Video:How to Take Meeting Minutes

Transcript:How to Take Meeting Minutes

Hi, I'm Shani Vinson for About.com, and today, we're going to discuss how to take meeting minutes.

Information to Include in Meeting Minutes

Meeting minutes are a basic summary of the significant points of communication and action items delivered during a meeting. Create a template for recording your meeting minutes and make sure you leave some blank space to record your notes. Include the following information:

• Date and time of the meeting
• The purpose of the meeting
• The meeting lead or chair's name
• Assigned action items
• Decisions made

Include All Attendees in Meeting Minutes

Before the meeting, gather as much information from the host as you can. Ask for a list of attendees, as well as some information on the purpose of the meeting. As people enter the room, check off their names on your attendee list. Ask the meeting lead to introduce you to meeting attendees you aren't familiar with.

Style in Which to Take Meeting Minutes

Record action items and decisions in your template as they happen – don't wait until after the meeting to pull them out of your notes or you could make a mistake. Be objective. Write in the same tense throughout and avoid using people's names except for motions or seconds. This is a business document, not about who said what. The fewer adjectives or adverbs you use, the better. Dull writing is the key to appropriate minutes.

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