The required format of minutes may be dictated by organisation procedures, as this means could be
established by using organisational templates or using previous minutes to determine the required
format.
Minutes may include:
➢ Meeting details (e.g. title, date, time, location)
➢ Agenda items
➢ Apologies
➢ Names of absent and attending participants
➢ Approval of the record of the previous minutes
➢ Matters arising from the previous meetings
➢ Decisions made
➢ Actions to be taken
➢ Items to be discussed
➢ Date of the next meeting.
To record your notes, you must decide on the best method to use. You can take notes by pen and
paper, or on an electronic device such as a tablet or laptop.
Including all relevant information
Many organisations will allocate the role of minute-taker to a different employee for each meeting.
Therefore, you may need to provide the individual with advice on how to ensure all important details
from the meeting are included. It will not be possible to write down every single comment made during
the meeting, so approaches should be shared to make it easier for the minute taker to perform their
role.
These may include:
➢ Writing lists rather than full sentences
➢ Using abbreviations
➢ Asking for clarification:
o when multiple topics are being discussed
at the same time
o before the group moves on to the next
agenda item
➢ Using subheadings
➢ Recording all the key decisions and actions.