The business meeting is an effective communication tool that provides guidance to staff and opens up discussions between the meeting facilitator and participants. What are the minutes of a meeting like? ? The form adopted for writing a summary of decisions is short and focused, and can be written in table or text form. It contains a summary of the measures agreed during the intervention and does not include the discussions with the participants. Some steps can be followed.

Steps for writing a summary of decisions

How do I take minutes of a meeting ? The first step is to define the purpose of the intervention, as well as the function of the members present and the readers of the report, determining whether the session is for new employees or experts. The time available is also a determining factor in the type of report the writer will write.

Note-taking is done on the computer, which saves time and makes it easier to structure the text than on paper. In order to optimize the writing and to facilitate the drafting, it is advised to use a outline pre-recorded on the computer. Some contributors who write the summary of the meeting prefer to record it.

However, this method requires more time to synthesize the elements in written form. Proofreading of the written text is essential to check that all the elements are present, that the content is coherent and without spelling mistakes. The person who wrote the report should make the final document available promptly, ideally within one or two days of the meeting.

A tool to make good

meeting minutes ?

The layout of the summary of the working meeting

The following is a brief outline of the headings, titles and key points that appear in a sample meeting minutes :

  • the title of the session and the place where it takes place;
  • the date of the day, the time of the beginning and the end, the duration of the session;
  • the names of those present and absent and that of the organizer and secretary;
  • the agenda with the different subjects to be dealt with;
  • the brief development of the subjects covered;
  • the summary of the measures decided upon and the responsibility of the persons involved;
  • the date of the next meeting.

In conclusion, the definition of meeting minutes is a document for recording and transmitting information and decisions made by a writer. Readers of the report should quickly understand the theme of the session by reading the header, and the advice given, the new measures to be followed and the actions to be implemented by reading the content.