What Are Minutes?

● Minutes are the official recorded or written documentation of a meeting. They are used to
inform the attendees and non-attendees of what was discussed and decided in a meeting.

As a bare minimum, minutes usually have the name of those who attended and the groups
they represent; the agenda items discussed; follow-up actions that were agreed and any
noteworthy discussions or decisions that came up.

What Should a Minute Writer Focus On?

● A good minute writer focuses on the decisions arrived at in the meeting and the
commitments made by the attendees.
Commitments should be accompanied by due dates and other details that promote a
common and shared understanding by all the participants.

Why Are Minutes Important?

● Minutes are also powerful historical documents. They can provide invaluable information
into why a certain decision was arrived at. For instance, minutes can help answer the
question, “why would management think this was the best way to go even though there was
an easier alternative?” Well written minutes should therefore reflect the possible alternatives
discussed and the reasons why the others were dropped in favour of the one that was
picked.

What Should Be Recorded in Minutes?

● However, minutes don’t need to record everything that was discussed – just the important
things. From a legal perspective, minutes give your business protection: recording why
decisions were made. Conveying the decision-making process is more important than the
actual decision. Minutes provide evidence that a company stuck to its own internal
procedures and showed due diligence in its actions.