Board Meeting Minutes Template

How to Take Minutes in a Board Meeting?

Taking minutes at a board meeting is an important job. Here are some tips for the secretary who wants to improve their skills or is entrusted with this task for the first time:

1. Prepare to listen first and practice transcribing real-life discussions or recordings of corporate meetings online . You may use a computer or a writing pad, whichever is more comfortable for you.
2. If you obtain the consent of all the board members or you are told to do this beforehand, consider recording the meeting to be able to have a complete transcript of the meeting . This way, you will be able to analyze the information during the meeting without worrying about writing it down as quickly as you can and later review the audio recording to draft perfect minutes.
3. The main thing you must record are the decisions made during the meeting, names of the board members that proposed them, and members, departments, or independent individuals who will be entrusted with enforcing a certain plan or program.
4. Sum up every issue but do not go into detail . Your goal is to write not more than one or two pages with the summary of the meeting instead of recording every word.
5. Note that the minutes must only contain information uncovered or discussed during the meeting - do not add details that came up or ideas that were developed after the meeting.

What Needs to Be Included in Board Meeting Minutes?

There is no uniform Board Meeting Minutes format - each organization and secretary are free to decide how to compose this document. However, these details should be recorded in all minutes:

1. Date and location of the meeting . You should insert this information at the top of the page.
2. Names of the people present at the meeting . Note that whether the board is making an important decision or is simply holding a regular meeting to share the latest news and issues, you must indicate the names of members that did not come up to the meeting yet let the board know in advance about their absence.
3. Abbreviations that will appear in the main text of the minutes . Prepare a concise and easy-to-read list of abbreviations and common words that may be mentioned multiple times during the meeting - this way, you will not have to repeat yourself in the text of the document.
4. Main topics of discussion . You should be prepared to recognize which information is crucial and which points do not have to be included in the minutes. You may create a table for your convenience with several columns - the name of the person who proposed a new course of action, people's reaction to it, and the final solution of the board, typically reached after a vote.

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