Writing Minutes of a Meeting is an Important Activity in Any Organization.
In the Philippines, writing minutes of a meeting is as crucial as any other corporate document. This is because minutes are often regarded as a legal document that can serve as evidence in a court of law.
We all know that organizations hold meetings regularly and do record minutes. Out of those meetings, members make plans and reach out to decisions that aim at solving problems. Therefore, it should be accurate and in relevant detail.
Occasionally, meetings draw a lot of attention because the organization’s essential aspects are put into consideration. Now, the fact that minutes can become a legal document in a law court means that it must be written professionally. Again, it serves as a guide to the flow of discussions during subsequent meetings.
Writing minutes of a meeting follow a particular format, whether in the Philippines or any other country. For you to create a well-written minute you have to write notes and document all the events that will act as a reference the subsequent meetings.
More often than not, secretaries, support staff, or administrative assistants are responsible for writing minutes. However, the executive assistant and other managers should also learn how to write minutes if the person responsible is not available. This may apply to the top executives as it may give them a clear understanding of the report when looking through it.
Let’s look at some of what you should include in the minutes of a meeting:
Time, Venue, and Date
To ensure that the subsequent meetings have a decent flow, you must put down the time when the meeting began, venue, and date once the meeting is on. Keeping these details helps determine in what period matters were conferred and resolved.
Record Attendance
During the meeting, you have to record the attendees’ names and the names of those absent. Ensure that you put down the reasons or excuses for failing to attend the meeting. Additionally, you’ll need to make edits to any changes to the meeting attendees. It will help to act as both a back-up document of attendees and guarantee that information goes out to the most current email addresses. The attendees’ names should be registered directly underneath the meeting name and date, below a subheading that says ‘present.” Start by listing all attendees’ first and last names, together with title or affiliation, separated by a semi-colon or comma.
Create an Agenda
Before getting started, make an effort to work with the Chairperson or Board President to create a detailed plan. Every meeting often has a reason to happen, and the issues to be tackled and decided upon, and, therefore, creating an agenda is essential. The agenda should also be listed to alert attendees.
When writing minutes of a meeting, ensure you work with the convener to sketch an agenda that designate times for each topic to maintain the meeting moving. Ensure that you maintain the minutes’ headings coherent with the agenda topics for steadiness.
Keep a Neutral Tone
As mentioned above, minutes are a legal document that can determine an organization’s historical record of activity. Therefore, it’s important to uphold an even professional tone. Avoid putting inflammatory language in the minutes, even if the language of the meeting becomes heated.
Resolutions
During the meeting, note down the actions plan agreed upon, the individuals responsible, budget, and the deadline. Ensure to capture any motions or proposals and if they were seconded or abstained. Put down issues that were deferred or declined.
Conclusions
At the end of the meeting, note down the time the meeting adjourned. Also, mention the next meeting’s schedule, the next agenda, date, and time. Include the next person who will lead the next meeting. Remember that the key thing when writing minutes in a meeting is correctness.
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