Meeting minutes, also known as minutes of meeting (MoM) or meeting notes are written record of a meeting and are used to document, share and reference the entire meeting. In this article, we will share tips on how to capture and circulate meeting notes efficiently and share guidelines on writing and sharing meeting notes.
How to prepare for taking notes before the meeting
Two important questions to be addressed before a meeting: who will write the meeting notes and what is the agenda
- An efficient meeting begins with a clear agenda, yet 63% of meetings are conducted without a pre-planned meeting agenda.
- Creating and sharing agenda ahead of time gives attendees an opportunity to come prepared for discussion.
How to take valuable notes during the meeting
Note taking application
- Many people prefer old-school way of taking notes using notepad/pen while others prefer a reliable note-taking application.
- Have a meeting agenda for reference
- Categorize content in three buckets
- Notes, Key Decisions, and Action Items
- Prevent lengthy notes and instead have a clear and concise meeting summary
- Clarifications and questions
- It is always a good idea to pause the discussion with any clarifying questions or doubts before the meeting ends
How to review and share meeting minutes after the meeting
Review meeting notes while the content is still fresh to ensure completeness
- At this stage, it is important to reword your notes to be direct, succinct, and eliminate ambiguity
- Once the notes are collated, share them using your preferred channel of communication
