business plan meeting minutes

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✍ How to Write Meeting Minutes [+5 Free Templates]

Comprehensive guide to taking meeting minutes. 5 free Word and Google Doc templates. Tips, tricks, and answers to all of your MoM questions.

Have fewer, more effective meetings with AI, behavior-driving features, and seamless integrations.

Meeting minutes are the official summary of what happened during a meeting.

They serve as an outline, a written record for anyone unable to attend, and to use for future reference. Minutes document what happened and what decisions were made.

When written well, and when using a good meeting minutes template, minutes are a critical communication tool for your organization.

Meeting minutes are a clean, concise way of taking notes, one that helps keep track of essential information.

In this guide, learn and access everything you need to write effective formal and informal meeting minutes. We have a range of templates, best practices, and answers to common questions.

Watch this guide as a video below, or scroll on to keep reading:

What is Covered (Contents):

• Examples of meeting minutes - Examples of minutes taken at a meeting
• Tips and Best Practices - Tips on how to write meeting minutes
• Meeting Minutes Templates - Free templates for Word, Google Docs, and Fellow
• FAQs - Frequently asked questions about note-taking

What are meeting minutes?

Meeting minutes are notes that are taken during a meeting to record what happens in the meeting. These notes typically highlight the key issues that are discussed in the meeting. Meeting minutes should indicate the time, date, and setting of the meeting. These notes should also document who was in attendance at the meeting. If there are any presentations or reports presented, these should be reflected in the meeting minutes.

Meeting minutes can be a valuable resource for team members who missed a meeting. Taking clear, detailed meeting minutes can help anyone who wasn’t in attendance get caught up on any decisions or takeaways from the meeting.

What is the purpose of meeting minutes?

The key purpose of meeting minutes is to create an official record of what happened in a meeting, what was discussed, and any decisions that were made. Minutes typically don’t record everything that’s said in a meeting, but usually cover the key topics that were covered in the meeting. In some more formal business settings, meeting minutes may be required to share with stockholders or regulating agencies.

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Why are meeting minutes important?

• They Offer Structure: Once you’ve settled on a method for putting meeting minutes together, they can offer structured information about what happened in past meetings, and what needs to be discussed in the future.
• They Keep You Organized: Taking detailed meeting minutes allows your to clearly record any decisions that were made in the meeting, and any action items that require input from your team members.
• They Promote Transparency: If you have detailed records of your meetings, you can share what happened with others in your organization to promote a culture of transparency within your organization.

What should be included in meeting minutes?

Here is some necessary information found in most meeting minutes.

• The title of the group that is meeting, or the meeting itself
• The date and time, as well as the venue or meeting room, if appropriate
• Who is in attendance and who is recording the minutes
• The meeting’s agenda
• What decisions were made and by whom
• Motions and vote counts (if applicable)

If you're not using a meeting management tool like Fellow that automatically tracks meeting titles, attendees, dates, and times, then space for all of this information should be in your meeting minutes template.

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1. Examples of minutes taken at a meeting

To illustrate what meeting minutes are, below are two sample documents created from meeting minutes templates.

These documents are effectively meeting notes with only the essential information written down. As you'll see below, preparing effective meeting minutes doesn't have to be an arduous task. It's more about recording the *right* information than all of the information.

If your meeting is run according to Robert's Rules of Order , make sure to use a meeting minutes template that follow's those rules .

NOTE: There are 5 free meeting minutes templates at the end of this article for you to download as professional-looking Word documents, copy as Google Docs, or simply copy and paste from. These templates are also available from the free template library in your cloud-based Fellow account.

📝 Formal Meeting Minutes Sample

Minutes of a meeting of the board of directors.

September 5, 2021

A meeting of the Board of Directors (the “ Board ”) of ACME Corp., a California C-Corporation (the “Company”), was held on September 5, 2022, at the offices of the Company.

Attendance - Voting Members: Larry Emerson, Marc Branson - Guests: Amy Holmes, Tom Avery - Voting Members Absent: None ‍

Approval of minutes A motion to approve the previous meeting minutes from August 5th was made by Larry Emerson and seconded by Marc Branson. ‍

Call to Order ‍Larry Emerson called the meeting to order at 2:00 p.m. and Tom Avery recorded the minutes. A quorum of directors was present, and the meeting, having been duly convened, was ready to proceed with the business. ‍

CEO Report ‍Larry Emerson reviewed the agenda and welcomed everyone to the meeting. Next, Larry Emerson discussed the current status of the company and its progress. A number of questions were asked and extensive discussion ensued.

Sales & Business Development Update Report ‍Marc Branson next provided an update on the overall sales progress and sales pipeline of the Company. He also presented the status of business development discussions.

Financial Review Report ‍Marc Branson provided a comprehensive update on the Company's financial plan and forecast. Marc Branson also reviewed the Company's principal financial operating metrics.

Motion #1: Approval of Option Grants ‍Amy Holmes presented to the Board a list of proposed options to be granted to Company employees for approval, whereupon motion duly made, seconded and unanimously adopted, the option grants were approved as presented in Exhibit A.

Announcements ‍None

Adjournment ‍There being no further business to come before the meeting, the meeting was adjourned at 2:45 p.m.

📝 Informal / Simple Meeting Minutes Sample

Minutes: project check-in meeting, our objective.

To build a measurement strategy that allows the customer success team to track progress on KPIs and measure that progress against their stated departmental goals.

Deadlines/Milestones

Strategy must be ready to deploy by Q4 2023.

Project Update Roundtable

• Spoke with and established agreement among CS team stakeholders on relevant KPIs.
• Gathered feedback from CS team on current measurement strategies.
• Mocked up three dashboard options that are circulating internally for feedback.
• Working through an audit of the current CS data sources.
• Just getting back after a four-day illness; catching up.

Roadblocks & Risks

• Roadblock: Christina needs feedback on the dashboards before she can continue. All team members must provide feedback ASAP.
• Risk: Christina’s audit may reveal siloed data which may delay our ability to establish a performance baseline.
• @Michelle review and provide feedback on Christina’s dashboard mockups by June 5th.
• @Rob summarize and distribute CS team feedback on current measurement strategies by June 7th.
• @Christina check in on the status of current CS data sources by June 8th.

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2. How to Write Meeting Minutes

✅ take minutes in real time, or make notes after each topic..

Start with the meeting agenda as an outline. Fill in agenda items with more detail while the information is still fresh in your mind—in real-time.

✅ Be concise. 

Your creative writing skills must take a back seat (for now).

Write the minutes as if you are a journalist. As the minutes taker, your job is to document what is happening at the meeting.

This is a written record, but just the broad strokes. You don’t need a verbatim accounting of everything that is said.

✅ Fill in your meeting minutes documents so that they can be understood by someone who was unable to attend.

As you might imagine, there’s a balancing act when writing minutes. You must keep minutes concise but also provide enough context for future reference.

Remember, it's often customary to review meeting notes at the beginning of the next meeting. For example, a board meeting typically starts with the approval of the previous meeting's minutes.

The amount of context you include as a meeting note-taker is a judgment call.

✅ Just note the facts.

Avoid personal observations when writing meeting minutes. If you want to take separate notes of your own, you are welcome to do so. But the meeting minutes should be a factual record of what was discussed.

Some of this is boring information to keep track of: meeting names, date and time, action items and decisions made. But later on, those meeting notes may contain essential information to keep everyone on the same page about what happened during that meeting.

✅ Note who is unable to attend.

With meeting minutes, it's important to write down who attended the meeting, but also who didn't, so there is no confusion about who may have discussed or voted on an issue.

✅ Use a meeting minutes template for the right format. 

If you’re writing formal meeting minutes, follow a certain format. For trade unions, schools, city and county governments, and others, you may need to follow Robert’s Rules of Order.

But with informal meeting minutes, you have more flexibility. Think of what your organization needs, and what's been done in the past. Then improve on that process.

DON'TS: What not to include

A challenging aspect of taking meeting minutes is restraint—choosing not just what to put in the minutes but what to leave out.

🚫 Don’t try to record everything verbatim.

Minutes aren’t a transcription; they’re a summary. (See the best meeting transcription software if you need a word-for-word transcription.)

🚫 Don’t include personal thoughts or observations.

‍ If you have thoughts and ideas during the meeting, record them separately from the official minutes.

🚫 Don’t repeat information that is already there.

‍ Especially if the agenda clearly states a discussion topic (e.g., “2023 Budget Discussion) you do not need to write a redundant note in the minutes, such as “Budget was discussed for 2023.”

🚫 Don’t handwrite your notes.

‍ Because minutes are a record of what happened in the meeting, it’s to use a digital format since. Ultimately these meeting notes must be saved and shared.

Advanced Tips: Tricks to take notes faster

A lot can happen during a conversation and it can be hard for the note-taker to keep up. Go from being a basic meeting minutes taker to a pro with these expert tips to help you save time while writing and keep up with the conversation.

💡 Use initials instead of people’s full names.

If there’s one note-taking tip that will save you loads of time, it’s to abbreviate the names of meeting participants. Use this next to tasks assigned, for example.

💡 Use acronyms where you can without sacrificing clarity.

As with names, acronyms can be a big help. For instance, we have a series of content we call “Behind the Team.” Whenever we discuss it, instead of writing out all the words, we simply write BTT.

💡 Use sentence fragments as long as it still makes sense.

‍ No need for perfect grammar. Instead of full sentences, write notes in your minutes like, “Decision to move forward,” or “Revisit strategy in 6 weeks.”

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3. Free Meeting Minutes Templates

For the visual learner, we’ve created samples of both types of meeting minutes. If you’d like to get straight to our templates, scroll a little further.

Use these to guide your writing. But remember: Your meetings may require different information. Don’t get so enamoured with copying the samples that you forget to write your meeting minutes in a way that's useful for you and your team.

In the bottom left corner of any template, click the "Use this template" button to choose from three formats:

• Word doc template
• Google doc (Save a copy)
• Ue the meeting minutes template in Fellow ( Free account )

Formal meeting minutes template

As mentioned, formal meeting minutes are generally written based on Robert’s Rules of Order. The template below is structured based on these rules, which are often adopted for board meetings and committee meetings.

If you’re starting from scratch, this is a perfect starting point.

Still, adjust it. If your organization has used meeting minutes before, ask someone to see a copy of what’s been done in the past. Look at the previous meeting's minutes and make improvements as you see fit.

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Informal meeting minutes template 

The following template is super basic. It sets the goal, meeting agenda, and records next steps for any type of meeting. And it doubles as a meeting summary template.

Feel free to make it your own by adding elements of the formal template or your own ideas. 

{{informal-meeting-minutes="/blog-inserts-3"}}

Simple meeting minutes template

And here's the template based on the informal meeting minutes sample at the top of this article:

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Staff meeting minutes template

Do you have an all-hands staff meeting coming up? Here's a free template for you to download or copy.

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Team meeting minutes template

This example agenda is based on a template that we use at Hugo for a lot of our team meetings.

{{team-meeting="/blog-inserts-6"}}

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4. Meeting Minutes FAQs

How do you write action items.

When adding tasks and action items to your meeting notes, here are five steps to follow.

⚡ Start your action item with a verb.

‍ A common time-saving mistake is to be too brief in noting a task, forgetting to include the “action” part of the action item.

• 😒 Bad: 2022 data
• 😀 Good: Pull the 2022 data to share with the team

⚡ Assign each action item to someone who is responsible.

A meeting participant must take ownership of every single task, otherwise that task may not be completed.

⚡ Don’t include more information then is necessary.

It is up to the person who is responsible to keep track of details. These details don’t need to clutter up your meeting notes.

⚡ Note a due date if there is one.

‍ Even if there is no clear date, often an arbitrary one, such as one week, is helpful for creating urgency to do the task.

⚡ Follow up on action items at the next meeting.

If status updates on action items haven’t been given in the meantime, quickly review the previous meeting’s minutes to ensure action items were accomplished.

Who prepares the minutes of a meeting?

The minutes-taker may be a variety of people:

• A participant in the meeting
• An attendee who won’t be contributing but is privy to the information
• A professional note-taker

In formal situations, the note-taker is often the secretary, an executive assistant, or an admin.

In less-formal meetings, the person taking the minutes may simply be a volunteer. This person who prepares the minutes of a meeting is sometimes called a “scribe.”

What is the proper order of an agenda?

If you’re following Robert’s Rules of Order , prioritize your agenda in this order:

• Minutes from the previous meeting 
• Time-sensitive situations
• Unfinished business 
• General items
• New business

If you’re not following strict parliamentary procedures in your meetings, much of this advice is still useful. Begin by carrying over any threads from the previous meeting, as well as large discussions or time-sensitive business. Leave more minor agenda items for the end.

How do you create a perfect meeting agenda?

The perfect agenda is brief but descriptive. It provides all the necessary background without being so long and unwieldy that no one wants to read it.

For an effective meeting agenda, follow these steps:

• Prepare your agenda before the meeting; at least 24 hours in advance.
• Clearly define the goal of the meeting so everyone knows why they are there.
• Prioritize agenda items based on importance.
• List discussion topics as questions that need to be answered.
• Allow reasonable amounts of time for each topic.
• Include necessary background info for decisions to be made.
• Share the agenda with attendees so they can have input and show up prepared.

See here for more tips on creating effective meeting agendas .

What is the best template format for meeting minutes?

Should you use a Word Doc, Google Doc, Excel, PDF, email, or something else for your meeting minutes templates?

When considering what type of file or document to use for your meeting, the most important factor to consider is how you will save and share your minutes.

Standard files like Word Docs, Excel spreadsheets, and PDFs all have a similar limitation as templates for meeting minutes—they need an extra step to be used or shared. Opening any of these file types requires a special program that not everyone may have access to. 

Additionally, regular files like Word Docs and PDFs need to be saved carefully in the cloud, with attention to not having multiple versions of the same file in dispute.

Often meeting minutes are also emailed, but email should not be the only place the meeting minutes live. The minutes should also be saved somewhere centralized so they can be found later if need be.

