As hectic as it may sound, an average employee approximately spends around 3-4 hours in a week (maybe even more at times) on meetings. It may seem hard to digest, but the pandemic (WFH culture) has shaped us all into the digital world full of endless meetings and discussions. While meetings can be long & at times can also go overboard with a lot of things, keeping in track with every single point being discussed during the meeting can be a challenge. With such important points being made, there needs to be an accurate record of it. And to do so, it is essential to note down the MOM (Minutes Of Meeting) in order for all the stakeholders to stay on the same page. Here’s all you need to know about it:
<rich-h2>Importance Of Taking Minutes<rich-h2>
<rich-list-item>Serves as a guiding map for your team: Your minutes present you & your team members with a tangible and easy-to-follow guide map of the project. It will also enable you to know what needs to be delivered and when, thereby eliminating any confusion regarding commitments & the scope of delivery.<rich-list-item>
<rich-list-item>Helps state ownership: MOM brings clarity on how a particular discussion/pointer was concluded in a meeting & who takes it forward from there.<rich-list-item>
<rich-list-item>Saves you time: Recording and playing back the meetings helps in capturing all the facets of discussion and can avoid repetition of points in the next meeting.<rich-list-item>
<rich-list-item last-item>Serves as a reference for the non-attendees: Minutes serve as a summary for people who have missed the meeting or couldn’t be a part of it. In this way everyone can stay on the same page<rich-list-item last-item>
<rich-h2>Must-Include Pointers In The Meeting Minutes<rich-h2>
<rich-list-item>Date & time of the meeting<rich-list-item>
<rich-list-item>Names of the people attending the meeting & those who couldn’t attend<rich-list-item>
<rich-list-item>Acceptance or corrections to previous meeting minutes<rich-list-item>
<rich-list-item>Decisions rejected or disagreed to.<rich-list-item>
<rich-list-item last-item>Decisions made on each agenda (actions taken, next steps, approvals for ideas/thoughts, new business, next meeting date and time)<rich-list-item last-item>
<rich-h2>You Can’t Go Wrong With Minutes If...<rich-h2>
<rich-list-item>You make sure to have the necessary material to take note. Keep a notebook, pen, laptop or computer handy (basic but most of us end up digging last minute)<rich-list-item>
<rich-list-item>You are clear and direct (vague is off the dictionary)<rich-list-item>
<rich-list-item>You ask for clarification if you’ve not understood something properly. False information can stir in chaos.<rich-list-item>
<rich-list-item>You sort matter into relevant categories when putting the document together. Easier to glance (logical flow is a blessing)<rich-list-item>
<rich-list-item>You hyperlink references wherever possible so future readers have everything at a click of a button<rich-list-item>
<rich-list-item last-item>If you can’t keep up with note taking, consider recording the meeting (make sure the participants know that they are being recorded)<rich-list-item last-item>
<rich-para>P.S - The pointers even apply for your product summary documents.<rich-para>
<rich-h2>Takeaway:<rich-h2>
<rich-para>Any project without consistent & regularly updated minutes is a proven recipe for disaster. Meeting minutes capture the most essential information of any meeting, so to make sure your meetings are always a smooth ride, your MOM shouldn’t be a daunting task for you. Non-Attendees are your benchmark for splendid minutes.<rich-para>
