What are meeting minutes?
Definition: Meeting minutes are notes taken to record meaningful discussions, decisions, and key takeaways from a meeting. The meeting minutes are later on reviewed to set agendas for future meetings.
What are meeting minutes used for?
Meeting minutes record the important events of both formal and informal meetings. Some of the most common uses of meeting minutes include:
- Record keeping of takeaways and objectives of the meeting
- Summary for those who couldn’t attend the meeting
- Legal documents in case of formal meetings
- Reference document for future meetings
Elements of meeting minutes
- Date and time
- Names of present and absent participants
- Location
- Meeting agenda
- Topics discussed
- List of motions raised, and voting outcomes
- Key takeaways
- Next actionable steps
If the purpose is to discuss the progress of an ongoing project, then minutes should include:
- Project status
- Supplementary documents
- Next tasks assigned
- Name of individuals assigned for each task
- Deadlines set for following tasks
Example of meeting minutes
The meeting format is different for formal and informal meetings. Hence, the meeting minutes for formal and informal meetings involve different elements. Here are 2 detailed examples of meeting minutes for both types.
Formal meeting structure - meeting minute template
- Call to order
- Roll call
- Approval of the previous meeting minutes
- Reports
- Unfinished business
- New business
- Announcements
- Adjournment
Events transpired in a demo formal meeting - meeting minute template
- Time and Place: The meeting started at 9:00 am on 24 June 2022 at the main conference hall.
- Name of the present and absent attendees: The designated secretary called the roll, and all members were present.
- Approval of previous meeting minutes: The minutes of the previous meeting were reviewed and approved.
- Agenda discussion: The first item on the agenda was a presentation by Jane Smith on the company's new marketing strategy. She presented the main points of the strategy and answered questions from the members.
- 2nd agenda discussion: The second item on the agenda was a discussion on the budget for the next quarter. The finance team presented the proposed budget and explained the main changes from the previous quarter. The members discussed and approved the budget.
- End time of meeting and new meeting date and time announcement: The meeting was adjourned at 11:00 am. The next meeting will be held on the same day next week at the same time.
Final meeting minutes for this demo formal meeting
Name of the meeting: A name is to be given based on the meeting agenda or the meeting type.
Date: 06/24/2022
Time: 9.00 am
Place: Main conference hall
Present Attendees: All (Name and designation are to be mentioned)
Absent Attendees: None
Previous meeting minutes: Approved (Summary about the previous agenda is to be included)
Agendas discussed and outcomes:
Agenda 1: New marketing strategy presentation by Jane Smith.
Critical Points of the presentation:
- Point 1
- Point 2
- Point 3
Questions answered:
Questions and answers (Here the discretion of the note taker is crucial to determine which questions and answers is to be noted)
Agenda 2: Budget for next Quarter by the finance team
List of changes:
- Change 1 and reason
- Change 2 and reason
- Change 3 and reason
Outcome: The new budget was approved
Meeting end time: 11 am
New meeting time and date: 9 am on 07/01/2022
Informal meeting structure - meeting minute template
Introductions: Attendees introduce themselves and any guests they have brought to the meeting.
- Agenda review
- Discussion
- Action items
- Wrap-up
Events transpired in a demo informal meeting
- Meeting time and place: The meeting was called to order at 1:00 pm on 30 July 2022 in the main conference hall by John Doe, the chairperson.
- Name of the present and absent attendees: The designated secretary called the roll, and all members were present.
- Agenda 1: The first item on the agenda was discussing the company's upcoming holiday party. The members discussed and decided on the party's date, location, and theme.
- Agenda 2: The second item on the agenda was a brainstorming session on new marketing ideas. The members discussed and generated several ideas.
- End of meeting and new meeting time announcement: The meeting was adjourned at 2:00 pm. The next meeting will be held on the same day next week at the same time.
Final meeting minutes for this demo informal meeting
Name of the meeting: A name is to be given based on the meeting agenda or the meeting type.
Date: 07/30/2022
Time: 1 pm
Place: Main conference hall
Present Attendees: All (Name and designation are to be mentioned)
Absent Attendees: None
Agendas discussed and outcomes:
Agenda 1: Upcoming holiday party
Outcome: The date, location, and theme are noted.
Agenda 2: New marketing ideas
Potential ideas:
- Idea 1 details
- Idea 2 details
- Idea 3 details
Meeting end time: 2 pm
New meeting time and date: 1 pm on 08/06/2022