The best solution is often a cloud-based type of document, such as a Google Doc . Even better is a doc in a free meeting management system like Fellow, where notes are easily shared (or kept private), and automatically organized.

What tense should meeting minutes be written in?

Past tense.

Meeting minutes are a recounting of what happened at the meeting. They should read like a description of the past, not like an announcer calling a sports game as it’s playing out.

• Incorrect: The board approves the 2023 budget.
• Correct: The board approved the 2023 budget.

What are the abbreviations for minutes of meeting?

MoM stands for Minutes of Meeting.

MM stands for Meeting Minutes.

Note: Using these acronyms may be confusing to people who are unfamiliar with them.

How do you pronounce meeting minutes?

Even though the word “minutes” originates from the notion of something being small or my-newt , meeting minutes is pronounced like the word for a minute of time.

To say, “Please take minutes for this meeting,” you would pronounce the word the same as when saying, “There are sixty minutes in an hour.”

Do meeting minutes need to be approved or signed?

Certain formal meeting minutes do need to be certified in some way in order to be an official record of a meeting. Often the Chair needs to review and approve the minutes before they can be circulated. Or, for many organizations, minutes are reviewed and approved by the group at the beginning of the next meeting.

However, apart from these situations, whether your minutes are approved or not is up to the leaders at the organization and how they want to run their process. 

Informal and Formal Minutes 

What's the difference?

Formal minutes

Certain organizations such as nonprofits, public companies, local governments, and schools are required by law to create formal meeting minutes.

For example, in California, many state and local government bodies must make meeting minutes available to the public. Similarly, public companies are required to create meeting minutes for Board of Directors and Shareholder meetings.

Since these types of meeting minutes are required for compliance or legal reasons, they should follow a clear and professional format.

Informal minutes

Often meeting minutes are flexible and somewhat informal. They still need to be clear, professional, and consistent. But, you’re not going to get sued if you don’t include all the right information.

Think of informal meeting minutes as a meeting summary. The templates and forms you use are ultimately up to you. Just because they’re less formal doesn’t mean informal minutes are less useful.

More free minutes templates  🙌

Remember, the minutes of your meetings are there to help your organization be more collaborative, transparent, and efficient. Keep that in mind and whatever form or template you choose will work just fine.

The only additional meeting-related document you’ll need to worry about now is the agenda. Good thing we’ve got more than 80 meeting minutes templates for you to choose from. Get them in Word Doc or Google Doc (or add them to your free Fellow account )👇

So grab the templates you need and get ready to make your meetings matter even more.☝️ If you’ve ever wanted a tool to extract the most useful, relevant bits of information from a meeting, minutes could be your new best friend.

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How to write corporate meeting minutes

Explore common requirements, best practices, templates and tools for keeping airtight corporate meeting minutes

By the team at Slack June 7th, 2024

Keeping meticulous records of corporate meetings may not be the most glamorous task, but it’s necessary for transparency, accountability and—in many states—legal compliance.

Writing effective corporate meeting minutes involves a lot more than simple note-taking. Your average everyday brain dump won’t cut it. You should come prepared with good attention to detail and a strong understanding of which information to include and how to present it.

We’re here to get you up to speed on how to take top-notch corporate meeting minutes, including best practices, legal regulations and detailed templates. We’ll also explore the key reasons why meeting minutes matter. Let’s get started.

What are corporate meeting minutes?

Meeting “minutes” are the official written records of company meetings, including topics discussed and decisions made. Corporate meeting minutes typically include:

• The meeting’s date, time and location
• A list of attendees and absentees, including any present board members or officers
• Agenda items
• Summaries of all discussion points
• Details of all activities completed or agreed upon
• Results of any votes or motions
• A record of decisions made
• Action items

Unlike a full transcription, which records everything said during the meeting verbatim, minutes highlight critical details for future reference. Usually, a secretary or another designated employee uses Microsoft Word or Google Docs to record meeting minutes, maintaining a formal tone and style. After each meeting, the secretary shares the minutes with all participants by email or through a cloud solution such as Google Drive or OneDrive .

Meeting minutes vs. meeting notes

Meeting minutes cover the whole scope of a meeting to provide formal, detailed documentation of motions, proposals, resolutions and votes that take place during a meeting. Meeting notes , on the other hand, are usually less formal and comprehensive.

Any team member might jot down the highlights and main points from a meeting to share with other participants in an email or a collaborative Slack canvas . Teams usually use meeting notes to fill in members who couldn’t make it and ensure all teammates stay on the same page regarding updates, decisions, action items and responsibilities.

By comparison, corporate meeting minutes are much more formal and structured. Most states actually require certain types of corporations to take minutes for certain meetings, in which cases the states set legal standards for how the corporate meeting minutes should look and what information they should include. 

Importance of taking meeting minutes

In all but a handful of states, S and C corporations must file minutes for board of directors and shareholder meetings to comply with corporate governance laws and regulations. Auditors, courts and the IRS might refer to these corporate meeting minutes in legal proceedings or investigations. Meeting minutes also help ensure accountability and transparency within a corporation.

Corporate executives might review meeting minutes to recall and confirm decisions and actions. Minutes also help maintain continuity and institutional memory for changes in leadership or board members.

Stakeholders can also use meeting minutes to build project timelines, create progress reports and ensure action items are properly executed. Offering full access to these records helps align priorities across an organization and minimize redundant and unnecessary work.

Legal requirements for corporate meeting minutes

Each state sets its requirement for S and C corporation meeting minutes. Common stipulations include:

• Minutes must be accurate and complete to reflect the points and outcomes of a meeting
• Minutes should be prepared and distributed for review within 24 to 48 hours of a meeting
• Corporations must store their meeting minutes for a specific period, such as seven to 10 years
• Corporations must make minutes readily available to shareholders, auditors and regulatory bodies on request
• Minutes must be signed by the meeting chair and the author to validate their authenticity

How to write effective meeting minutes

Corporate meeting minutes should not only comply with state regulations but also provide a useful, informative record for team members and stakeholders. It takes practice to learn how to write effective minutes for a corporate team meeting . These tips can help.

Prepare for the meeting

Find a corporate meeting minutes template (we’ll provide some examples later) so you have a set structure to follow for each meeting. An easy, plug-in framework can help you take minutes more efficiently.

Also, to expedite the roll-taking process, come to each meeting with a list of expected attendees, and check them off as they arrive.

Record the vital details

Minutes should be detailed, but remember: You’re not transcribing the meeting. Pick and choose which points are important enough to record. Here’s what to include:

• The names of attendees, including absentees and late arrivals
• The meeting’s topics of discussion, location, date and time
• Approval of the previous meeting’s minutes
• Agenda items and a discussion summary for each
• Significant points and decisions, including reasoning
• Motions made, including who made them and their outcomes
• Outstanding items from a past meeting and their status
• Date, time and action items for the next meeting

Finalize and distribute

After the meeting :

• Review your minutes to fill in gaps and revise for clarity, accuracy and completeness
• Make sure you’ve noted participants who contributed noteworthy points, decisions or updates
• Attach supplementary documents, if any, as an appendix
• Save the minutes doc in a centralized space, such as Google Drive or your team’s Slack channel , for easy access
• Send a draft of the minutes to the meeting’s chair for review, feedback and approval
• File approved corporate board meeting minutes as official records
• Once the minutes are approved, distribute them to all relevant stakeholders, including absentees

Corporate meeting minutes best practices

Corporate meeting minutes should be objective, focusing on factual information to eliminate personal biases or interpretations. Also, if you’re taking minutes for a board meeting or an annual general meeting, keep in mind that the minutes might be public record.

Follow these best practices while taking meeting minutes:

• Use concise language and avoid jargon to ensure clarity
• List all action items, and assign them to the appropriate stakeholders for accountability
• If discussion strays from the agenda, focus on the outcome of each discussion point
• Ask for clarification when necessary to ensure your notes are accurate and complete

Consider leveraging collaborative note-taking tools, such as Slack canvas , which lets you create and share virtual meeting notes in a collaboration-friendly space. Canvas even supports checklists, photos and other graphics, making it easy to capture all aspects of a meeting. And if you hold digital meetings using Slack huddles , you can bring a canvas right into a huddle for real-time note-taking.

Corporate meeting minutes example template

A pre-made template provides a simple framework for taking minutes and ensures you capture all of your meeting’s key details. Here is a corporate board meeting minute template to use as a starting point.

Share corporate meeting minutes instantly with Slack

Corporate meeting minutes should be transparent and accessible to all stakeholders. Slack makes sharing and storing critical information simple while providing a safe, secure space for your documents and other files , so you can share meeting minutes with peace of mind.

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How To Write Effective Meeting Minutes (with Templates and Samples)

New to writing meeting minutes.

Whether you’ve been tasked with taking notes for a committee or you’ve been appointed Secretary to the Board of your organization, preparing meeting minutes doesn’t have to be an arduous task. Here are some tips and ideas that will help you get started with writing and preparing effective meeting minutes, as well as a meeting minutes sample and a meeting minutes template that you can follow.

This guide on how to write meeting minutes was prepared by WildApricot to help the volunteers and/or staff of small non-profits and membership organizations who may be new to the task of taking and preparing minutes of meeting for committees or Boards of Directors.

What Are Meeting Minutes?

Meeting minutes are the written record of what was discussed and decided during a meeting. They typically include the date and time of the meeting, a list of attendees, a summary of the topics discussed, decisions made, action items assigned, and the time of adjournment.

Minutes are essential for providing an official account of the meeting, ensuring accountability, and helping attendees recall important details. They are usually prepared by a designated person, such as a secretary or administrative assistant, and are approved at the subsequent meeting.

What Should You Include When Writing Meeting Minutes?

The five steps that you must include are:

• Pre-Planning
• Record taking – at the meeting
• Minutes writing or transcribing
• Distributing or sharing of meeting minutes
• Filing or storage of minutes for future reference

For more detail on each step, read on!

Read more: 13 Meeting Minutes Templates for More Productive Nonprofit Board Meetings

Who Should Write the Meeting Minutes?

Meeting minutes are typically written by the designated secretary or administrative assistant of the group or organization. In some cases, a specific member of the group may be assigned to take minutes for a particular meeting.

The person responsible for writing the minutes should be someone who is attentive, detail-oriented, and capable of accurately capturing the discussions and decisions made during the meeting.

Meeting Minutes Template:

Here’s a simple template you can refer to next time you need to take meeting minutes:

Organization Name

Meeting Minutes

Opening: The meeting was called to order at [Time] by [Name] at [Location].

Present: [List of all present members]

Absent: [List of any members who were not present]

Approval of Agenda: The agenda was reviewed and approved.

Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the previous meeting were reviewed and approved.

Business From the Previous Meeting:

• [Summary of any motions or topics from the previous meeting, including decisions made]

New Business:

• [Summary of any new motions or topics raised, including decisions made]

Additions to the Agenda:

• [Summary of any additional items raised during the meeting]

Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at [Time] by [Name]. The next meeting will be held on [Date] at [Location].

Minutes submitted by: [Name]

Minutes approved by: [Name]

How to Create Your Meeting Minute Process

As mentioned above, there are essentially five steps involved with meeting minutes:

Pre-Plan Your Meeting Minutes

A well-planned meeting helps ensure effective meeting minutes.  If the Chair and the Secretary or minutes-taker work together to ensure the agenda and meeting are well thought out, it makes minute taking much easier.

For example, depending on the meeting structure and the tools you use, the minutes-taker could work with the Chair to create a document format that works as an agenda and minutes outline as well.

Set the Agenda of a Meeting

At the very least, it’s important to get a copy of the meeting agenda and use it as a guide or outline for taking notes, setting up your mom format, and preparing the minutes – with the order and numbering of items on the minutes of meeting matching those of the agenda.

In addition, the agenda and/or meeting notice also provides information that will need to be included in the minutes, such as:

• the names of all the meeting attendees, including guests or speakers
• documents that are sent out with the agenda or handed out in the meeting – copies (digital or hard copy) of handouts should be stored with the meeting minutes for future reference and for sharing with those who were unable to attend the meeting (and others as determined by the meeting’s Chair).

Clarify Expectations

When you take on a new role as minutes-taker or Secretary, be sure to ask the Chair of the committee or Board what their expectations are of your role during the meeting, as well as the type of detail he/she expects in the minutes.

For example, if your Board or committee will be dealing with motions, or voting on items/issues, be clear on whether you need to offer names of those making motions, seconding, etc. If you will be dealing with this type of procedures, you (and your Chair) may want to refer to Robert’s Rules of Order .

What Should Be Included in Meeting Minutes?

Before you start taking notes, it’s important to understand the type of information you need to record at the meeting. As noted earlier, your organization may have required content and a specific meeting minute format that you’ll need to follow, but generally, meeting minutes usually include the following:

• Date and time of the meeting
• Names of the meeting participants and those unable to attend (e.g., “regrets”)
• Acceptance or corrections/amendments to previous meeting minutes
• Actions taken or agreed to be taken
• Voting outcomes – e.g., (if necessary, details regarding who made motions; who seconded and approved or via show of hands, etc.)
• Motions taken or rejected
• Items to be held over
• New business
• Next meeting date and time

You can find more templates and details on formatting meeting minutes here.

The Minutes Writing Process

Once the meeting is over, it’s time to pull together your notes and write the minutes. Here are some tips that might help:

• Try to write the minutes as soon after the meeting as possible while everything is fresh in your mind.
• Review your outline and if necessary, add additional notes or clarify points raised. Also check to ensure all decisions, actions and motions are clearly noted.
• For Board of Director’s minutes in particular, we recommend including a short description of each action taken, as well as the rationale behind the decision
• If there was a lot of discussion before passing a motion, write down the major arguments for and against
• Edit to ensure brevity and clarity, so the minutes are easy to read
• Be objective
• Write in the same tense throughout
• Avoid using names other than to record motions and seconds.
• Avoid personal observations — the minutes should be solely fact-based
• If you need to refer to other documents, don’t try to summarize them. Rather, simply indicate where they can be found or attach them as an appendix

Meeting Minute Best Practices:

Create an outline.

