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10 Tips for Effective Meeting Minutes
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Jodith Allen | Administrative Arts
Jodith Allen has worked in the administrative support field for over 20 years. Her experience includes being an Accounting Clerk, Receptionist, Secretary, Administrative Assistant, and finally Executive Assistant. Her blog, Administrative Arts (http://administrativearts.com), is a resource for persons working at all levels of the administrative support field, from beginners to those with years of experience. On Administrative Arts, Jodith talks about making travel arrangements, provides tips and tricks for Word, Excel, and Access, and gives advice to help you be the best Administrative Assistant possible. She recently released her new e-book, Receptionist Arts, to help those just starting in the field.
Jodith currently lives in Bellingham, Washington, with her husband, three dachshunds, and two cats. She enjoys reading, blogging, gardening, video games, needlework, and walking with her husband and dogs.
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A common job duty of administrative and executive assistants is to be able to take effective meeting minutes. Whether you are taking minutes at a team meeting or a meeting of the Board of Directors, the skills are pretty much the same. Here are 10 tips for taking effective meeting minutes.
1. Always make note of the start and end time of meetings as well as those attending.
2. It’s a good practice to make note of those who come in late with the time they came in, as well as those leaving early (again with the time). Trust me, it’ll come up in the future just who was and wasn’t at a particular meeting when a particular discussion occurred. Make sure you always get that down.
3. It isn’t necessary to take down everything that is said. Just make sure to get the salient points of each discussion.
4. Always write down action items with the person responsible for that action and any deadlines.
5. Don’t worry about neatness. You’re going to be writing fast. It’s more important to get down points than to be neat. Just make sure you can read it.
6. Always take extra pens with you in case you run out of ink or have some other pen mishap. Also, if you’re towards the end of your tablet or notebook, take another just to make sure you have room.
7. If this is a voting meeting, such as a meeting of the Board of Directors, make sure you note who makes motions and seconds and the results of any vote.
8. Learn to use Microsoft Word’s Bullets and Numbering functions well. This will be an immense help to you when transcribing minutes.
9. After transcribing your minutes, always send them to your boss for approval before sending them out. She may want to make changes.
10. Always file your notes with a hard copy of your minutes, so you can refer back to your notes if there is ever any question of what happened in the meeting.
