing speech
- Closing prayer
Conclusion:
What is a meeting Minute?
A meeting minute is a document that includes information on a meeting.
It consists of the time, date, and agenda of the meeting.
In general, meetings minutes have the same purposes as other meetings and agendas.
They help clarify what was discussed in the forum and what needs to happen afterward.
They also help organize information and ensure that everyone involved understands all aspects of a project or event.
A meeting minute is an official record of a meeting that all attendees sign.
It results from a discussion or decision made by the group during their session.
The format of a meeting minute can be anything from taking notes or recording it on an online platform to sending it to stakeholders or writing it down in a spiral notepad.
Meeting minutes are sometimes called action items, defined as activities undertaken as specific goals and objectives identified at the initial planning stages.
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Steve Wanjie is a digital marketing specialist, SEO Expert, expert article writer, blogger, sex educationist, and businessman. He is the founder of Dijito Marketing and Laikipo.com. He works and lives in Nairobi Kenya.