As discussed earlier, having an outline (or template) based on the agenda makes it easy for you to simply jot down notes, decisions, etc. under each item as you go along. If you are taking notes by hand, consider including space below each item on your outline for your hand-written notes, then print these out and use this to capture minutes.

Check-off attendees as they join the meeting

If you know the meeting attendees, you can check them off as they arrive, if not have folks introduce themselves at the start of the meeting or circulate an attendance list they can check-off themselves.

Record decisions or notes on action items

As the meeting progresses, it will be critical to annotate decisions and key points made in your outline as soon as they occur to be sure they are recorded accurately. Include the names of the owners of the action items and other key personnel involved.

Ask for clarification if necessary

Don’t be afraid to speak up if you need clarification on something that was said in the meeting. It’s your job to make these meeting minutes as accurate as possible.

For example, if the group moves on without making a decision or an obvious conclusion, ask for clarification of the decision and/or next steps involved.

Don’t try to capture it all

You can’t keep up if you try to write down the conversation verbatim, so be sure to simply (and clearly) write (or type) just the decisions, assignments, action steps, etc.

Record the meeting

If you are concerned about being able to keep up with note taking, consider recording the meeting (e.g., on your smart phone, iPad, recording device, etc.) but be sure to let participants know they are being recording.

While you don’t want to use the recording to create a word-for-word transcript of the meeting, the recording can come in handy if you want to review the meeting for clarification.

Download our Meeting Minute Checklist for Associations and Nonprofits with sample minutes taken at a meeting and learn how to take better minutes. 

Meeting Minutes Samples:

Still wondering if you’re taking notes correctly? Here’s a sample of what meeting minutes at a board meeting might look like.

Do Meeting Minutes Have To Be Approved?

Yes, meeting minutes typically need to be approved to ensure accuracy and completeness. The approval process usually occurs at the beginning of the next meeting, where attendees review the minutes from the previous meeting and either approve them as written or suggest corrections.

Once approved, the minutes become the official record of the meeting. This process helps maintain transparency and accountability within the organization.

Before you share your meeting minutes, make sure that your board chair has reviewed and either revised and/or approved the minutes for circulation. They are not an official record of a meeting unless this has taken place.

Distributing or Sharing Meeting Minutes

As the official “minutes-taker” or Secretary, your role may include dissemination of the minutes.

Online sharing

The method of sharing or distribution will depend on the tools that you and your organization use. Since minutes and other documentation can create a pile of paper, it’s great if you can use a paperless sharing process. For example, if you are using a word processing tool (e.g., Microsoft Word) that doesn’t offer online sharing, you might want to create a PDF of the document and send this and the other attachments or meeting documentation via email.

Alternately, if you are all using Google docs – for meeting invitations, agenda and additional document sharing – you can simply “share” the document with that group once it has been finalized. Committee or Board members can simply read the documents online and save a few trees!

Sharing in the Cloud?

If your organization is using a cloud-based membership management system (like WildApricot ), you can publish the minutes as a web page and give access only to the committee or Board members, depending on your organization’s needs. Through members-only webpages, you can create a secure online Intranet for your Board and committees.

Tools Specifically For Meeting Minutes:

If you are wondering about the types of tools you might use specifically for meeting minutes, here are some tools that organizations we’ve worked with have found helpful:

• Google Docs:  Also supports collaborative note taking. [Here are some meeting minute sample templates in Google docs.  If you send out a meeting request using Google Calendar, you can attach a Google doc agenda outline. Once minutes are crafted (using the outline), you can simply share the document with the group using their email addresses.]
• OneNote :  (if you are a Microsoft user) – Very fast and allows for organization of notes.  Also support audio recording with corresponding note time-stamping.
• Notion: Notion is a great platform for organizing meeting minutes. It’s hierarchical document structure is a fantastic way to organize your meeting minutes in any way you want.
• Evernote :  Great note taking tool.
• Agreedo : supports creation of meeting minutes and tracking the results.
• minutes.io :  allows you to quickly take meeting minutes with hotkey shortcuts and the ability to work online or offline.

Filing/Storage of Meeting Minutes

Most committees and Boards review and either approve or amend the minutes at the beginning of the subsequent meeting. Once you’ve made any required revisions, the minutes will then need to be stored for future reference.

Some organizations may store these online (e.g., in Google docs or SkyDrive) and also back these up on an external hard drive.  You may also need to print and store hard copies as well or provide these to a staff member or Chair for filing.

What Is the Purpose of Meeting Minutes?

You shouldn’t be intimidated by the term “minutes”, since it’s actually a little misleading. After all, your committee or Board doesn’t want or need a record of its meeting proceedings minute by minute!  But it is important to capture the essence of the meeting, including details such as:

• decisions made (motions made, votes, etc.)
• next steps planned
• identification and tracking of action items

Minutes are a tangible record of the meeting for its participants and a source of information for members who were unable to attend. In some cases, meeting minutes can act as a reference point, for example:

• when a meeting’s outcomes impact other collaborative activities or projects within the organization
• minutes can serve to notify (or remind) individuals of tasks assigned to them and/or timelines

Download our Meeting Minute Checklist for Associations and Nonprofits with examples and learn how to take better minutes. 

Why Are They Called Minutes of a Meeting?

According to Today I Found Out , the “minutes” of “meeting minutes” don’t refer to the minute measurement of time, but to the “minute” (my-newt) notes taken during meetings.

And… If You’re a Nonprofit with Regular Board and Member Meetings

If you’re a nonprofit with regular board and member meetings and you want to save time and money managing your organization, get a free trial of WildApricot , an all-in-one membership management software which allows you to:

• Easily schedule online events with instant online payment processing and automated invoices.
• Create a stunning website with online member applications.
• Access an easy-to-search and filter contact database.
• Send out professionally-designed newsletters and emails.
• and much more.

Find out all the features of WildApricot’s free membership management software here .

WildApricot is also the the #1 rated membership management software used by over 20,000 organizations every day. Get your free trial now .

In Closing…Enjoy Your New Role!

Meeting minutes are important – after all, they capture the essential information of a meeting. But taking and preparing minutes doesn’t have to be a daunting task. We hope this article helps meeting minutes newbies in getting started in creating effective meeting minutes for your organization.

Thank you for reading our guide on how to write meeting minutes!

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Key Takeaways

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Meetings are the lifeblood of business and project management . Whether it’s brainstorming during discovery, planning for execution, or delivering results, meetings are essential for team collaboration. What makes meetings truly effective lies in well-crafted meeting minutes.

Why Take Meeting Minutes?

Meeting minutes, also known as meeting notes, capture the essence of a meeting. They provide a concise summary of key points discussed, ideas proposed, and decisions made. These minutes serve multiple purposes including providing a reference for future discussions, communication, especially to absent team members, and accountability by holding participants to their commitments and follow-up actions.

How to Take Meeting Minutes

Here are key steps to taking meeting minutes:

1. Draft an agenda before the actual meeting

Effective minute-taking starts before the actual meeting takes place. The first step to conducting a successful meeting involves setting clear objectives to help invitees understand the purpose of the meeting. Begin by creating an agenda that outlines discussion topics and key points. Use a structured template when doing so. Templates are mostly available in document format and can be found online. You can also create your own that better suits your specific needs.

2. Write or transcribe the minutes

During project meetings, the project manager plays a crucial role in taking accurate meeting minutes and capturing essential discussions, decisions, and action items. Write down as much information as you can, detailing who was presenting or speaking on a topic, what the questions were about the subject, what decisions were made, and what kind of follow-up is needed and who is responsible for such and when it should be done. Listen actively and summarize areas where it is impossible to write everything down word for word. Consider recording the meeting so you have something to refer to for items missed.

3. Review what you wrote

Immediately following the meeting, review what you’ve written and smooth out the information with anything that was left out. Follow up with the presenters and speakers to see if they have anything else to add and to verify if any information is missing. If a recording is available, go back to it and double-check if the information you have is correct. You can also export a meeting summary and transcription along with the recording.

4. Share meeting minutes

Keep everyone on the team informed by promptly sharing the notes captured during a meeting, ideally within 24 hours. Choose the format that makes sense for the team and project: an email, a shared document, or a dedicated folder on the cloud. Include attachments or links as supporting documentation. Also include important and descriptive information including name and date of meeting for quick reference.

5. File or store minutes for future reference

Maintain an organized archive of all meeting minutes. Arrange them by date and topic and consider saving in more than one place and format based on your organization’s preferred method of storage.

Guidelines for Creating Helpful and Useful Meeting Minutes

Let’s explore some essential guidelines for crafting effective and valuable meeting minutes that you can share with your team:

• Prepare a template before the meeting and include the meeting outline with placeholders for essential information so you can begin notetaking quickly.
• Subject of meeting, including name of project or phase
• Date, time, and location of the meeting and when it happened
• Names of attendees , including absent participants
• Specific agenda items and order of priority, if needed
• Status of all items even if there wasn’t time to hit all of them
• Acceptance of, or amendments made to, the previous meeting’s minutes
• Activities undertaken or agreed upon
• Next steps with detail on date and whom something is assigned to
• Outcomes of elections
• Motions accepted or rejected
• New business items discussed or planned
• Action items identified with key people assigned to them
• Date and time of the next meeting so people can plan and prepare
• Focus on summarizing discussions, actions, and outcomes, with an emphasis on critical points.
• Use labels such as initials, names, or tags to identify specific individuals for comments and action items.

Minute-Taking Best Practices

Meeting minutes are most useful when crafted following best practices. Consider some of these when recording meeting minutes at your next project meeting.

• Draft a meeting outline in advance and conveniently take copious notes that follow a topic list.
• Record the date, time, and names of the participants for future reference.
• Write down the meeting purpose so everyone in attendance understands the topic of discussion.
• Use the agenda to track key points discussed and take detailed notes about each topic, including what the next steps are and action items assigned.
• Listen before writing. It is better to note the gist of what was said rather than write down everything word for word. Recording a meeting can be helpful if you have to go back and clarify what was discussed.
• Keep track of action items including who is to do what and by when. Use this list when doing a follow-up and check off completed items.
• Use bullet points and keywords for readability so that anyone reading the minutes can quickly understand what was discussed and they can find a topic easily.
• Stick to facts and leave out personal opinions and specifics about what someone had to say.
• Outline the next steps with key dates and people identified . There should be no question as to who is assigned to do which task.
• Decide on the next meeting date and indicate that in the notes and in a calendar invite to the team.
• Leverage AI technology to create a meeting summary and transcript . Some meeting apps have a built-in recorder and transcriber.
• Share the meeting minutes promptly , ideally within 24 hours to keep the topic fresh and top of mind.
• Keep it simple!

Free Meeting Minutes Templates

Using a template is good for saving time and maintaining consistency in your note-taking. A template can also help you plan and set up the meeting in advance so you can accomplish meeting goals within the allotted time. Free meeting minutes templates are available on numerous websites in several formats.

Here are sample templates to check out.

Meeting Minutes Example

Most meeting minutes expertly capture essential discussion, decisions, and action items related to the project. Use this example of hypothetical meeting minutes for a digital marketing agency web project to see what is included and how it is organized:

Digital Marketing Agency Project Meeting Minutes

Date: March 22, 2024 Time: 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM Location: Virtual (Zoom)

• Project Manager (PM): Jane Doe
• Web Developer (WD): Alex Smith
• Content Writer (CW): Emily Johnson
• SEO Specialist (SEO): Mark Lee
• Project Kickoff and Scope Review
• Website Wireframes and Design Updates
• Content Strategy and SEO Optimization
• Action Items and Next Steps

Discussion Highlights:

• The PM reviewed the project scope, emphasizing the importance of meeting deadlines.
• Discussed client expectations and project milestones.
• WD presented revised wireframes for the homepage and key landing pages.
• Team provided feedback on layout, navigation, and mobile responsiveness.
• Agreed to finalize wireframes by the end of the week.
• CW shared content calendar for blog posts and product pages.
• SEO discussed keyword research and on-page optimization.
• Decided to integrate targeted keywords into meta tags and headings.
• WD to incorporate wireframe feedback and share updated versions.
• CW to start drafting blog content based on the content calendar.
• SEO to perform a technical SEO audit and address any issues.
• PM to schedule a follow-up meeting in two weeks.

Action Items:

• WD: Revise wireframes and share by Friday.
• CW: Begin writing blog content for approval.
• SEO: Conduct technical SEO audit and address findings.
• PM: Send calendar invite for the next meeting.

Next Meeting:

• Date: April 5, 2024
• Agenda: Content review, SEO progress, and project updates.

The Bottom Line

Meeting minutes provide a centralized record of discussions, decisions, and action items. When questions arise later, referring to these minutes helps provides clarity.

Documented tasks create a sense of responsibility for team members. When action items are clearly outlined in the minutes, concerned parties are more likely to take ownership of their assigned tasks, an accountability that contributes to project progress.

Meeting minutes also serve as a valuable reference point for follow-ups. Project managers can track progress, revisit decisions, and ensure that action items are being addressed. When team members need to check details or verify information, the minutes provide a reliable source.

Meticulous meeting minutes enhance communication and make informed decision-making possible within your team. Practice makes perfect when it comes to note-taking—it is a skill that improves over time. 

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How to Write Meeting Minutes: Tips, Examples, and Templates

Table of Contents

How often have you finished a meeting and thought to yourself, “What just happened?”  

Well, you’re not alone. According to Pumble’s 2023 meeting statistics , employees attend between 11 and 15 weekly meetings. Consequently, they need to absorb a lot of new information, and some need help to keep track of all necessary details. 

Fortunately, with concise and thorough meeting minutes, they can find notes about in-person or virtual meetings in one place. 

Hence, in this article, we’ll help you learn how to write meeting minutes and optimize the process with 4 free templates. 

Without further ado, let’s dive in.

• Meeting minutes are a written record of important messages. 
• They simplify the planning process and help you keep track of the latest developments. 
• Prepare for the meeting — select a format of meeting minutes and check the meeting agenda — so that you can take better meeting notes. 
• Ask the right questions during the meeting and write down the answers in your meeting notes. 
• Feel free to use some of our templates for your meeting minutes.

