Rajarata University of Sri Lanka

Department of English Language Teaching

Faculty of Agriculture
EG3200 – Professional English
Ishari Maduwanthi

Ten Tips for Writing Effective Meeting Minutes

1. Make sure you are not a major meeting participant if you are taking minutes; you cannot perform both duties
capably. Writing effective minutes takes time and concentration, so limit yourself to just that task.

2. Decide how you will take the minutes. Options include using a pen and a notepad or a laptop computer. You
may use a tape recorder with both methods. Choose whichever method you are most comfortable with.

3. Get as much information as possible from the host before the meeting. This includes attendants' names and
information on the nature of the meeting.

4. Prepare an outline (based on the agenda) to write the minutes before the meeting. Include the meeting date,
time, reason for the meeting, the meeting leader's name, actions assigned and decisions made. Leave blank
space for your notes. Prepare a list of expected attendees and check off the names as people enter the room.

5. Make sure that all of the essential elements are noted such as type of meeting, name of the organisation, date
and time, name of the chair / facilitator, main topics and the time of adjournment.

6. Do not record every single comment but concentrate on getting the gist of the discussion and take enough
notes to summarize it later.

7. Record decisions and action items as they occur. If you are unsure of a decision that has been made, ask the
meeting leader for clarification.

8. Review the notes immediately after the meeting. If you need further clarification, ask the appropriate
attendees while the meeting is still fresh in their minds.

9. Type the notes into the template you made before the meeting. Ask the meeting leader to review the
typewritten minutes before distributing them to the attendees. Make changes or adjustments, if necessary.

10. Send the participants the final copy of the minutes without delay. Keep a copy of the notes and the template
in case you--or someone else--needs to refer to them.
 Useful vocabulary and phrases for writing minutes

In order to write meeting minutes effectively, the minute taker needs to use a variety of words and phrases to
avoid repetition. Below are some useful vocabulary and phrases that can be used in writing meeting minutes:
 Useful words for actions

Every item in meeting minutes should be finished off with an action point (or a ‘no action’ point).

This is to confirm that the outcome is absolutely clear, both in the short and long term. The six alternatives below
will cover most outcomes and if something else is required, you can use the most logical one.
 Sample minutes of a meeting

AgroMart

Meeting: Management Committee

Date: Monday, October 18, 20XX; 10.00 a.m.-12.30 p.m.

Venue: Boardroom, AgroMart Head Office

Chairperson: M. Peiris, General Manager

Secretary: S. Gamage

In attendance: D. Fernando, Director/Operations

T. Rajarathnam, Director/ Marketing & Sales

Mohomed Nizam, Director/ Finance

K. Weliwita, Manager/ Human Resources

Absent:

A. Jesudasan, Special Planning Advisor

1. Review of Previous Minutes

D. Fernando proposed a change to the wording of the second sentence of Item 5 to read “on completion of
the final report, Committee Members will each receive their personal copy.”

2. Review of Agenda

Item 6 & 7 on the Agenda, both development of the marketing strategy & plan for next year, will be
deferred until the following meeting when A. Fernando will be present. Action: A. Fernando

3. Status of Upcoming Operational Review

D. Fernando passed out copies of his latest status report stating that progress was excellent and that
preparation for the review is actually ahead of schedule. He then answered a few questions from the members.
The Chairperson requested an itemized breakdown of the costs to date to be tabled at the next meeting.
Action: D. Fernando

4. Employee Assistance Programme

Mohomed Nizam tabled this item explaining that the contract with the current service provider will be ending
on June 20. She state that the costs for this service have been quite high over the last three years with the
current contractor. Therefore, she is proposing that we go ahead and solicit proposals to see if we can find a
more cost-effective service provider. Members endorsed this suggestion. The Chairperson asked J. Mohomed
Nizam to proceed with the bid solicitation process so that the matter is resolved by the end of June.
5. Year-end Projections

Mohomed Nizam provided the monthly highlights of the year-end projections as follows” Sales: Sales
are tracking toward a year-end figure 12% higher than last year. Production Costs: Costs will be in line
with forecasts at 5% higher than 20XX. Revenues: Revenues are expected to be up 10% over last year,
before taxes. Workforce: End-July total 513 total staff (435 full-time; 78 contractual)

6. Marketing Plan 20XX

Deferred to next meeting.

7. Implementation of 20XX Business Plan

Deferred to next meeting.

8. Closing Remarks

The Chairperson stated that he was very pleased with the obvious positive impact of the new marketing
strategy. Members were asked to continue with the urgent implementation of the new CRM campaign.

9. Next Meeting

The next meeting will be held in the Boardroom at 1.30 p.m. on Monday, November 15, 20XX.