Minutes of the meeting, sometimes referred to as MoM or simply âminutes,â are documentation of what occurs during a meeting: decisions, next steps, deliverables, and more. These are important recaps to return to later and remember what happened during a particular meeting.
Interestingly, the term âminutes of the meetingâ wasnât actually named because of the measurement of time it refers to. In reality, the phrase likely was derived from the Latin term âminuta scriptura,â which is literally translated to mean âsmall writingâ and could refer to the succinct nature of meeting minutes. They may be âsmall,â but minutes can considerably impact the effectiveness of your meetings.
The impact of meeting minutes
Too often, meeting minutes are recorded as a formality without an intentional approach. In reality, there are many benefits to strategically documenting minutes at every meeting. Here are a few reasons why:
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Meeting minutes increase team confidence and foster trust
Sharing the minutes of an important meeting is inclusive toward those who couldnât attend. This practice fosters trust and allows everyone to take a figurative seat at the table, building team trust so members can work confidently together.
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Meeting minutes promote accountability
Have you ever left a meeting and realized your takeaways werenât as clear as you initially thought? Maybe you second-guess whether youâre responsible for any action items or feel unsure of the next steps. Thorough minutes eliminate this type of uncertainty. They ensure everyone knows what theyâre in charge of, cut down on miscommunication, and ultimately promote accountability amongst stakeholders.
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Meeting minutes offer legal protection
In the case of an unforeseen audit or investigation, meeting minutes can serve as vital documentation to clarify events during a session. Minutes act as records of what actually happened, solving any potential discrepancies that arise.
Meeting minutes vs. meeting notes vs. meeting agendas
Itâs easy to feel confused by the different types of meeting documentation. You may feel like an agenda can inherently serve as meeting minutes. Or you may conflate meeting minutes with meeting notes. In reality, minutes, agendas, and notes are three distinct forms of meeting documentation that serve different purposes.
An agenda provides an outline of topics before a meeting. Agendas prepare participants and guide the flow of the session once it starts, so talking points arenât forgotten. Meeting minutes, however, arenât recorded until the meeting actually begins. They document the key points discussed and the decisions made. Minutes are also traditionally organized by importance or relevance, while agendas are organized chronologically.
Meeting notes are similar to meeting minutes, but the most significant difference is the approach. Notes are more informal and are often taken for personal use. On the other hand, meeting minutes are organized more formally and strategically with the intention of being shared with others.
Meeting minutes in a hybrid environment
Meeting minutes are essential for both in-person and online team meetings. Here are a couple of things to keep in mind about the differences:
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While recording the meeting can be beneficial either way, itâs especially vital for remote meetings to fill in gaps caused by unexpected tech issues, such as if your screen freezes or your internet cuts out.
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Remember to test your technology before the meeting starts. Youâll need to rely on your speakers and a strong internet connection to follow along and take accurate notes. Verify audio and internet quality with enough time to troubleshoot if problems arise.Â
Hybrid work environments make solely offline, in-person meetings impossible. But while some may feel hesitant to host an important meeting online, its quality and effectiveness can be just as significant! Consider a visual collaboration solution like Lucid to help you with meeting minutes. Lucidâs flexible canvas allows you to seamlessly document a meeting, organize notes, assign next steps and action items, and share your minutes afterward.
Styles of meeting minutes
There are different ways to approach taking meeting minutes. Here are three styles to consider:
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Action minutes: Action minutes focus on the most critical takeaways from the meetings, like decisions made and actions taken. This style typically leaves out many details so that minutes can be reviewed and understood quickly. Youâll often see this style in board or council meetings.
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Discussion minutes: Rather than just the key takeaways, discussion minutes will attribute ideas to specific individuals and include notes about deliberation for more thorough documentation. Discussion minutes are generally the style used in an average business meeting.
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Verbatim minutes: Verbatim minutes arenât traditionally used in a professional setting and are more likely to be seen in legal proceedings or public hearings. Theyâre a word-for-word meeting transcript, typically taken by a designated professional who can write in shorthand to capture everything.
How to write meeting minutes
Feel free to adopt your own process and style when taking meeting minutes. Here are some basic steps to start with.
1. Decide how youâre going to organize your notesÂ
Think through how youâll organize your notes. Itâs all about finding the best method and style for you and your team. Starting with a meeting minutes template can make this first step easier.