What are meeting minutes? 

Meeting minutes are a written record of everything that occurs during a meeting.  

Furthermore, they also serve as:

• A reminder of upcoming projects and deadlines ,
• A handy summary for those who can’t attend a meeting , 
• A record of a company’s progress during a specific period , and
• Proof of a business’s ethical practices . 

They also offer a plethora of other benefits about which we will learn more below. 

What is the purpose of meeting minutes? 

The purpose of meeting minutes is to simplify the planning and decision-making process since they keep participants up to speed with the latest developments. 

Besides the aforementioned main purpose, the objectives of meeting minutes are also: 

• To increase accountability , 
• To minimize the FOMO effects ,
• To foster appraisal of good performance , and 
• To lead to a better performance review .   

To illustrate this, here’s an example of meeting minutes coming in handy in the workplace. 

Imagine a professional who gets assigned a new task during a meeting with management, and takes meeting minutes. 

Thanks to the minutes they took, they have all important information in one place, so they can easily organize their work schedule and plan due dates for each part of the assignment. 

Furthermore, they can share the minutes with colleagues who weren’t at the meeting and keep them up to date with the latest tasks. Hence, the fear of FOMO in the workplace is reduced, if not completely eradicated. 

As a result, the team can finish the assignment much easier and without unnecessary stress. 

This also has some fringe benefits — stress-free progress leads the team morale to grow, resulting in a better work culture and team engagement . 

Finally, taking regular meeting minutes before, during, and after completing the task can be an invaluable asset during any performance review because it can serve as proof of successful work and commitment. 

💡 Pumble Pro Tip

Taking meeting minutes helps you preserve your mental health. 

To learn what else contributes to your mental health, check out the following article: 

• Mental Health in the (Remote) Workplace  

Tips for efficient minute taking

Efficient meeting minute taking consists of 3 stages: 

• Preparing for the meeting, 
• Taking meeting notes, and
• Organizing notes after the meeting. 

Since many minute-takers are directly involved in arranging the meeting, their responsibilities quickly pile up, and focusing on structuring a clear summary can be a challenge. 

Hence, we have gathered a few important tips for every stage that will help you take and organize meeting minutes more efficiently. 

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What to do before a meeting

Although the meeting may be days or weeks away, that doesn’t mean you should wait until the last minute to prepare for the event. 

On the contrary, if you devote a bit of time to the following pre-meeting tasks, you’ll take the hassle out of taking minutes in the future. 

So, let’s see what you should do before taking down the minutes for a meeting. 

Step #1: Select a format

The meeting minutes of an organization should follow a uniform format. This approach allows all attendees who review the notes to identify relevant information quickly since they’re already familiar with the format. 

Additionally, using meeting minutes templates prevents the session from veering off-topic and ensures that everyone:

• Understands the purpose of the meeting,
• Recognizes future goals,
• Has access to the necessary paperwork, 
• Is ready to contribute to their team, and
• Understands what their duties and deadlines are. 

Larger organizations typically use several templates for different types of meetings . 

For example, you’ll need to use a more formal style for board meetings, while a weekly team meeting is more relaxed and you can use a simple format. 

If you’re unsure about the best approach, don’t hesitate to reach out to the chairperson or your manager. They can give you existing meeting minutes examples or suggest the most suitable format. 

Step #2: Determine and recheck the agenda

According to Joanna Gutmann, a consultant specializing in meeting skills and author of Taking Minutes of Meetings , a helpful agenda ensures that all attendees are well-prepared for the upcoming session. 

She also adds that one of its primary purposes is “to give structure to the minutes.”  

While minute-takers contribute significantly to the agenda, the meeting organizer usually comes up with the items the participants will discuss. 

Therefore, when reviewing the agenda with the meeting organizer, make sure to go over the layout of the items. 

The plan should have a certain order so the participants can stay focused on one topic until they’re done discussing it, instead of jumping from one topic to the next. 

Although no agenda design is perfect, Gutmann advises that it’s best “to deal with important items first.” For most people, concentration is at its highest at the start of a meeting, so it’s an excellent tactic to resolve critical issues before the group loses momentum. 

If you work remotely and want to learn what makes online meetings fun and engaging, check out the following article: 

• How to Make Virtual Meetings Fun  

How to take meeting notes during a meeting

After pre-planning the meeting, it’s time to think about the best practices that will allow you to take concise minutes. 

Step #1: Consider recording the meeting

Even when participants closely adhere to the agenda, they may talk over each other, preventing you from capturing each point. 

If you’re concerned about keeping up with such a rapid pace, you can record the meeting and refer to the file when polishing up the meeting minutes draft. 

Of course, always ask the attendees whether they’re okay with you recording the session . 

If your organization uses a business communication app like Pumble , you can quickly ask the attendees for their consent beforehand. 

Remember that you shouldn’t take entire sentences from the recording and incorporate them into the minutes. 

Instead, the recording serves as a reminder of what was said, and you should listen to it to further clarify specific items.

Step #2: Take attendance

One of the first things a minute-taker does at the beginning of a meeting is take note of who is in attendance. 

For smaller gatherings, you can record the names of participants as they enter the conference room or join a virtual call . 

But, for larger meetings, it may be more convenient to pass around an attendance list or check the responses on the virtual invite. 

In addition to creating a list of attendees, your company may require you to include additional information in the minutes, such as:

• The names of absent participants, and
• The names of those who have sent in an apology. 

Step #3: Stick to the main points

The minutes should be short and straightforward. 

But, how do you determine which details are worth including when there is a constant fear that you will overwhelm your minutes with too many details? 

Fortunately, Gutmann explains that there is a way — you should follow “the action triangle” for each action item minute-takers record.

So, for every decision you add to your notes, make sure to explain the following:

• What task the meeting participants have agreed on,
• Who is responsible for seeing the project through,
• When the team expects the responsible party will complete the job. 

Step #4: Ask questions

Strategy meetings can last 60 to 90 minutes, while decision-making meetings can stretch over several hours, depending on the decision-making model the company employs. 

As executives and participants try to cover as much ground as possible, interrupting and asking for clarification sometimes feels rude. 

However, as the minute-taker, your task is to compile an accurate and thorough record, and you should ask for more insight when necessary. 

For example, if you notice the group has moved on to a new item without reaching a clear outcome, you can ask one of the following questions:

“Could you confirm this action for the meeting minutes?”

“Would you mind repeating the deadline for this project?”

“Who is responsible for carrying out this task?”

And just like that, you’ll have the necessary details to expand your meeting minutes draft, and the session will continue as planned, with no major disruptions. 

If you’re still worried about asking questions during or even after the meeting, we recommend checking out the following articles, as they will surely help you formulate your questions better: 

• How to Ask Better Questions at Work
• How to Ask for Help Professionally & Politely: A Guide With Practical Examples
• How to Ask Tough Questions at Work    

What to do after a meeting

You’ve carefully followed the meeting, and now you have a rough outline you’ll use to craft the meeting minutes. 

The below tips will help you streamline the process and allow you to keep all your coworkers in the loop. 

Step #1: Edit the notes

When proofreading your notes, eliminate typos and select the optimal style format. 

Many organizations follow the AP style guide, but your company may have a different preference. 

To ensure maximum brevity, try to:

• Stay objective,
• Remove personal observations,
• Use the same verb tense in the entire document, and
• Attach additional documents as an appendix or insert a link to the relevant pages.

And, as Gutmann points out, meeting minutes are all about “the message, not the words.”  

So, take some time to reread the minutes and weed out flowery language. 

Step #2: Flesh out the minutes with contextual information

There’s a fine line between producing unbiased and fact-based minutes and adding too much context. 

Generally, only write names when referring to action items and voting motions. 

When a coworker who couldn’t attend the meeting glances at the summary, the minutes will tell them with whom they should follow up with for any remaining inquiries. 

If you or your coworker needs to send a follow-up message or email for any additional inquiries, then this article will help: 

• How to Write a Follow-up Email Professionally  

Step #3: Share the meeting minutes

A company can only be successful with collaborative communication . 

Thus, you must distribute the meeting minutes and make sure they’re accessible to your coworkers. 

Since more and more businesses of all sizes are choosing the remote-first approach , you can use a team communication app like Pumble to share files in a designated channel, like in the example below. 

Extra tip: How to take concise meeting minutes 

To take concise meeting minutes, you should include the following: 

• The subject and title of the meeting,
• The time and date of the meeting,
• The name and title of the attendees,
• The meeting agenda,
• A brief overview of all discussion points,
• A summary of the action items and major conclusions, and
• The date and time of the next meeting.

Note that the above sections may vary in length. 

For example, the title, time, and date take up a single line at most, while you’ll likely need several paragraphs to summarize the agenda. On the other hand, the easiest and most efficient way to organize the names of attendees is in the form of a bullet point list. 

4 free minute meeting templates 

Since professionals nowadays have at least a few (online or in-person) meetings each week and likely don’t have too much time at their disposal, we have decided to help. 

To save you invaluable time, we have created a few templates that will help you tackle the topics of the most common meetings : 

• One-on-one meetings , 
• Corporate meetings, 
• Business meetings, and 
• Team meetings. 

Let’s see what they look like. 

One-on-one meeting minutes template

Although some think one-on-one meetings don’t require an agenda or minutes, a template can help both parties remain on topic. 

Whether you’re meeting with your mentor, coach, or superior, an easy-to-follow summary helps lay the foundation for all future sessions. 

🔽 Download the free One-on-one meeting minutes template

Corporate meeting minutes template 

Whether you’re taking minutes for a board of directors, shareholder, or board committee meeting, you’ll need to keep track of serious actions and discussions. 

Our template begins with a standard Call to Order, moves into an attendance list, and lays out discussion topics like reports.

🔽 Download the free Corporate meeting minutes

Business meeting minutes template

When developing a service or product, meetings ensure that all employees share the same goals and do their best to help the business reach important milestones. 

With our customizable business meeting minutes template, you can: 

• Check-in with different teams, 
• Organize team updates, and 
• Assess their progress so far. 

🔽 Download the free Business meeting minutes template

Team meeting minutes template

Team meeting minutes are essential for holding each member accountable and keeping everybody on the same page. 

Whether you prefer to have weekly or monthly sessions, a good template can make the discussions more productive and ensure that the team meets all deadlines. 

🔽 Download the free Team meeting minutes template

Meetings can involve messages or quick video/audio calls — try Pumble, for better team communication.

Pumble and meeting minutes — the perfect combination! 

Since many companies have adopted hybrid or remote work models, video conferencing has become one of the most desirable features of collaboration tools. 

Therefore, since it offers a reliable video conferencing option and a plethora of other amazing features, Pumble has become a great solution for many teams. 

Aside from video conferencing, Pumble also helps the team communicate and collaborate with each other via: 

• Direct messages, 
• Unlimited message history, 
• Audio calls, and 
• Audio messages. 

When you hold meetings via Pumble, you won’t have to worry about the quality of your call — you’ll be able to catch every important detail for your meeting minutes, as long as you have a stable internet connection. 

A reliable video conference feature combined with some of the templates mentioned above will help you utilize every moment of your meeting and plan your next steps confidently. 

Martina Stojkovski is a communication author and researcher passionate about exploring innovative strategies that enhance collaboration. With her expertise, she aspires to empower individuals and teams to soar beyond their limits by crafting insightful articles. When she’s not typing away, you’ll probably find her nose-deep in a good book.

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How to take effective meeting minutes (with templates)

Meeting minutes is a routine duty but should not be taken lightly. They are an official written record of a meeting, and the most effective meeting minutes will offer a clear picture of what happened there. These are a critical element of corporate and board meetings , shareholder meetings and more, and they’re not just for those who couldn’t attend in person.

Without meeting minutes, details about executive meeting decisions, task assignments and other organizational actions may become hazy over time and could put the board at legal risk. Meeting minutes are proof of why and how a board came to the decisions it made. The IRS, state laws, and your national chapter (if applicable) may require you to retain your meeting minutes.

For all these reasons, board meeting minutes must accurately reflect the actions and decisions of the board. To help you take more effective meeting minutes, this article will explain:

• What meeting minutes are
• What is considered effective meeting minutes

How to take meeting minutes effectively

• Tips, templates and technology for better meeting minutes

What are meeting minutes?

Meeting minutes record a board's or committee's actions and deliberations during a meeting. They should contain specific details about the meeting, including the wording of resolutions passed by the board and a general description of agenda items and actions the board took on them. Fiduciary duties are an essential part of the board director’s responsibilities. Meeting minutes should reflect that board directors act with loyalty, care and good faith.

Board meeting minutes should also note advisors’ participation in the meeting and whether the board relied on the experts' advice.

What makes effective meeting minutes?

Effective meeting minutes are two-fold. They must simultaneously convey the discussions and decisions that occurred during the meeting and contain certain components that support good corporate governance and protect the board and the organization from undue or unexpected legal allegations.

The order of items, how they're titled, and the degree of detail are less important than the meeting activities. It's more important for minute-takers to record the actions and decisions of the board and the rationale behind their actions and decisions without so much detail as to cloud their true intentions.

With the help of a template and a clear, step-by-step process, you can end the stress of minute-taking. Here's a guide on how to take effective meeting minutes that maximize the productivity of the meeting.

