14 Perfect Meeting Minutes & Notes Templates (Word)

Whether you are working in an organization or involved in a club, sports activity, or any other social event, you will always hold some meetings at some point in time. Meetings are important in any social setting. They not only help improve the work process but also provides an opportunity for members to raise ideas or discuss issues that would affect the group’s goal achievement. However, when your meeting doesn’t have a general direction or purpose, it can cause time and resource wastage. Therefore, if you want to improve the efficiency and timeliness of your meetings, meeting minutes & notes can serve. 

Free templates

Perfect Editable Meeting Minutes & Notes Template 01 in Word Format
Perfect Editable Meeting Minutes & Notes Template 02 in Word Format
Perfect Editable Meeting Minutes & Notes Template 03 in Word Format
Perfect Editable Meeting Minutes & Notes Template 04 in Word Format
Perfect Editable Meeting Minutes & Notes Template 05 in Word Format
Perfect Editable Meeting Minutes & Notes Template 06 in Word Format
Perfect Editable Meeting Minutes & Notes Template 07 in Word Format
Free Downloadable Meeting Minutes & Notes Templates 08 as Word Document.
Free Downloadable Meeting Minutes & Notes Templates 09 as Word Document.
Free Downloadable Meeting Minutes & Notes Templates 10 as Word Document.
Free Downloadable Meeting Minutes & Notes Templates 11 as Word Document
Free Downloadable Meeting Minutes & Notes Templates 12 as Word Document
Free Downloadable Meeting Minutes & Notes Templates 13 as Word Document
Free Downloadable Meeting Minutes & Notes Templates 14 as Word Document

    What is meeting minutes and notes

    In its simplest definition, meeting minutes and notes refer to a written record of every occurrence that happened during a meeting. Usually, these write-ups are used to inform absent members of what the meeting was all about, as well as what the members decided during the meeting. It is also important to note that while both minutes and notes are similar, there are some differences that are worth noting. Meeting minutes are formal and can be used for official reporting. On the contrary, meeting notes are less formal. They are the casual shorthand notes recorded during the meeting. Either the way, the two are documentation written during a meeting.

    Why write meeting minutes?

    Writing meeting minutes and notes can seem like an unimportant task for some. However, you shouldn’t note that failure to write these minutes can cause you more time and money. For instance, if you don’t write minutes, you’ll realize that your colleagues are more enlightened about what ideas were reached during the meeting. Usually, people raise different suggestions, comments, and ideas. And since it’s impossible to remember everything discussed, writing the meetings/notes is a wise idea.

    What to include?

    Perhaps you have been chosen to write minutes in your team’s forthcoming meeting and wondering where to start. Well, the following are some key things to include in the minutes/notes:

    • The date and time of the meeting
    • The names of members present, or those absent with an apology
    • Amendments or corrections made to previous meetings
    • Voting motion and seconder
    • A list of agendas or items discussed.
    • A list of actions proposed during the meeting.
    • Any other business of the day.
    • The next date scheduled for the next meeting

    Tips for writing meeting minutes and notes

    Writing meeting minutes or notes can be a grueling task, especially or those who are new in the sector. However, if you are charged with the responsibility of writing minutes, the following tips will make the whole process simple and easy.

    Prior preparation

    Before attending the meeting, it’s advised for you to have adequate preparation so as to get familiar with everything. Remember that every organization has its own fashion of doing things. Therefore, you need to take some time and review some past minutes. This will provide you with an idea of the organization’s preferred minute format and structure.

    Take a record of the meeting

    As a secretary, one thing you should focus on is understanding how to take a meeting during the meeting. As such, you type notes as the meeting progresses, record or device other effective methods of getting the information taken. Make sure you include every information discussed in detail. For agenda items, you should write a short statement of each action taken by the members. Alongside this, you should include a brief highlight of the rationale behind each decision. For instance, if there was an extensive argument, you need only to summarize the main points from the argument.

    Review meeting minutes

    Here, you need to review the agenda and add notes, actions, votes, and decisions for clarifications. Make sure you edit the meeting to make it clear and easy to understand.

    Additionally, it’s recommended that you attach any handout or documents that were issued or referred to during the meeting processions.

    Signing and sharing of the minutes

    Once you’ve reviewed the document and you are certain everything is in order, it needs to be signed to make it official. You can, therefore, let the chairperson as well as the secretary sign in their signatures. The document should then be shared with various members. There are a number of ways in which you can share the minutes. This includes email sharing, cloud sharing, or sending them through physical addresses.

    Note that the main purpose of taking the meeting meetings is to bring out the genuine intentions of the members, and they serve as official legal records. Therefore, it is important that you only record those items that are harmless to the members.

    Common mistakes to avoid

    Some of the most prevalent mistakes people do when drafting meeting minutes include:

    • Ambiguous illustration of member’s course of actions.
    • Delaying to provide the meeting minutes to the board.
    • Failing to manage the minute documents effectively.
    • Failure to get the documents signed by the official members.
    • Recording information that could cause tension or harm the members in any way.

    Whether you are a secretary to an organization’s board, or you are standing in for an absent secretary, writing meeting minutes or notes shouldn’t be a worry. In as much as they are essential, the minutes are equally important to the future operation of your organization. Therefore, you are as detailed as possible. Minutes help keep individuals accountable and informed hence aligning to the team’s goals.

    About This Article

    Jill Newman
    Authored by:
    Business Writing | CPA (Certified Public Accountant), MA in English, BS in Business Administration/Accounting
    Jill Newman is an expert in business writing with a wealth of experience in the field. As a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in Ohio, she has accumulated over 20 years of accounting expertise. Throughout her career, Jill has worked in various capacities, including public accounting firms, nonprofits, and educational institutions. Alongside her accounting background, she has actively honed her communication skills through her academic pursuits, holding an MA in English. Jill has also gained valuable experience in writing through various writing jobs and teaching roles. Her diverse skill set and passion for effective business communication make her a trusted resource in the field.

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