The minutes of board meetings are a critical aspect of good governance that ensure that there are accurate records of every discussion and decision. The board secretary or a person else assigned to perform this function, is usually responsible for recording minutes of the meeting.
The person who takes minutes of the meeting should be able to listen and accurately record the entire discussion even when directors are discussing a topic or discussing the same issue. The minutes can also be scrutinized at a court if the company is sued, so they need to be as objective and impartial in the event of a lawsuit.
Identify the date and time of the meeting. This information is needed to organize your minutes document after the meeting and allows the reader to locate the information quickly. It is important to note if the meeting is a regular, special, emergency, or executive session.
List all attendees who attended the meeting, including the presiding officers and board members as well as non-voting participants like staff or guests. It is important to keep track of all attendees, particularly when recording meetings that are conducted remotely.
Include an overview of each agenda item, accompanied by brief summary sentences or two that outlines the main topics of discussion and any important decisions made. It is important to not include too numerous details. The details of minute documents can be overwhelming to the readers and you can find out more make it difficult for readers to comprehend the direction of the company.