Form with which the board of directors of a corporation records the contents of its first meeting.
Form with which the board of directors of a corporation records the contents of its first meeting.
Writing meeting minutes with action items can transform those directionless meetings into productive discussions. It's important to start out with a meeting structure so you can keep your meeting focused. Then, write minutes that highlight the key parts of the conversation.
Level of detail The meeting's date and time, Whether it was a special or regular meeting, The names of directors attending, as well as those who didn't attend, and. All board actions, including motions, votes for and against, and resolutions.
Focus on outcomes, not wording: Meeting minutes are a summary, not a transcript. Rather than recording board statements word-for-word, convey key arguments and the outcome. Include rationale: Remember to include details about why the board took the actions it did.
The minutes should follow the order of the agenda, with a basic, almost vague, summary sentence or two for each item, along with the name of the person who presented it. Votes taken should appear in their place of order in the agenda. Generally, don't include names.
Minutes should never be a verbatim documentation of every statement made during a board meeting. A document that purports to record every uttered word is a transcript, not “minutes.” Minutes should be concise and informative, but never voluminous.
Robert's Rules (Section -16) state that “the minutes should contain mainly a record of what was done at the meeting, not what was said by the members.” Minutes are not transcripts of meetings; rather, the document contains a record of actions taken by the body, organized by the meeting's order of business (agenda).
Personal observations or judgmental comments should not be included in meeting minutes. All statements should be as neutral as possible. Avoid writing down everything everyone said. Minutes should be concise and summarize the major points of what happened at the meeting.
Meeting action items are discrete, detailed tasks that are assigned to individuals or a team to complete after the meeting. These tasks are discussed and agreed upon by the responsible parties during the meeting.
They are legally required to include these details: Date, time, and location of the meeting. Record of notice of board meeting provision and acknowledgment. Names of attendees and absentees, including guests.