• Prepare for the meeting: Collaborate with the meeting leader to ensure the agenda is well-planned and productive. Try obtaining a copy of the meeting agenda to help develop an outline and structure your minutes. The outline should leave ample space to write a brief explanation for each action or motion and the time each action was taken.
• Review the meeting agenda: Organize your notes by writing the agenda item each minute corresponds to. This makes it clear what each minute is about and eliminates the guesswork. Agendas also provide key details that need to be included in minutes, such as names of meeting attendees and guest speakers.
• Mark attendance: As meeting participants walk in, you can cross them off of your attendee list if you're familiar with them. If you're not, you can either pass around a sign-in sheet or begin the meeting with quick introductions. This makes it easier to identify people who could not attend the meeting.
• Focus on the most critical aspects of the meeting: Concentrating on minutiae will lead you to miss the larger context. Instead, convey objectively what attendees discussed and the outcomes of those discussions, including how board members voted on various resolutions .
• Ask for clarification: Speak up if you need clarity on outcomes, particularly if a clear decision wasn't made or if the next steps weren't obvious. Remember: record notes for each decision or action as it occurs.
• Immediately write the final version: A common misconception is that what you record during the meeting is final. The reality is that you can take time after the meeting adjourns to finalize your notes. Review your notes to ensure they’re genuinely effective meeting minutes, and if needed, add notes for clarity or ask the meeting leader to explain specific details further. Ensure that each action taken by the board has a brief explanation and a rationale for the decision.
• Organize supplemental materials: If other documents were included in the meeting, make a note of where they can be found or attach them as an appendix, but don't summarize them.
• Distribute the minutes: Securely send the meeting minutes to the board for review before finalizing. The minutes can be distributed via email using a password-protected PDF or a collaborative board portal, which is the most efficient and secure option. You should also store a hard copy for future reference.
• Store the minutes: Be sure to back them up to an external hard drive as an extra precaution unless you're using a service that includes good co-location and disaster recovery services. Many minutes contain sensitive information, so it's critical to store them in a secure location that is password-protected and only accessible to approved meeting members.

Meeting minutes template

There's no shortage of templates for effective meeting minutes. Most corporations start with a basic format, which evolves according to the company's needs. Boards may select from the components below and include them in their meeting minutes format . Name and corporate logo Board minutes should list the name of the corporation at the top of the letterhead. Most companies also add their logo and corporate headquarters address, phone number and website address. Date and location Usually, board meeting minutes list the month, day and year of the meeting. This section also lists whether it's a regular, annual, special or emergency meeting. The location of the meeting follows this information and may state whether all or some portion of the meeting will be held by teleconference or videoconference. Attendees This list of meeting attendees typically comes next. This section lists the board members who were present, those who were absent and whether a quorum was present. The list of attendees will also include any special presenters, outside counsel, experts or guests. Agenda This is the point in the meeting where things often change. It doesn't matter what order the committee reports are listed in or whether the board chooses to do a brief assessment of how their meeting went. It's just important to record the main actions and decisions of the board. Any order works fine. For litigation or questions on board actions, effective meeting minutes will follow a consistent format. Many boards find it helpful to list agenda items that correspond to the type of action the board needs to take. Formatting minutes like this simplifies the task for minute-takers. For example, each agenda item may be followed by one of the following words:

• Information

Proceedings The proceedings detail the items the board discussed in the order they discussed them. The minutes should reflect who called the meeting to order and the time the person called the meeting to order. Typically, this is the board chair, but it could be someone else if the board chair is absent for any reason.

The chief executive usually submits a report for every meeting that details the state of the corporation since the last meeting. This report includes any new developments and challenges. The chief executive report is usually followed by standing committee reports and then ad hoc committee reports. Standing committees may include the finance committee, the executive committee, and the nominating and governance committee. Ad hoc committees tackle specific objectives or tasks and are usually dissolved after they achieve those objectives. Unfinished business or old business Many corporations still use the term 'old business' to refer to agenda items that they carried over from the previous meeting. A term that more accurately describes this section is unfinished business because the items may not be old at all, and the board may just need additional time to address them. New business These are new items on the agenda that the board has not yet discussed. Often, these items are accompanied by reports, articles, research or other supporting documentation. Open dialogue Not all boards allow time for open dialogue. Whether boards include this section speaks to the tradition and culture of the board. Having an open dialogue allows board directors time to discuss matters that don't fit cleanly into other parts of the agenda. Public participation Some corporations hold public meetings at least some of the time. If so, effective meeting minutes should reflect that members of the public attended the meeting and make note of the issues they presented. The board may ask questions of individuals from the public, but they normally don't answer them directly during the meeting. Comments and announcements This portion of the minutes documents comments on industry issues or other important matters. This is also a time for the board chair to make announcements of board directors who will be appointed or are leaving. This section includes honoring board directors for special achievements. Assessment of meeting To streamline their meetings and increase productivity, some boards allow a short amount of time at the end of the board meeting for members to comment on how well the board meeting was run and where they can improve the process. Adjournment The final words list who called for the adjournment of the meeting and at what time the meeting was adjourned. Minute-taker The person taking minutes should list their name and title.

Tips for ensuring effective meeting minutes

Taking effective meeting minutes is something of an art and a science, blending the board’s unique culture with the components of good corporate governance . To take the most effective minutes possible, secretaries should strive to:

• Use consistent language: Minutes should be written using consistent language and a consistent approach. Meeting minutes can be called into court, so they must contain clear, concise and unambiguous information so that court officials won't need to seek other sources to clarify or substantiate information.
• Remain objective: Use neutral language whenever possible and steer clear of adjectives and adverbs that reflect value judgments.
• Correct errors: Minute-takers and the board chair or board president should carefully review and edit the minutes to correct any typographical errors and other misleading information that could call the entire record into question.
• Disclose conflicts: Meeting minutes should reveal any conflicts of interest and how the board resolved them.
• Mention if an attorney was present: Effective meeting minutes should reflect whether the board held privileged discussions with their attorney and, if so, simply indicate that the board participated with their legal counsel and provide the most general reference information available.
• Reflect executive sessions: The NYSE requires board directors of publicly listed corporations to meet in regularly scheduled executive sessions where management isn't present to allow for candid discussions among independent directors. Minutes should reflect that the board held this meeting, who attended it, when the meeting was held and how long the meeting lasted.
• Seek oversight: Excellence and diligence in minute-taking ensure that best practices for good corporate governance are linked to disclosure controls and procedures . The individual who takes minutes should have guidance and oversight by another individual who has the proper experience and education to employ best practices to foster excellence in governance .

How technology can improve meeting minutes

Minute-taking software has made it easier for the secretary to prepare for meetings, take minutes, and write up final copies of meeting minutes faster and more accurately. The right technology creates effective meeting minutes that are:

• More secure : Besides the vast amount of time it takes to manually complete board meeting minutes, there's a greater security issue. It's easy for notebooks, loose-leaf papers and scratch papers to fall off the table or get lost in the shuffle. Paper documents provide no security for board directors. Minute-taking software has built-in security, alleviating these problems. The product incorporates other enhancements as well.
• Less time-intensive: Secretaries or other minute-takers usually spend weeks or months preparing for a board meeting . Once everything is set for the meeting, the secretary must listen diligently to board discussions, deciding what information should be included in the minutes. The final copy of the minutes goes out to the board directors at the next meeting for formal approval . This process entails additional hours of printing papers, copying them, and allowing time for the minutes to be distributed to the directors. Minute-taking software streamlines this process, making it less resource-intensive and more accurate.
• Streamlined note-taking: One of the many challenges for anyone taking minutes is to keep track of the topics. Minute-taking software has a built-in feature that automatically adds folder tabs for each meeting topic. The user simply clicks on the proper folder and types in the notes. The director can add the notes to the minutes later when they have more time to think through what information needs to be added or changed.
• More collaborative: One of the many benefits of an electronic template for meeting minutes is that the secretary can easily share the template with the board chair, making it easier and more efficient to collaborate. The software also makes it possible for board directors to communicate via messaging to the board chair or secretary during the meeting without undue disruption if they need to make a timely point.
• Aligned with good governance: Good corporate governance requires board meeting minutes to be organized, accurate and formatted consistently. Diligent Minutes , part of the Diligent One Platform , meets this need and more. Much of the work of the minute-taker happens automatically as the minute-taking software pulls in information from the board book inside the security of the board portal.

Turn meeting minutes into a tool for board effectiveness

Effective meeting minutes are essential for capturing the essence of board meeting issues and outcomes. This capture becomes a pillar of board effectiveness — with the right record, boards can take action on meeting activities rather than leaving them at the table.

In this way, corporate secretaries and minute-takers should be more than scribes. They can be a trusted advisor who helps boards eliminate risk, identify opportunities, and ultimately, operate more efficiently than ever. Download the checklist from Diligent to learn more ways corporate secretaries can help take governance to the next level.

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Meeting Minutes Template

14 free meeting minutes templates you can download in any format. Taking meeting minutes has never been easier!

While not every gathering has meeting minutes, the most effective ones do. Meeting minutes do not have to be wordy, but they do need to be clearly structured and easy to use in order to be effective. They should summarize the action items discussed during the meeting to ensure it is effective and productive.

What Are Meeting Minutes?

What are “minutes of meeting”? The title can be intimidating because no one can keep up with writing a minute-by-minute account of a meeting. Actually, while the meeting minutes are called minutes, like the measurement of time, the original meaning was minute as in minutiae, meaning the details of what happened. This is as opposed to the broad agenda of what was planned for the meeting. See meeting agenda template .

Meeting minutes are a written record of what happened during a meeting.

These will be read by people who didn’t go to the meeting. It will also be read by diligent attendees who want to know what the takeaways from the meeting were. What are the next action steps? What was decided? Who is working on what things? People who were assigned tasks may consult the minutes so they can remember what their next steps are. Managers may consult to ensure that everyone completed the tasks that were assigned to them. These are all questions people may have when they come looking to the meeting minutes for answers, so it’s important the minutes of the meeting (sometimes referred to as MOM) cover these details.

The MOM template is available in Word and Excel format. Therefore, if you need a MOM format in Excel then select the Excel version. If you prefer a document format then select the MS Word version. You can open the MOM template Excel with Google Sheets and the Word template with Google Docs.

Simple Meeting Minutes Template

Word | Excel

Word | Editable PDF | Image | Excel

Board Meeting Minutes Template

Board meeting minutes are a formal record of the discussions, decisions, and actions taken during a board of directors’ meeting. They serve to document the board’s activities, ensuring accountability, transparency, and compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.

Here is a meeting minutes example for a board meeting but you can use any of the templates on this page and adapt them to your needs since the titles are editable.

Project Meeting

Project meeting minutes are a detailed record of the discussions, progress updates, decisions, and action items from a project meeting. They help track the project’s status, outline tasks, and document any issues and resolutions to ensure effective project management and accountability.

Team Meeting

Minutes of Meeting Format (MOM Format)

Unless you are taking formal meeting minutes in places such as the parliament there is usually no specific format for minutes of meetings. It is more important for them to be effective than to be written in a specific format.

We offer 14 different possible formats for you to edit as you please. Choose the minutes of meeting format that is closest to the one that you want to use and edit it to reach your ideal format.

If you find a meeting notes template you like as-is, you can download the editable PDF or the image file. You can type on the editable PDF file and then save or print it.

If not, select the meeting minutes template Word version if you want to make any changes to the layout or wording. If you prefer to use a spreadsheet for minute taking, then select the meeting minutes template Excel version.

Once you are satisfied with the format, add a summary of the meeting.

Typical Sections in a MOM Format

• The subject or title of the meeting.
• When the meeting took place.
• Where the meeting was held (if applicable).
• List of all participants in the meeting.
• The list of topics to be discussed during the meeting.
• Discussion Points: Key points discussed during the meeting.
• Decisions Made: Decisions that were made during the meeting.
• Action Items: Tasks or actions that need to be completed, along with the person responsible and the deadline.
• Date and time for the next scheduled meeting, if applicable.
• Any other relevant information or observations.

Example MOM Format

This is a minutes of meeting sample to give you an idea how the template looks when complete.

Meeting Title: Project Kickoff Meeting

Date and Time: May 24, 2024, 10:00 AM

• Location: Conference Room B
• Alice Johnson
• Project Introduction
• Roles and Responsibilities
• Project Timeline
• Budget Overview

Discussion Points:

• Project Introduction: Overview of the project objectives and scope.
• Roles and Responsibilities: Discussion on the roles of each team member.
• Project Timeline: Presentation of the project timeline and key milestones.
• Budget Overview: Review of the project budget and financial considerations.
• Q&A: Open floor for questions from attendees.

Decisions Made:

• Approved project timeline with minor adjustments.
• Confirmed roles and responsibilities as outlined.

Action Items:

• John Doe: Finalize project timeline by May 26, 2024.
• Jane Smith: Prepare detailed budget report by May 28, 2024.

Next Meeting:

• Date: June 1, 2024
• Time: 10:00 AM

Additional Notes:

• Ensure all team members have access to project documentation.

How to open the templates in Google Docs?

• Download any of the Word documents on this page and save it on your computer.
• Open your Google Drive and click “New”.
• Select “File upload”.
• Select the meeting minutes template Word doc and click “Open”. The minutes of meeting sample that you selected will now upload.
• Double-click the document that you uploaded.
• Click “Open with”.
• Select “Google Docs”.

How to Write Minutes of Meeting

This quick outline will help you if you are not sure how to write minutes in a meeting as a secretary or as a participant.

Writing effective minutes of a meeting involves capturing the essential details of the discussion, decisions made, and any actions agreed upon.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you write clear and concise minutes:

1. Prepare Before the Meeting

• Review the meeting agenda : Understand the key topics and objectives of the meeting. When you use our free meeting agenda template then you will already have a list of topics which will make it easier to prepare minutes.
• Select a MOM template : Use a consistent format for your minutes. Select any of the templates above. Include sections for the meeting’s date, time, location, attendees, agenda items, and action items. We have included 14 different templates to ensure that at least one will be close to the format you need. Find a minutes of meeting sample that best suits your needs.
• Know the participants : Familiarize yourself with the names and roles of attendees.

2. During the Meeting

Print the template for meeting minutes that you are going to use and keep it in front of you so you can start filling out information such as names, date, time, and other essential details as the meeting progresses. This will save you time later and ensure you don’t forget any important details.

