Why Professional Meeting Minutes Matter
Have you ever been in a meeting, taking minutes, and have no idea what they are talking about at all? Or maybe you were daydreaming for a minute and totally lost your place? Many administrative support professionals, myself included, are responsible for recording and transcribing minutes for any number of meetings, and it's not just for fun.
Meeting minutes are considered legal documents. Legal entities such as the IRS, and various courts, see meeting minutes as representing the actions of the board of directors, or company leadership. They are considered backup to your business tax returns and help to keep your company in compliance with state laws. In my case, I take minutes primarily for Board of Education meetings that occur a few times a month. I must admit, recording and publishing meeting minutes are one of my least favorite things to do. Yet, it is one of my highest priority items.
To make it a little more bearable, it has been helpful to understand the importance of taking meeting minutes. Here are some things you should keep in mind:
- They will help you to remain diligent as you are performing this task. The information contained in the minutes places ownership on specific individuals. For example, when I am recording items for board meetings, I regularly have to log the motions made by specific individuals as well as their votes on the different issues that are presented. Because the board members are elected officials, the public has a right to know how they have voted. It is the minutes that give them this information.
- The minutes are a historical document that can be used to document ideas, discussions, and decisions. As different organizational leaders and administration take over, it will be helpful to see how things were previously handled and why. By having previous meeting minutes to refer back to, a wealth of information is available. If meeting minutes weren't available, it would be hard to piece the details together, as well as very time-consuming.
- Attendance is one of the foundational pieces recorded in minutes. By taking attendance, you will always have a record of those who were present and part of the discussion for certain conversations. Absent members will also have a way to stay abreast of any information they may have missed because they were not at the meeting. A written, detailed account of what occurred provides inclusiveness to those who weren't able to attend. This will give them insight into how decisions were reached and they can provide feedback when appropriate.
- Recording minutes allows for a greater level of action and follow-up. It would be less likely for things to not be acted upon if that was the agreement in the meeting. A good practice is to review the previous meeting minutes before proceeding with any new business.
- With the creation of AI tools, taking meeting minutes is now easier than ever. Be sure and check them out and get comfortable with using these resources. They will cut your time in half. I am currently using Fathom and I love it!
As the administrative support professional who's responsible for taking meeting minutes, you are a very important person in the room. It will be your job to record accurately and capture the major discussion points, decisions, commitments, attendance, and votes if applicable. You will be creating a historical and legal document that will be relied upon for years to come.
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Another tip is to reach out to business partners, It can be beneficial to reach out to them for further clarification on action items.
So great to see you here! This a great!
Thanks April. This is an integral part of what an EA contributes to the overall success and productivity of the team. One important tip is to seek and understand the business and industry you are in and learn those abbreviations and terms. This makes minutes taking a little easier.