This is an on-going issue for people who take minutes and people who attend meetings. 

What do you record about what people say?

Here is the Golden Rule of minute taking:

Minutes are what is decided and what is done, NOT what is said!

The minutes should record the issues that were addressed, the decisions that were made, the action that needs to be carried out as a result of the decision (with the deadline for the action to be completed). If you believe it is necessary (and it often will be) you should record the major reasons that led to the decision but NOT who said what.

Some people believe that minutes should be a story – they are called narrative minutes. These minutes have no place in the 21st century (nor did they in the last century). 

Think and write in bullet points – not sentences and certainly not paragraphs and your minutes will be much better.

For information about minute taking courses visit www.minutetaking.com

Related posts:

1. Minutes are NOT a record of what people say! Don’t ask me why, but in my more than 25 years working with people on their meetings, dog clubs and volunteer fire brigades seem to have the most trouble with their meetings! I’ve had a query from a man in...
2. How do you deal with people who mumble or people who cannot be heard in meetings?   How do you deal with people who mumble or people who cannot be heard in meetings? You have to be assertive and ask them to speak up or tell the person in the chair that you cannot hear a...
3. Annual General Meeting minutes A question has been received about the minutes of an AGM. The minutes of the AGM are approved as an accurate record at the next AGM and this causes some confusion because some minute takers think therefore, that they do...
4. Confirming minutes when the people are no longer around Peter has asked the following question: How do minutes become confirmed if the persons present at the meeting when a decision was adopted are no longer in attendance? This is a really common question and the answer sounds weird, but...
5. Using a data projector for displaying minutes in meetings Denise of Perth has asked the following question: What is the situation with using a data projector in meetings for the minutes. Using a data projector for displaying the minutes while they are being typed is an excellent idea and...