Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Preparing for the Meeting
• Method 2 of 3: During the meeting
• Method 3 of 3: After the meeting
• Tips
• Warnings
• What do you need

As a corporate secretary or secretary of the board, or maybe a small business owner, it is possible that you will be faced with the need to keep minutes of corporate meetings. This task is very important, because it is not only a legal requirement, especially for non-profit organizations: these protocols are part of the official records of the company, its history. Protocols can be done quite easily if certain rules and format are followed.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Preparing for the Meeting

1. 1 Send a notice of the meeting with the date, time, location and purpose of the meeting in advance (several weeks in advance) to anyone who is expected to attend.
2. 2 Prepare a special package for each member of the board, which includes: meeting notice, minutes of the previous meeting, list of both contact information and what will be presented at the meeting (for example, analyzes and budget reports). If the information is confidential, then transfer it only if it comes up, after employees (in some cases) and guests have left the premises.
3. 3 Make sure you have on hand the recording equipment that you are most comfortable using, such as: notepad, folder, laptop or voice recorder.
4. 4 On the day of the meeting, make sure all participants have writing materials, badges (if needed) and refreshments.

Method 2 of 3: During the meeting

1. 1 Make a note of the following information:
   • Organization name and meeting type.
   • Was the meeting notification sent, and if so, when.
   • Date of the meeting and the place where it took place.
   • The time when the meeting began.
2. 2 Write down the reason for the meeting, for example: quarterly board meeting or annual election of officers.
3. 3 Should be listed:
   • Board members, officers and employees present at the meeting, and their responsibilities.
   • Those who are absent.
   • Guests attending, by whom they were invited and the reasons why they attended the event.
   • The name and title of the chairman of the meeting.
   • The person taking the minutes of the meeting.
4. 4 Indicate the number of members required for a quorum, and whether this number has been reached.
5. 5 Record the results of voting to accept, revise, or withdraw from the minutes of the last meeting.
6. 6 Modify the previous protocols as needed.
7. 7 Voice the topical questions from the previous protocol and record the course of their discussion, the results of voting or the overall outcome.
8. 8 Record any other votes, election of officers for example, and the number of votes in favor, against, or abstained. Except for those who abstained, it is not necessary to write down people's names and how they voted. State the reason for any refusal to vote and whether anyone left the room during this vote.
9. 9 List your agenda items and leave some space between them to write notes.
10. 10 Take notes of the discussion on the agenda items, and what and by whom was said during it.
11. 11 List all the topical issues that were discussed during the meeting, as well as the people who will have to speak at the next meeting.
12. 12 Note any discussions on non-agenda items and who asked them, as well as the outcome of those discussions.
13. 13 Indicate the results of those decisions that were proposed for reconsideration, updating or voting. The official decision itself will be presented as a separate document.
14. 14 Indicate the date and time of the next meeting.
15. 15 Note that the meeting was declared closed by majority decision or unanimous decision. Indicate the end time of the meeting.

Method 3 of 3: After the meeting

1. 1 Complete the protocol as completely as possible and do so as early as possible.
2. 2 Highlight in bold any voting results, agenda items and decisions taken.
3. 3 Distribute copies of the minutes to all meeting participants as early as possible in order to get their feedback on its contents. If no changes were proposed, formalize the minutes and then place them in a special folder for corporate meetings. Distribute copies of the final version of the minutes to all participants in the meeting and those who were absent from it.

Tips

• If you do not understand something, immediately ask the appropriate questions so that the discussion is recorded correctly. In order to ask for any clarification, you do not have to wait until you have completely drafted the protocol.
• The decisions made and the results of the voting must be indicated in the minutes, but their copies must also be kept in a separate folder in a place protected from fire, water and other factors. Electronic copies should also be kept with this folder.
• Don't try to jot down every word during the meeting: write in general terms about what was said. You can more fully disclose the course of the discussion after you finish filling out the minutes.
• Your company policies may prohibit the use of electronic communications. Now this is quite rare - it all depends on the time when the rules were written, and whether they have been revised over the years. Therefore, before communicating in this way with the participants in the meeting, make sure that you are not breaking anything. You can also suggest amendments to these kind of rules if they are hopelessly outdated.

Warnings

• Be careful when submitting a draft of the minutes to meeting attendees for review and revision, as this gives them the opportunity to change what they have said. When the protocol is completely finished, make sure that everyone is aware of any changes made to it: this way the information will be interpreted correctly and no one will be misled.

What do you need

• Folders
• Recording supplies (notepads, pencil or pen, laptop or voice recorder)
• Badges, if needed
• Packages containing all the information required for the meeting
• Notepads and pens / pencils for meeting participants
• Cold drinks