How to Take Minutes at a Business Meeting

Taking minutes from a business meeting is often done to create a record of what was discussed. Whether the meeting is formal or informal, taking the minutes from the meeting are an important skill desired by employers. 1. Do some research. Try to get the meeting agenda in advance. Look over the minutes from previous meetings to see how the meetings usually flow and the style of which the employer prefers. You may even want to consider recording the meeting with a portable recorder to ensure accuracy. 2. Sit next to the person conducting the meeting. 3. At the top of the page write "Minutes of the meeting of (exact company name)." 4. Next write down the date, time, and location of the meeting. 5. Pass around a sheet of paper for all meeting attendees to sign. If it is an open meeting, only have attendees with voting rights sign the page. 6. Make a note of those who arrive late or leave early so they can be brought up to date at a later time about what they missed. 7. Write down the topics in the order they were discussed. 8. Write down the motions made and those who brought them to the table. 9. Write whether the motion was accepted or rejected and by what method (show of hands, verbally, if the vote was anonymous, etc.) If the meeting is small, you can write down the names of the people and how they voted. 10. Record the main points of the group, don't get caught up in the details of the conversation. Transcribing the minutes from the meeting 1. Prepare the formal document as soon as the meeting concludes while the details are still new in your mind. 2. Follow your company's preferred format. 3. Use the phrase: "RESOLVED, THAT..." before resolutions 4. If the notes get too detailed consider including them in an appendix. 5. At the bottom write "Submitted by" and sign your name and date it.