• Date, time, and location of the meeting.
• List of attendees : Include who is present, absent, and any special guests. It may be helpful to have a list of expected attendees ahead of time, and then you can mark them as they arrive. If you don’t know the attendees, it is okay to ask everyone to introduce themselves at the start of a meeting.
• Approval of previous minutes : Note if the previous meeting’s minutes were approved or any corrections were made.
• Summarize discussions : Capture the key points made during discussions, avoiding verbatim details. Focus on decisions, agreements, disagreements, and reasons for decisions.
• Record decisions and actions : Clearly state what was decided, who is responsible for any follow-up actions, and any deadlines. If there are action items that were brought up but left open, make note of where the meeting left off on those action items. This makes them trackable for people in the future. Most of our meeting templates include an action items section to complete during or after a meeting. A minutes of meeting template with action items will ensure that the meeting is productive.
• Note assignments : Assign tasks to specific individuals, including deadlines if mentioned.
• Capture motions and votes : If formal decisions are made, note who made the motion, who seconded it, and the result of the vote.

3. After the Meeting

• Review your notes immediately : While the discussion is fresh in your mind, ensure your notes are clear and complete.
• Type the minutes : Use your template to organize the notes into a structured document.
• Be concise : Focus on clarity and brevity, avoiding unnecessary details.
• Distribute the minutes : Send the minutes to all attendees and any relevant parties, ideally within 24-48 hours after the meeting.

4. Sample Minutes Format

• Heading : Include the organization name, date, time, and location of the meeting.
• Attendees : List everyone who attended, along with their titles.
• Approval of Previous Minutes : Mention if the previous minutes were approved or note any corrections.
• Item 1 : Summary of discussion, decisions made, action items, and assigned responsibilities.
• Item 2 : Continue with each agenda item following the same format.
• Other Business : Note any additional topics discussed that were not on the agenda.
• Next Meeting : State the date, time, and location of the next meeting. If there is another meeting date and time in the future, include the next meeting date at the bottom of the minutes.
• Adjournment : Note the time the meeting ended.

5. Final Review

• Proofread : Check for any grammatical errors or inconsistencies.
• Seek approval : If required, have the minutes reviewed by the meeting chairperson before distributing.

By following these steps, you’ll ensure your minutes are accurate, organized, and useful for all meeting participants.

How To Make Meetings More Effective

Making meetings more effective involves careful planning, clear communication, and ensuring that all participants are engaged and focused. Here are some strategies to help you run more productive and efficient meetings:

1. Set Clear Objectives

• Define the purpose : Ensure every meeting has a clear goal or set of objectives. Ask yourself, “What do we need to accomplish by the end of this meeting?”
• Create an agenda : Outline the topics to be discussed and allocate specific time slots for each. Share the  meeting agenda  with participants in advance so they can prepare.

      Break the Agenda into Topics

• Time allocation : Break down the agenda into specific topics and dedicate a set amount of time to each. This helps keep the meeting focused and ensures that all important issues are addressed. Make sure that when you create your agenda, you put your most vital discussion topics first. Sometimes people are tempted to save the best for last or lead into those topics, but you may run out of time. Therefore, it is important that you focus on your most important topics first. Use your time wisely.
• Manage time wisely : If you find you are going over the allotted time for a topic, consider moving on to the next agenda item or scheduling a follow-up discussion. This helps maintain the meeting’s flow and ensures all topics are covered within the allotted time.

2. Invite the Right People

• Limit attendance : Only invite people who are necessary for the discussion or decision-making process. This keeps the meeting focused and prevents unnecessary distractions.
• Assign roles : Designate a facilitator to guide the discussion, a timekeeper to manage the schedule, and a note-taker to capture key points and decisions.

3. Start and End on Time

• Punctuality is key : Begin the meeting on time, even if some participants are late. This encourages a culture of punctuality.
• Set a firm end time : Stick to the scheduled end time to respect everyone’s time. If the discussion needs more time, schedule a follow-up meeting.
• If your agenda has notes on time for each discussion topic, stick to that timeline. If the topic isn’t wrapping up and the time is up, then you are allowed to say that this will need to be handled at another time because this meeting doesn’t have room for all of this.

4. Encourage Participation

• Engage everyone : Ensure all participants have the opportunity to contribute. Ask for input from quieter members and avoid letting any one person dominate the discussion.
• Stay on topic : If the conversation veers off course, gently steer it back to the agenda items.

5. Focus on Decisions and Action Items

• Prioritize decision-making : Use meetings to make decisions, not just to discuss issues. Clearly outline the next steps and assign action items with deadlines.
• Summarize at the end : Recap the key decisions and assigned tasks before the meeting ends to ensure everyone is on the same page. Either prepare meeting notes during the meeting or summarize at the end. If that isn’t possible or appropriate then send the minutes after the meeting to all participants.
• List clear action items : Be specific on action items . If you expect a participant or a specific person to do something after this meeting, state that very clearly. Add a due date for each action item.

6. Use Technology Wisely

• Leverage tools : Use video conferencing tools, project management software, or collaboration platforms to facilitate communication, especially for remote teams.
• Minimize distractions : Encourage participants to turn off notifications and avoid multitasking during the meeting.

7. Follow Up

• Distribute minutes promptly : Share the meeting minutes with all participants, highlighting key decisions, action items, and deadlines. This document should include clear action items, expectations, deadlines, and any key decisions made during the meeting. Prompt distribution ensures that everyone is aligned and knows what is expected moving forward. See templates above.
• Monitor progress : Follow up on action items before the next meeting to ensure tasks are being completed.

8. Evaluate and Improve

• Seek feedback : Regularly ask participants for feedback on how to improve future meetings. Use this input to refine your meeting practices.
• Reflect on outcomes : Assess whether the meeting objectives were met and whether the meeting was necessary in the first place. Consider whether some issues could have been handled through email or a quick phone call instead.

By implementing these strategies, you can make your meetings more efficient, purposeful, and productive, ensuring that they contribute positively to your organization’s goals.

My Personal Experience

During my years with a non-profit organization, one of my key responsibilities was setting up the Board of Governors meetings and writing the meeting minutes. I have to admit, I was pretty awful at it in the beginning. By the time I sat down to write the minutes, I had often forgotten what had been discussed and who attended. It was frustrating, and I knew I needed to improve.

Things began to turn around when I started using a template for the minutes and made it a point to prepare them immediately after the meeting. This simple change made a huge difference, and I quickly became much better at capturing the essential details. Just as I was getting really good at it, I left the organization. However, by then, I had built up a collection of templates that I’m happy to be able to share with others.

Since then, I’ve continued to add to my collection, creating different templates tailored to various companies, meetings, and events. Now, I have a well-rounded selection that I’m proud to offer to anyone looking to improve their own meeting minutes.

2 thoughts on “Meeting Minutes Template”

Thank you so much. I write to kindly request a pdf sample of the minutes. I am particularly interested to see how actions are written in past tense.

Kind Regards

Thank you for the very helpful information.

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• Interactive Presentation

Meeting Minutes: Best Writing Guide, Examples (+ Free Template) in 2024

Jane Ng • 15 April, 2024 • 9 min read

Meetings play a crucial role in businesses and organizations, serving as a platform for discussing and addressing issues and managing internal affairs to drive progress. To capture the essence of these gatherings, whether virtual or in-person, Meeting Minutes or minutes of meeting (MoM) are crucial in taking notes, summarizing key topics discussed and keeping track of decisions and resolutions reached.

This article will guide you in writing effective meeting minutes, with examples and templates to use, as well as best practices to follow.

Table of Contents

What are meeting minutes, who is the minute-taker, how to write meeting minutes, meeting minutes examples (+ templates), tips to create good meeting minutes, key takeaways.

Hopefully, this article will help you no longer feel the challenge of writing meeting minutes. And don't forget to be creative and interactive in each of your meetings with:

• AhaSlides Public Template
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• Strategic Management Meeting
• Meetings In Business |10 Types and Best Practices
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Meeting minutes are a written record of the discussions, decisions, and action items that occur during a meeting. 

• They serve as a reference and source of information for all attendees and those unable to attend.
• They help ensure that important information is not forgotten and that everyone is on the same page about what was discussed and what actions to take.
• They also provide accountability and transparency by documenting decisions and commitments made during the meeting.

The Minute-Taker is responsible for accurately recording discussions and decisions made during the meeting.

They can be an administrative officer, a secretary, an assistant or manager, or a volunteer team member performing the task. It is essential that the minute-taker has good organization and note-taking, and can summarize discussions effectively.

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For effective meeting minutes, first, they should be objective, be a factual record of the meeting , and avoid personal opinions or subjective interpretations of discussions. Next, it should be short, clear, and easy to understand, only focus on the main points, and avoid adding unnecessary details. Finally, it must be accurate and ensure that all recorded information is fresh and relevant.

Let's go into the details of writing meeting minutes with the following steps!

8 Essential Components of Meeting Minutes

• Date, time, and location of the meeting
• List of attendees and any apologies for absence
• Agenda and purpose of the meeting
• Summary of the discussions and decisions made
• Any votes taken and their outcomes
• Action items, including the responsible party and deadline for completion
• Any next steps or follow-up items
• Closing remarks or adjournment of the meeting

Steps for writing effective meeting minutes

1/ preparation.

Before the meeting, familiarize yourself with the meeting agenda and any relevant background materials. Make sure you have all the necessary tools, such as a laptop, notepad, and pen. It is also a good idea to review previous meeting minutes to get a sense of what information to include and how to format one.

2/ Note-taking

During the meeting, take clear and concise notes on the discussions and decisions made. You should focus on capturing key points, decisions, and action items, rather than transcribing the entire meeting verbatim. Make sure to include the names of speakers or any key quotes, and any action items or decisions. And avoid writing in abbreviations or shorthand that make others not understand.

3/ Organize the minutes

Review and organize your notes to create a coherent and concise summary of your minutes after the meeting. You can use headings and bullet points to make the minutes easy to read. Do not take personal opinions or subjective interpretations of the discussion. Focus on the facts and what was agreed upon during the meeting.

4/ Recording the details

Your meeting minutes should include all relevant details, such as the date, time, location, and attendees. And mention any important topics discussed, decisions, and action items assigned. Be sure to record any votes that were taken and the outcome of any discussions.

5/ Action items

Make sure to list any action items that were assigned, including who is responsible and the deadline for completion. This is a crucial part of the meeting minutes, as it ensures that everyone knows their responsibilities and the timeline for completing them.

6/ Review and distribution

You should review the minutes for accuracy and completeness, and make any necessary revisions. Make sure that all key points and decisions are noted. Then, you can distribute the minutes to all attendees, either in person or via email. Store a copy of the minutes in a centralized location for easy access, such as a shared drive or a cloud-based storage platform.

7/ Follow-up

Ensure that the action items from the meeting are followed up on and completed promptly. Use the minutes to track progress and make sure that decisions are implemented. It helps you to maintain accountability and ensures that the meeting is productive and effective.

1/ Meeting Minutes Example: Simple Meeting Template

The level of detail and complexity of simple meeting minutes will depend on the purpose of the meeting and the needs of your organization. 

In general, simple meeting minutes are used for internal purposes and do not need to be as formal or comprehensive as other types of meeting minutes. 

So, if you are in urgent need and the meeting revolves around simple, not-too-important content, you can use the following template:

2/ Meeting Minutes Example: Board Meeting Template

The board meeting minutes are recorded and distributed to all members, providing a record of the decisions made and the direction of the organization. Therefore, it should be clear, complete, detailed, and formal. Here is a board meeting minutes template:

This is just a basic board meeting template, and you may want to add or remove elements depending on the needs of your meeting and organization.

3/ Meeting Minutes Example: Project Management Template 

Here is a meeting minutes example for a project management template:

Don't stress about capturing every word, focus on logging the major topics, outcomes, decisions, and action items. Put the discussions on a live platform so you can catch all the words into a big one net🎣 - AhaSlides' idea board is an intuitive and simple tool for everyone to submit their ideas quickly. Here's how you do it:

Create a new presentation with your AhaSlides account , then add the Brainstorm slide in the "Poll" section.

Write your topic of discussion , then hit "Present" so everyone in the meeting can join and submit their ideas.

Sounds easy-peasy, isn't it? Try this feature now, it's just one of the useful features to help facilitate your meetings with lively, robust discussions.

The purpose of meeting minutes is to provide a high-level overview of the meeting for those who were not able to attend, as well as to keep a record of the outcomes of the meeting. Therefore, the minutes should be organized and easy to understand, highlighting the most important information clearly and concisely.

A writer who wants to create practical and valuable content for the audience

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More from AhaSlides

Save time, capture key meeting takeaways, and improve the quality of your documentation with these meeting minutes templates and automation hacks.

At any organization, meetings are the setting where most decisions take place. Whether you’re attending a board meeting or an executive goal review session, great leaders know that it is crucial to have a meeting agenda to guide the conversation. However, if you’re constantly attending meetings throughout the day, it can be difficult to plan ahead of all of them.

Holding employees accountable without accurate and organized meeting documentation is difficult, and losing essential details — like action items and decisions —can cause delays, strained client and team relationships, and project setbacks. Meeting minutes can prevent this.

In this article, you will find meeting minutes templates that can be easily applied to your meeting agendas or used as samples – so you can focus on having efficient meetings that move work forward.

The benefit of using templates for meeting minutes is that these can be easily shared across your organization. If you’re a business leader, using meeting minutes templates will set an example of organization and discipline for the rest of your staff.

How to write and automate meeting minutes: 7 best practices

Whether you use an AI meeting assistant like Fellow to automatically generate meeting minutes or prefer to type meeting minutes yourself, these 7 best practices will help meeting hosts at your organization establish a culture of better documentation.

1 Communicate the meeting purpose and objectives

Even with the best intentions, meetings can go off-rail due to unclear objectives. This wastes time and means you’re further from making important decisions.

To make good use of everyone’s time, include the meeting purpose in the calendar invite and at the top of the meeting agenda. When all attendees have a firm idea of why you’re meeting, it sets the stage for more efficient discussions, better decisions, and a clearer record of what happened.

If you’re an executive leader, you can leverage technology like Fellow’s Meeting Guidelines feature to prompt employees to always include a purpose and goals ahead of time so everyone arrives prepared to listen and contribute.

2 Plan a meeting outline using an agenda template

Now that you’ve clarified the meeting objective, use an agenda template to ensure that you start each meeting with your goals in mind. This agenda is meant to keep everyone on track, particularly during long discussions with many talking points.

