5 reasons to take minutes during the meeting.
If you attend meetings you should know by now that everyone around the table or on Zoom is looking to see who will take meeting notes if there is not an appointed secretary or recorder. Anyone hardly pushes their hands up immediately, have you ever wonder why this is so? Well for one instance, if you take bad notes everyone will know, or it will be revealed if you have problems reading and writing. In addition, if you are actively participating in the meeting, you may be more focused on putting over your point and not listening to the other salient points of the meeting.
The lack of preparing minutes is a waste of the meeting as more than likely no one will remember everything that was discussed and whether there were any decisions made. It is important, very important that minutes are taken.
So here are five main reasons why minutes should be taken at the meeting:
Taking meeting minutes makes it possible to remember what happened.
When your team makes a decision, finds a problem, or decides on a course of action, write it down so everyone will remember it!
Meeting minutes can be shared with people who couldn't attend
For a focused and effective meeting, only include those people required to provide information or make a decision. The minutes may be used to inform others who need to be informed but were not required for the meeting.
Taking minutes focuses your meetings on achieving objectives.
This is more subtle, and more powerful. When people in a meeting see key points written down, it becomes more "real" and "actionable"
Recorded minutes create strong agreements.
Most of us make frequently make agreements that we have little intention of keeping. When it is recorded
Taking minutes helps people feel heard and builds trust
Listening to someone and recording what they say shows them they are heard and and their contribution matters. Remember to always be respectful and professional in your recording of minutes.