Q&A for How to Take Minutes

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Where can I get training for taking minutes?

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This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

You can get minute taking training online from a variety of websites that offer courses and webinars in various business skills. You might also be able to take a class from the business school at a local college or university.

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Question

What’s the professional format for meeting minutes?

wikiHow Staff Editor
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This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

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There are a variety of formats you can use, but Robert’s Rules of Order offers a good foundation for formatting your minutes professionally. You can also use a template to help you format your minutes in a professional and logical way.

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Question

If I only have three employees, who are family members, do I still need to record the minutes?

Community Answer

Yes. Decisions should be published in minutes for clarity and future reference.

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Question

Why should the chairperson sign minutes before they are distributed?

Community Answer

Meeting was called and presided by the chairperson, who checks and confirms all the discussion and comments made during the meeting.

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Question

If there is a Q&A at the end of the meeting, should all questions and answers be recorded?

Bayo Aladeloye

Community Answer

It is not necessary to record all questions and answers, but it is important to listen attentively to the outcome.

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Question

Is it necessary to use each attendee's full name?

Community Answer

No. You could use initials (ideal for anonymity), shortened names, first names only, or nicknames.

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Question

Is it important to sign minutes?

Community Answer

Yes. If there are questions now or in the future when you are no longer secretary, people will know who to contact.

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Question

Should a chairperson also write the minutes?

Community Answer

No. The person keeping the minutes should not have additional officiating roles at a meeting.

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Question

For how long do minutes have to be kept? How many years?

Community Answer

Minutes are very important. They are saved and might be referred to for years and years to come. If it is a legal matter, for example, someone's reputation may depend on them. For historians, permanent records are invaluable. Make them digital and keep them in the cloud for eternity.

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Question

Is it unprofessional to use people's initials, for example, "motion from JS" instead of John Smith?

Community Answer

No, it's actually a lot better. Due to the confidentiality acts that are out, it's safer to write initials, that way if any prying eyes were to see the documentation, they wouldn't be able to tell who it referred to (unless they already knew the people).

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Question

Should I write "respectfully submitted" at the end of the minutes?

Community Answer

No. Salutations and sign off are not put on minutes. If you want, you could write: "Minutes recorded by ..." and sign over a signature block (or the person chairing the next same type of meeting can sign to indicate that the members agree that the minute are a true record).

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Question

Do the pages need to be numbered?

Community Answer

Unless there is only one page, each page should be numbered to ensure that each recipient has a complete set of minutes. Attachments and appended documents should also be numbered.

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