Using one of Fellow’s meeting agenda templates lets you structure a meeting instantly. You can also create highly customized agendas by editing the headings and discussion topics, embedding images, and adding color and highlights.

Steven G. Rogelberg, the author of The Surprising Science of Meetings , highlights the importance of meeting agendas:

“What matters is not the agenda itself but the relevance and importance of what’s on it, and how the leader facilitates discussion of the agenda items.” 

For more insights like this, listen to this interview with Steven Rogelberg , where he discusses how leaders can use well-structured agendas and positive energy to boost attendee engagement.

3 Record the date, time, and names of participants

Recording the meeting’s date, time, and attendees should be part of your meeting note-taking process. These seemingly minor details help meeting minutes accomplish their primary goal: encouraging accountability since absentees are well-informed. Jotting these details down also makes organizing your meeting notes easier, as you can quickly search your documentation by name or date to find items. 

If you use a meeting management software like Fellow, these details will be automatically recorded and added to the AI meeting summary . This relieves your notetaker so they can concentrate on the session.

4 Track key points and action items

No meeting should end without clear action items . When taking meeting minutes, write down the outcomes and decisions that come out of each agenda item, using your meeting agenda as a general outline. At Fellow, we recommend taking notes in bullet point format under each Talking Point in the product.

Reviewing open action items at the beginning of every meeting is another great way to increase accountability and remove roadblocks, but keeping tabs on them all can be frustrating. Include a section reminding attendees to review action items from past meetings as part of your meeting minutes.

Fellow’s carry-forward feature instantly moves incomplete action items to your next meeting so you can check in on your team’s tasks.

5 Integrate company goals and OKRs

As a business leader, you can play an important role in reminding people of the business objectives and quarterly goals. Meetings can be a great setting to do so.

We recommend adding a section about Metrics, or OKRs to your meeting agenda, whenever possible.

Fellow’s OKR feature helps your team quickly review progress (and solve roadblocks stymieing it). It ensures OKRs are trackable and top of mind and lets you add comments to encourage transparency throughout your team.

This also gives depth and clarity to your meeting minutes. For instance, instead of a somewhat vague goal of “achieve 98% customer satisfaction rating,” you have the objective, the measurable progress, and whether or not you’re on track to complete it on time.

6 Leverage AI tools to create a summary and transcript

Meeting transcription tools are the best way to take meeting minutes that are reliable, unbiased, and easily shareable. They’re cost-efficient, speedy, and save hours of admin time. This technology quickly assesses your transcripts and generates minutes with details like:

• Date, time, and attendees
• Discussion topics
• Action items
• Agenda items covered

Some companies do this for free using ChatGPT , but this platform wasn’t designed for meetings, increasing the risk of error and security issues. 

Fellow’s Meeting Minutes app automatically summarizes and centralizes information, syncing meeting notes to your calendar for easy access. Managers can edit these notes to ensure they’re accurate and focus on the right items.

7 Share the meeting minutes promptly

If you’re manually taking meeting summaries, share them soon after the call via email to offer guidance on the next steps, loop in those who couldn’t attend, and make sure information is fresh in your mind as you craft your summary.

You can also automate this process with technology and ask a tool like Fellow to automatically share meeting recaps with all attendees after the videocall.

Sharing the meeting minutes immediately after the meeting will not only help you look very professional and organized. It will also create a culture of accountability where meetings are settings where employees come together to make decisions and leave inspired to get work done.

Get the most out of every meeting, even the ones you skip .

Fellow is the only AI meeting management platform built for remote and hybrid teams that want to move faster and smarter. The AI Meeting Copilot provides all the key takeaways and outcomes from your meetings so you can revisit discussions, catch up on missed meetings, and get answers to related questions. Try it for free .

4 Top Meeting Minutes Templates for Effective Discussions

Here are our top four meeting minutes templates that, when used with Fellow, are automatically populated with information like the date, attendees, and talking points.

1 Formal Board Meeting Minutes Template

The Formal Board Meeting Minutes Template documents official decisions, which often require approval. This template uses formal language and formatting, making it appropriate to share with every stakeholder and participant as is.

Board meetings typically involve critical decisions and policy updates, so notetakers must pay keen attention to detail so their minutes are correct. This template offers a clear structure so your minute-taker can track essential information in bullet lists under each header.

2 Staff Meeting Minutes Template

This Staff Meeting Template includes sections for a brief check-in, the meeting purpose , discussion points, and key decisions made during the meeting. It can be used as a base for taking meeting minutes for any meeting.

This template isn’t for a highly formal type of meeting, so it’s perfect for any organization looking to organize key points and next steps. It’s also an excellent foundation for companies that want to get creative and build a custom meeting minutes template.

3 Board Meeting Minutes Template

The Board Meeting Minutes Template helps you quickly create an official record of your board of directors’ discussions. It’s similar to the formal meeting template above, helping you track and approve decisions, but it doesn’t use formal language.

This meeting notes example lets your notetaker track old business, new business, and action items, including an estimated timeframe and who’s accountable for what.

4 David Sacks’ SaaS Board Meeting Template

Entrepreneur and investor David Sacks designed the SaaS Board Meeting Template for rapid efficiency. This agenda template encourages board members to stay focused on key topics—and the result is meeting minutes that cover the progress of your whole business, including sales, hiring, and admin.

Improve the quality of your company’s meeting minutes and takeaways with Fellow

Crafting and sharing concise meeting minutes post-session ensures your team is in the know about their responsibilities. But the last thing everyone needs is another to-do on their list. Automate this administrative task with Fellow. 

Fellow offers an AI meeting recap interface that works like a table of contents. It includes time stamps, edit functions, and topic suggestions for upcoming sessions. Plus, your team can use the Ask Copilot feature to find out what they missed in calls and whether they have any outstanding action items.

Onboard Fellow as your dedicated notetaker and enjoy more focused, productive discussions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who should be appointed to take meeting minutes.

Many roles can craft meeting minutes, like administrative assistants, project managers, and team leads. For small teams, you might make notetaking a rotating responsibility so everyone gets a chance to practice this skill (and, alternatively, to focus on the conversation). 

But you can also offload this role to the Fellow AI Meeting Copilot and let everyone attending contribute to the session. The Copilot automatically shares a complete transcription plus quick meeting minutes, encouraging employee accountability and productivity. This also means the whole team is well-informed—even if they miss a meeting.

Why are meeting minutes important?

Meeting minutes are a written record of meeting details, such as discussion topics, decisions, and next steps. They include key details, like the time and attendees, so employees can quickly gain context on each session.

Some sectors, like government organizations, require meeting minutes to keep official historical records. These notes also provide legal protection because they often capture due diligence, confirming an organization’s ethical, fair practices.

However, every good meeting offers a concise summary to create documentation, keep employees informed, and clarify responsibilities. This summary also helps you better prepare for the next meeting.

Meeting minutes can also make your meetings more productive. According to a McKinsey study, 61% of executives say that at least half of their decision-making time is ineffective, mainly due to inefficient, poorly planned meetings. Thoughtfully creating meeting minutes is one way to better plan these meetings so they’re more effective.

https://fellow.app/blog/meetings/meeting-minutes-example-and-best-practices/#how One final (and fun) note: Yes, meeting minutes save you time, but this isn’t why they use the word “minutes.” The term comes from the Latin word “minutia,” meaning details, directly referring to the little notes you make after a meeting.

Minutes of meeting sample

Call to order.

Facilitated by the ‘Chair of the Board’

• [Meeting facilitator] called to order the regular meeting of [Organization] at [time] on [date] in [location].

The secretary conducted a roll call. The following persons were present:

Approval of minutes

Before any official business can be conducted, the board must approve the minutes from the last meeting.

• [Secretary] read the minutes from the last meeting. The minutes were approved.

Open issues

Items that the board has previously discussed that are ready for formal approval.

New business

These items may be voted on, amended, tabled, moved to committee for consideration or postponed.

Adjournment

After all the open issues and new business have been discussed and documented, the meeting facilitator will adjourn the board meeting.

• [Meeting facilitator] adjourned at the meeting at [time meeting ended ].

Submission and approval of minutes

Minute taker must submit the minutes for approval by the Board Chair or meeting facilitator.

• Minutes submitted by: [Name]
• Minutes approved by: [Name]

The art of one-on-one meetings for business leaders and managers 36 min read

Cross-Functional Meetings: Best Practices to Get Them Right 6 min read

Staff Meeting Agenda Blueprint: Best Practices and Checklist 8 min read

See how leaders in 100+ countries are making meetings more productive and delightful.

Say goodbye to unproductive meetings. Fellow helps your team build great meeting habits through collaborative agendas, real-time notetaking, and time-saving templates.

End every meeting knowing who is doing what by when. Assign, organize, and prioritize all your meeting action items in one place.

Give and get feedback as work happens. Request and track real-time feedback on meetings, recent projects, and performance.

Templates for keeping meeting minutes

Meeting minutes matter. keeping track of them can be more precise and less tedious when you don't have to worry about your layout. start with a customizable meeting minutes template for an easy-to-tweak layout for all your minutes notes. whether you like to keep your minutes digitally or by hand, there's a meeting minutes template that'll match your flow..

Keep meeting minutes and notes with ease using templates

Spend more time taking effective meeting minutes and less time organizing them—start with a designer-developed, customizable meeting minutes template. Minutes make hours, so don't waste them on tasks that you can do faster with the help of easy-to-use templates. Business meetings beget notes. Keeping precise minutes is important for accurate records. But professional contexts aren't the only places where you can benefit from a minutes template. Serve on a condo board or an HOA? How about a nonprofit or a school-sanctioned club? Find a meeting taking template that works for your meeting's needs and say good-bye to messy notes.

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Meeting Minutes

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Meeting Minutes

Notes that are recorded during a meeting

What are Meeting Minutes?

Meeting minutes are notes that are recorded during a meeting. They highlight the key issues that are discussed, motions proposed or voted on, and activities to be undertaken. The minutes of a meeting are usually taken by a designated member of the group. Their task is to provide an accurate record of what transpired during the meeting.

Steps Involved in Recording Meeting Minutes

There are five main steps involved in recording the minutes of a meeting. They are:

• Pre-planning
• Record-taking
• Writing or transcribing the minutes
• Sharing meeting minutes
• Filing or storage of minutes for referencing in the future

Pre-Planning

If a meeting is well-planned in advance, taking minutes will be a lot easier. That said, the chairperson and the secretary or minutes-recorder should work together to determine the agenda of the meeting beforehand. For example, the person recording minutes could work with the chair to draft a document that will serve as an agenda and provide the format for the meeting.

Meeting Agenda

If it’s not possible for the chair and secretary to meet and come up with a draft, then it’s up to the secretary to get a copy of the agenda before the meeting starts. The meeting agenda will serve as a guide for how to take notes and prepare the minutes. In addition, the agenda also includes other details, which need to be incorporated in the minutes. They include:

• Names of all the members present – includes guests and speakers
• Documents that may be handed out as the meeting progresses, such as copies of a list of proposals to be voted on

Expectations

When an individual is chosen as the minutes recorder, it’s important for them to know what is expected of them. Therefore, the individual should approach the chair of the committee and ask what their role in the meeting will be. For example, if the meeting will involve proposing motions , the designated member should inquire as to whether he should include the names of those proposing motions and those seconding.

What to Include in Meeting Minutes

Before recording any details, a designated minutes recorder should familiarize themselves with the type of information that they should record. A group may be using a specific format to record notes but, overall, the minutes of a meeting typically include the following details:

• Date and time the meeting happened
• Names of attendees, as well as absent participants
• Acceptance of, or amendments made to, the previous meeting’s minutes
• Activities undertaken or agreed upon
• Outcomes of elections
• Motions accepted or rejected
• New business
• Date and time of the next meeting

The Process of Writing Meeting Minutes

When the meeting ends, the individual tasked with writing minutes should get all the resources he needs to write up the minutes in a clear, presentable way. Here are some tips to consider:

• Once the meeting ends, don’t take too long to write the minutes. This way, everything that took place in the meeting is still fresh in your mind.
• Review the outline that had been created earlier and make adjustments where necessary. This might include adding extra information or clarifying some of the issues raised. Also, check to see that all verdicts, activities, and motions were clearly recorded.
• Revise the minutes and ensure they’re brief but clear.

Distributing the Meeting Minutes

Once the secretary completes writing the minutes, he’s supposed to share them with the group members. They can be shared online or through the cloud. Considering that minutes and other types of documents can entail a lot of paperwork, it may be preferable to use a paperless sharing approach.

For example, if the minutes recorder was documenting the minutes using Microsoft Word, which does not offer online sharing, then they might consider using Google docs, which offers a way of sharing documents online with other users.

The recorder is also supposed to save a copy of the meeting minutes for future reference. Most companies store their minutes online – either in Google Docs or OneDrive.

Key Takeaway

Meeting minutes are important because they are used to document the key issues raised during a meeting. For example, effective minutes can state the approaches that were proposed to solve a particular problem and the main reason why members choose one method over the other.

The minutes of the meeting can be recorded manually or on an electronic device such as a laptop or iPad. After the meeting, the recorder reviews the minutes and makes edits where necessary. The meeting minutes are then shared with the group participants. Apart from distribution, the minutes are also saved for future reference.

Download the Free Board Meeting Minutes Template

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• Public Speaking
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• Unito home /
• How to Write Effective Meeting Minutes (with a Free Template)

While the term “meeting minutes” might have you picturing a courtroom transcriber frantically typing every word verbatim, the reality is a lot less stressful.

We’ve all attended those meetings where you leave feeling more confused than when you arrived. Maybe you don’t completely understand what decisions were made, or perhaps you’re unsure of what the next steps are. And when it comes time for a follow-up, nobody seems to be on the same page. Meeting minutes are an easy solution to these challenges. 

What are meeting minutes? 

Meeting minutes are essentially a written record of whatever takes place during a meeting. They outline the who, what, where, and when of your meeting, ensuring that everyone leaves on the same page. Fun fact: the “minutes” part of this term actually refers to the transitive verb ”minute” — which means “to make notes or a brief summary of” — and not the measure of time . 

