Well-formed minutes are the main evidence that you had an effective meeting. Of course, board portals help modern companies complete any sessions correctly; however, even in our time, every meeting secretary must know the general rules for drawing up minutes of meetings.
Why is the protocol so important?
The meeting minutes clearly describe what was discussed, who was present, what decisions were made, and what deadlines and executors were set. This is a legal document that defines the direction of each meeting participant.
Based on the information submitted in the protocol, it will be possible to distribute tasks to all employees or hold accountable those who have not coped with their jobs.
The introductory part of the text
The text of the protocol includes introductory and main parts.
In the introductory part of the minutes, the initials and surnames of the chairman and secretary of the meeting are given after the heading. However, it should be borne in mind that in the minutes, the chairman is the official conducting the meeting, his position according to the staff list is not indicated in the text.
Secretary – the person responsible for organizing the meeting and documenting its activities, i.e., preparing and registering the protocol. The conference’s secretary (session) is not necessarily a secretary ex officio. This job duty may be added for the employee. It should be fixed in his job description if performed constantly. This work can be entrusted to the employee by the manager if performed as a one-time assignment.
From a new line after the word “Attended” in alphabetical order list the initials and surnames of the officials of the organization who participate in the discussion and decision-making at the meeting.
If other officials of their organization are invited to the meeting, they are listed in the “Invited” section in alphabetical order (surname and initials) without indicating the position. In addition, if representatives of other organizations participate in the meeting, their jobs with the names of organizations are also noted.
The secretary is responsible for drawing up the meeting participants list. The list is compiled in advance at the leader’s direction (it is needed to notify participants of the date of the meeting and the plan, it is desirable to pre-distribute reference materials to study issues and prepare for discussion). On the day of the meeting, the list of those present is adjusted based on the actual availability of officials.
Main text
The content of the minutes is drawn up based on the records that the secretary keeps at the meeting manually or using a voice recorder. The text of the main part of the minutes is drawn up by the sequence of issues established by the plan.
Form part of the protocol
Minutes are drawn up based on handwritten, shorthand, or audio recordings that are kept during the meeting. After the meeting, the secretary retypes the notes, arranges them by the stated requirements, and submits them for editing to the chairman of the meeting. The protocol is signed and becomes an official document subject to his amendments.