How to Take Minutes at a Board Meeting

Board meetings are the place where major decisions are made – it’s not uncommon for a company’s entire management structure to be determined through a vote at the board meeting. The quality of your board meeting minutes is crucial and it’s essential to ensure that they are executed as efficiently and precisely as is.

Having a template or outline that is based off the agenda prior to the time helps the person who takes minutes to keep track with the conversation and to take notes of relevant details. It’s also helpful to have a list of attendees so that each can be checked off when they arrive. This will save time and make it simpler to put together the finalised minutes of the board meeting after the meeting.

Another key point is to avoid getting too personal. Minutes should be neutral and it’s best to not include personal arguments, critiques or disagreements, political opinions, and idle chats out of them. Also, keep out any discussion pertaining to the personal life of any members or if there are any stories that aren’t relevant to the issue at hand.

It is essential to record every vote which include who made the motion and who voted for it, the exact language, and whether or not the motion was approved. Additionally, it’s an excellent idea to record the number of yays and the nays for each item, as well as the rationale behind any votes that were virtual data room not taken or were not taken. This will assist in the event of any legal challenges in the future.