Effective meeting minutes should include : 

• The meeting title
• Attendee names 
• The time and date
• Any outstanding business from the previous meeting (if necessary)
• Key points discussed during the meeting
• Any decisions made during the meeting
• Action items (along with assignees for each) 
• A parking lot section (for future discussions)

How are they different from meeting notes? 

You might be thinking, “I take notes during meetings so this is basically the same thing.” While meeting notes follow a more informal and free format, meeting minutes follow a clear structure, which actually makes them easier to record and use. 

You don’t need to worry about how to format your notes or waste time trying to decipher what points went with what discussion. And while you might understand your own shorthand or note structure, others may not, limiting their value to the wider team. 

Meeting minutes allow you to very clearly and objectively lay out and interpret the content of the meeting not only for the note taker — but for all involved.  

Why are they important?

Writing notes during a meeting takes time and attention you could be putting towards the purpose of the meeting itself. So why even bother? Well, turns out there are pretty important reasons for the bother:

• They help those unable to attend the meeting catch-up on what was discussed and any decisions made. 
• They drive action. As a reminder of the commitments made by attendees during the meeting, meeting minutes boost accountability and ensure everyone knows what work needs to be done. 
• They can help dispel arguments . As a written record of events and discussions, they can help avoid misunderstandings before they happen. If conflicts arise, the meeting minutes act as an objective third-party. 
• They save your company time and money . If people are unclear on a meeting’s action items, they’ll either spend valuable time trying to get clear, or simply move forward and risk focusing on the wrong tasks. Meetings avoid these costly situations. 

How to write meeting minutes 

While you may be tempted to start jotting down every discussion word-for-word, transcription doesn’t make for very effective meeting minutes (nobody wants to spend 40 minutes reading the conversations from a 30-minute meeting). Plus, you probably won’t be able to participate, as you’ll be so wrapped up in writing or typing. 

With human attention spans getting shorter and shorter , and “skim reading” becoming the norm , meeting minutes should highlight the high-level insights and information your team will use. And it should do so in an easy-to-skim, reader-friendly format. 

Here are some tips for creating the most effective meeting minutes. 

Before the meeting:

• Create a clear agenda. A solid meeting agenda will give you your main outline for the meeting minutes. Not sure how to create a useful meeting agenda? We’ve put together a how-to guide for creating effective meeting agendas , along with some easy-to-use templates that will give you a great place to start. Just make sure your agenda has designated space beneath each discussion point so you can take notes. 
• Write down what you know ahead of time. Jot down anything you know beforehand, such as the date, time, location, meeting title, meeting goals, outstanding information from previous meetings, and the agenda. This will leave you more time during the actual meeting to record other information that arises. 
• Assign a recorder. If you aren’t planning on taking the meeting minutes yourself, ensure you speak to someone beforehand to do the job. If it’s a regularly scheduled meeting you could rotate between attendees, or you could simply reach out to someone who isn’t leading the meeting. And don’t automatically assign a female-identifying attendee to take the meeting minutes. This is something that happens all too often and contributes to workforce gender-bias . 

During the meeting:

• Record if necessary. If the meeting is formal and the decisions being made are important, you might want to actually record it on your phone or another device in addition to taking meeting minutes. This ensures that you don’t miss anything of significance. Of course, let all attendees know that the meeting is being recorded prior to starting.
• Document any key decisions made. As the participants move through the agenda items, write down any decisions made for the corresponding topics as they happen. Otherwise, you risk forgetting crucial information or recording things inaccurately. For example, if an agenda item is “Who should our upcoming webinar guests be?” mark down the final decision as soon as it’s made. Before moving onto the next agenda item, clarify that everyone is in agreement regarding the decision. 
• Note down action items. Once you’ve written down a decision associated with an agenda item, it’s time to record next steps. Using the same example of the webinar speaker above, if the group decides on Jane Smith as a speaker, the next steps might include assigning somebody to reach out to her directly. Ensure you’re assigning specific individuals or teams to each action item to boost accountability — and don’t forget to include a deadline where possible. 
• Ask for clarification. If the discussion moves onto the next agenda item without a decision made or any next steps established, feel free to bring everyone back to the previous topic.
• Be objective. While you may have personal thoughts about certain discussions or decisions made, it’s important to avoid any personal notes or observations in the meeting minutes. 
• Don’t use people’s names unless absolutely necessary. This allows for objective reporting and reviewing of the minutes, especially by individuals who were unable to attend. You can, of course, include names alongside the action items.
• Include a ‘parking lot’ section. If something comes up that requires a future discussion or a separate meeting, or if not all agenda items are addressed, note these items in the parking lot section. 

After the meeting: 

• Review the meeting minutes. Immediately after the meeting, take time to review the minutes and add any clarifying points as necessary. Make sure the action items and end goals for each agenda point are clear so everyone is on the same page. 
• Add a short summary for each person. To make the meeting minutes as efficient as possible, it’s helpful to add a short summary organized for each individual at the bottom of your minutes. For example, if Peggy from the events team was assigned the job of reaching out to a webinar speaker, you’d write Peggy’s name along with her responsibilities at the end of the page. 
• Distribute as quickly as possible. Once you’ve gone over and reviewed your meeting minutes, send it to all relevant individuals as soon as possible (preferably within 24 hours). This allows them to go over the minutes and get started on next steps while everything is fresh in their mind. It also allows anyone who wasn’t able to attend the opportunity to ask for clarification on decisions or discussions before work begins on the next steps. 

How to share you work

Writing your minutes is one thing, but they won’t do much good stuck on your desktop. Plenty of people can benefit from your meeting minutes That includes the people who were actually there, those who missed the meeting, stakeholders, and collaborators whose work is affected by whatever was discussed during the meeting. Here’s how you can share your minutes with them:

• Through a chat app: Apps like Slack are great for asynchronous communication. If you have channels dedicated to specific teams or business topics, you can use them to disseminate your minutes.
• On the cloud: Do you use the cloud for your office suite? If you use Google Docs for writing your minutes, sharing them is as easy as getting a link and sending it to everyone. You also give people the ability to add in notes you might have missed.
• On the walls: It’s cheaper than paint?
• By email: Email inboxes can get pretty cluttered, but if people know to look for your minutes this is an easy way to send them.

The best way to share your meeting minutes is the way that’s most convenient for your colleagues. Figure out what works best for them and use that channel to communicate them.

Free template

Here is a simple meeting minutes template that you can use or customize to your needs. You’ll find a link to download the document for your own use below.

Download template

Meeting minutes sample.

If you’re unsure of what information to include, here’s a sample you can use as inspiration: 

Download sample

Before you go.

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Meeting Minutes Template

Use this free Free Meeting Minutes Template for Word to manage your projects better.

Project meetings get a bad rap. In reality, as long as they’re done properly, they’re not a waste of time. Our free meeting minutes template for Word helps you capture the agenda and action items to streamline meetings and make them the productive project tool they were always intended to be.

What Are Meeting Minutes?

Meeting minutes are a recording of the pertinent notes from the meeting. It is not, however, a recording of every word spoken, rather it acts as a way to boil down the meeting to its essentials.

That means you capture the highlights of what was said. This usually follows the meeting agenda that was created beforehand to outline what’ll be discussed in the meeting. As those discussions open up, a secretary will jot down the essential items that come up throughout the meeting.

These critical notes can be key issues that are discussed, proposed motions that were voted on and any action items that derive from the meeting. The agenda keeps the meeting focused on what it needs to accomplish while the meeting minutes are an accurate record of the important issues that came up throughout that meeting.

Why Use a Meeting Minutes Template?

Just as an agenda follows a format, so do meeting minutes. Using a meeting minutes template lays out the necessary information in a clean and easy-to-use format. The template includes sections designed for the secretary to jot down the information they need to record.

Using a meeting minutes template saves time and creates consistency in your project documentation and the meeting minutes template is always the same and ready to use. When filed, it creates a regularity to your reporting that makes it easier to digest.

The last thing you want to do when recording meeting minutes is waste time focusing on formatting. The who, what, where, why and how are mapped out for you which allows the secretary to be part of the meeting. They can write down the important items without any fuss or bother.

Once you have action items from the meeting, it’s a good idea to put them into collaborative software where the whole team can work together on executing tasks. ProjectManager has an intuitive list view that makes collaboration easy. Plus, there’s a real-time dashboard for tracking progress so everyone can stay on top of their work. Try ProjectManager for free today.

How to Use Our Meeting Minutes Template

Once the agenda has been created and circulated, you can begin to use our free meeting minutes template for Word. The top part of the template is reserved for top-line data such as the name of the project, the reason for the meeting, where it’s being held and other helpful data. When it ends, you can add the duration of the meeting in hours or from start time to end time.

Beneath that section is a list of attendees. You can expand the meeting minutes template if the space provided isn’t adequate. Each line is dedicated to a participant, including their name and contact information, such as email, phone or however they prefer to be reached.

Next is a section dedicated to the agenda. The agenda is an outline of what will be discussed or the meaning of the meeting. Capturing that information is crucial to knowing what was discussed. Each line is dedicated to one agenda item and next to it is the person who owns that agenda item.

Following is a section for takeaways. This is where the secretary captures the action items that came up throughout the meeting. These might include tasks that have to be delivered by the next meeting, proposals that need to be researched to bring them to the next meeting or other action items . Each line lists the takeaway and who owns it.

Finally, there’s a short section at the end where the details for the next meeting are itemized. There you can add the next meeting date, where it’s going to be held and the purpose of the meeting. This is a great way to disseminate the meeting notes and have attendees add the new meeting date to their calendars.

Meeting Minutes Tips

Creating minutes for a meeting typically involves a five-step process. Let’s briefly outline those five steps for you to get the most out of our free meeting minutes template for Word.

• Planning before the meeting is key to its success. The minute taker should work with whoever is leading the meeting to determine the participants and agenda. This helps fill in the top part of your template and leads to a more productive meeting.
• Next is recordkeeping. This takes place in the meeting as it’s happening. Before the meeting, a secretary or minute taker must be chosen. They are responsible for capturing the pertinent information during the meeting.
• Minute takers often use a notepad or write freehand. If so, they need to transcribe their notes onto the temple for them to be shared. Of course, with our free minute meeting template for Word, you can skip this step by using your computer to take notes.
• The meeting minutes are not solely for those who attended the meeting. It might need to be distributed throughout the company . More likely, you’ll have to make sure the participants get the meeting minutes. Either way, distribution needs to be considered.
• Finally, the finished meeting minutes should be filed away to create a paper trail . It also acts as historical data to be referenced when working on a similar project in the future.

Who Should Use This Meeting Minutes Template?

Ideally, the free meeting minutes template can be used by everyone who is directly impacted by the meeting. However, that doesn’t mean you want everyone’s fingerprints on the template as this can lead to confusion and even multiple versions floating around.

To avoid having incorrect or out-of-date information, the meeting minutes should be owned by the minute-taker or secretary. They will work with whoever is leading the meeting, of course, and even with those who are in attendance, but only one person should be responsible for updating the template.

Other than that, the free meeting minutes template for Word is a great tool that can be shared among departments to streamline project meetings and create consistent documentation across the organization. This helps break down silos and fosters better collaboration across business channels.

ProjectManager Helps Make Meetings Successful

The meeting minutes template is important, but if you don’t have the right tools to take those action items and deliver them, it’s wasted time. ProjectManager is project management software that connects teams and streamlines processes to help you work more efficiently. Our collaborative platform means everyone is working together regardless of where they are or in what department. Multiple project views let you work how you want.

Visualize Workflow With Kanban Boards

See how action items are being executed on kanban boards. You can set up the tasks as cards under the to-do column and your team can manage their backlog and collaboratively plan sprints. As they move the card from column to column, you get transparency into the process and can reallocate resources to clear potential roadblocks and keep teams productive.

Report on Progress and Performance

The point of a meeting is to improve communication and work more innovatively and productively. But without a way to measure performance, there’s no way to know if you’re meeting your established benchmarks. Since everyone’s work is connected to our software, you can generate reports on tasks, time, workload, variance and more. Each report can be customized to see the data in which you’re interested. Then they can easily be shared in a variety of formats with executives or at the next meeting.

You can even use our tool instead of the meeting minutes template. Our multiple project views mean you can create an agenda on the list view, add minutes during the meeting and assign those tasks to your team. It all can be done on our collaborative platform, which allows you to share files, comment and tag others to bring them into the conversation. If meetings are at best a communication tool to boost efficiency, then our tool super-sizes that.

Other Templates to Complement Your Meeting Minutes Template

If you’re not ready to upgrade, we’ve got you covered with dozens of free project management templates for Word and Excel that can help you through every phase of your project. Here are a few that can help with meetings and their aftermath.

Action Items Template

Action items are things that come up in the meeting that need to be done before the next meeting. While they’re collected in a meeting minutes template, this free action items template for Excel is a more robust version with tracking. It details the action item, lists the assignee, the priority of the work, directions for executing the task, a space to add any issues that might arise and its status.

To-Do List Template

Having a list of things that have to get done is similar to the action items you take from a meeting. Our free to-do list template for Excel helps you manage that work more efficiently. You can list the tasks that you need to complete before the next meeting and schedule them with start and end dates to make sure you meet that deadline. There’s even a percent complete column to track your progress.

Action Plan Template

Maybe the action items that come from a meeting are more involved and require better planning than an action item or to-do list template can provide. That’s where our free action plan template for Excel comes in. It offers you a framework to think about how you’re going to accomplish your goals. The free template helps get that work done more efficiently and makes sure that nothing is left out.

Related Content

ProjectManager is award-winning software, but our site is a project management hub. Besides all the free templates you can download, there’s a library of Alexandria of content you can access for free. From blogs to guides, white pagers and tutorial videos, there’s something for everyone, be they novice or pro. Here are a few cherry-picked pieces that relate to the topic, but be sure to browse more deeply. There’s so much to explore.

• 25 Fun Icebreaker Games for Meetings
• How to Run a Planning Meeting (Checklist Included)
• 6 Steps to Meeting Planning

Get Started With ProjectManager for Free

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