How do you take minutes? 5-minute taking tips!

How do you take minutes? It may seem very simple, but it is not

The difference between ‘minutes’ and ‘good minutes’ is large. Therefore we give you five tips for taking minutes that you can use during a meeting. How do you take minutes?

Tip 1: A good start is half the work / Well begun is half done

To take good minutes, it is very important that the minutes secretary is well prepared for the meeting. Make sure that the agenda items are clear so that they can be used as a guide while taking the minutes. In addition, we recommend that you communicate the agenda items with the invitees in advance so that they come well prepared for the meeting.

Topical gives you the opportunity to determine the agenda items prior to meetings. In this way, you ensure that the purpose of a meeting remains clear. These agenda items can also be linked to fixed meeting templates so that one fixed structure can be maintained.

Tip 2: Choose a good seat

As a minutes secretary, it is important that you sit or stand in a good spot during the meeting. Make sure you understand everyone well. In addition, make sure that when a slideshow is used, you can see it well.

Tip 3: Take minutes as briefly as possible and as extensively as necessary

While taking minutes, it is important to take them briefly. Make sure that everyone has exactly enough information afterward to extract valuable information from the minutes. It may sometimes be necessary to go into detail when taking minutes, so do this.

Tip 4: Process decision clearly

Make sure you write decisions clearly. When working with paper, you can, for example, mark the decisions. In Topical, decisions can be added separately to an associated agenda item.

Tip 5: Read all the minutes again afterwards

Read all the minutes again after the meeting. It is possible that, especially when the pace has been high, some errors have crept in. Correct these errors and, if necessary, reformulate a few sentences. Moreover, this is the chance to supplement the minutes if you have not yet entered any information.