Another document that is important in business contexts is meeting minutes. Meeting minutes are a written record that documents discussions, decisions, and actions taken during meetings.

Meeting minutes can be used as a reminder of particular actions taken, including when and why certain decisions were made. They can be a tool to keep organizational members accountable and for keeping up momentum on work being done. Minutes also are a good way for organizations to maintain transparency.

The key to writing good meeting minutes is to convey the important things that happened in the meeting as concisely as possible. That means that you provide enough information that if someone has to miss the meeting, they can learn what happened and what actions need to be taken moving forward.

Here are some tips for writing good meeting minutes.

Take Minutes in a Timely Fashion

If you are going to write good minutes, you will need good notes. So grab your pen and paper – or a computer – before the meeting starts and take notes during the meeting. Then finish the meeting minutes as soon as possible after the meeting while the discussions and decisions are still fresh in your mind. The sooner you write the minutes, the more accurate you will be.

Create a Header

At the top of the document, list the meeting title or subject for reference. Then note the date of the meeting at the top of the document. Also include “Minutes” as part of the header.

Add an Attendee List

Provide a list of attendees at the meeting. You may also note anyone absent. In an era of hybrid meetings, you may also want to indicate how each person joined (in-person or online).

For some meetings—like for a company-wide meeting—it may not be practical to list every attendee present. So in those cases, you may want to include attendee information in aggregate form. For example, you may simply list, “More than 300 employees in attendance.”

Record Discussion Points Concisely

The most difficult step of writing minutes is capturing the key discussion points and significant contributions made by participants at the right level of detail.

If you put in too much detail, your minutes will not provide a concise record and people will find it difficult to read. If you leave out too much detail you won’t have a sufficient record of what happened.

Think of the difference between these two minutes summaries:

Summary 1: The CEO presented an overview of the budget.

Summary 2: The CEO presented an overview of the budget. Even though revenues are up 5% this quarter, with rising prices for raw materials and shipping costs, overall profits are down 3%.

Document Decisions

Clearly state any decisions made during the meeting. Include the rationale behind the decisions, if applicable. Recording decisions and the reasoning behind then will help the group refrain from repeating discussion in a later meeting.

Assign Action Items

Note any action items assigned to specific individuals or teams, along with deadlines or due dates. Assinging action items will help the group maintain productivity outside of meetings.

Distribute the Minutes

Once you have drafted the minutes, distribute them to the meeting participants. Depending on the organization’s practices, you may circulate the minutes via email or share them through a document-sharing platform. You may also ask participants to review and send any corrections or revisions before a final version is approved. See the sample meeting minutes (Figure 8.9) below.