Writing minutes in a board meeting is more than having a pen and a notebook and noting down everything being said. It is an art that involves sorting out the essential things and leaving the unnecessary ones. If you don’t know how to do it, you can learn. It is easy and requires being attentive to detail. Another solution besides learning to take minutes in a meeting is having a secretary do the job. Hiring a corporate secretarial Singapore is the best option since the secretary will be responsible for handling everything involved in the meeting, including scheduling, providing materials, and even writing minutes. There are various things involved in writing minutes. The following are five things to consider to write the best minutes in board meetings.
- Check Equipment
If you want to write minutes effectively, prepare yourself first. Make sure you have everything you need before the meeting begins. Part of the preparation is ensuring you have the right tools like paper and a pen. You can also carry your laptop or a smartphone depending on your preference. It is also essential to have details of who will be present in the meeting and what will be discussed. It is also crucial to check the minutes of previous meetings to know the suitable format and language to use. Making proper preparations before the meeting is having the work halfway complete.
- Differentiate Between Transcribing and Taking Notes
There is a big difference between taking notes and transcribing. While taking notes involves using your own words, transcribing is writing exactly what the speaker said, including the jokes and other observations. Ensure you actively listen and capture everything, including the exact words and phrases. Writing things as exactly said prevents translating them to your understanding.
Ensure the minutes are long enough to cover the entire meeting. Apart from recording the proceedings, ensure you note down the members’ arrivals and departures. The minutes should reflect the topics discussed in a more profound sense. Also, discuss the questions and answers in detail. Ensure you note that the opposing points were an alternative to the presented suggestions.
Identifying the person who asked or answered a question in the minutes is not necessary. However, it is advisable to identify the person who made a critical point or gave critical information. However, while you may not identify the person who said something unless it was unique, it is crucial to identify the directors who opposed the information. Make it clear that every director knew and considered the consequences. It is also vital to write down any assignments or tasks delegated to the members in the meeting.
- Use Neutral Language
Minutes may be boring to read. However, don’t make it worse with inconsistency. It is vital to know that being biased significantly impacts how other people view the minutes. Therefore, using Sangfor for unbiased minutes-writing may be an excellent place to start. Whenever you are writing, use consistent language and don’t make jokes. Everything you put down can be misinterpreted as something different, leading to other issues. Leave the jokes to blogs and social media posts and use facts as they happened.
Be neutral when picking your words so that you don’t give a specific meaning or feel different from what you intended. Write the document neutrally and using the third personality. Ensure the minutes, format, and language match the previous minutes. You can make the work easier when drafting minutes by using a template to check absence, presence, dates, location, etc. Ensure the language is easy to interpret and does not have any biases.
- Ask Questions
Be keen when writing minutes to capture every detail. If there is something you want to ask, find the right time to do so. Remember, writing minutes involves listening and noting down, and nobody can be perfect at that. Therefore, don’t be afraid to ask questions when you want something clarified. However, know when to interrupt and do it professionally. It will be vital to ask the person speaking to repeat what they said if you did not hear it well. Seeking clarification ensures you know what you are writing and record what was decided by the directors. It will also help you know the resolution and the next steps. It may not be very comfortable to keep interrupting, but it will be worth it because you will have factual information at the end of the day.
- Consider Recording
Recording audio and videos can intimidate some people. So, don’t do it if it will be an issue. Otherwise, do it professionally and ensure you delete it once you draft the minutes. You will need to ensure the company has a firm deletion policy so that people cannot record and leave details or meetings lying all over. Other people may want to swear by the recordings. That means recording has advantages and disadvantages depending on how members take it.
Nonetheless, recording is an effective way of taking minutes. You can review the audio or video later and draft the minutes in your own comfort. This enables you to provide accurate information. If you will record the meeting to the end, make sure you don’t leave the part where decisions were made or the point that the directors reached, even if no formal solution was reached.
Wrapping Up:
These are five essential tips you should consider when writing minutes in a board meeting. Ensure you have the right equipment and that the agenda of the meeting is reviewed before the meeting starts. It is also crucial to know how to write the best minutes. Use consistent language and remain neutral. Avoid using your own words or adding jokes to make the minutes enjoyable. Use the third personality and include phrases. Recording accurate details eliminate biases so that the people reading the minutes do not misinterpret. It is advisable to ask questions for clarity to avoid recording guesswork. An easier way of collecting accurate information is by recording the meeting. However, you must be careful with recording since not everyone will like the idea. The recording gives you ample time to draft the minutes without pressure. Ensure you delete the recording later.