Format to Writing Minutes for Meetings

The best format for writing meeting minutes depends on the organization having the meeting and what is being discussed. There is information common to every format and a format for every organization. The most basic information such as the date, time, location, and members in attendance, is recorded in all formats of meeting minutes. More detailed information regarding the agenda is also included .

It is standard practice for someone, usually a secretary, to take notes of what happened and what was said for any given meeting. These notes are put together into a document called the meeting's minutes. Overall, the minutes comprise an organization's official record. While its development may appear to consist of note-taking, the minutes themselves actually consist of a professional document with a generally accepted format.The format for recording minutes can either be very formal, as is typically appropriate in a government or corporate setting, or less formal, as in a small club or casual group. Regardless of the preferred format, it is universally important to have an accurate written record. In general, however, it is important to bear in mind that minutes are an official document and should be written professionally and without opinions or bias, even if such things may be accurate.Minutes typically begin with an overview of the meeting itself, including its purpose, location, date, time, the name of the presiding officer and the number of attending members. The body of the document lists what happened during the meeting in great detail, often down to the exact wording of motions (passed or failed). As with some meetings, the meeting minutes can be divided into past business, current business, and new business as applicable. The end of the minutes should specify the time the meeting adjourned. Sample minutes and a general format can be found at: http://nancysylvester.com/docs/Resources/articles/meeting_minutes.html.While this general format should work for most meetings, some organizations may require their own format to be used. It is important, therefore, for anyone writing the minutes to know both how to write such documents in general as well as the specific requirements of their own organization. This information would be made available by the organization itself. After that, writing minutes is merely a matter of scrupulous note-taking and great attention to detail.