How to Take Notes for Work - Meeting Minutes Explained

Summary

This video offers essential advice on crafting meeting minutes akin to those used by top consulting firms like McKinsey, BCG, and Bain. The presenter shares a template for structuring minutes, emphasizing the importance of recording insights, tasks, and decisions. The template is designed to streamline the process, making it easier to document and distribute key points post-meeting. Viewers are encouraged to download the template and adapt it for their professional needs, with the presenter's promise of positive feedback from its use.

Takeaways

• 😀 Writing meeting minutes is a common task in the early years of a career, especially in professional services, consulting, and the corporate world.
• 📝 The video provides a template for writing meeting minutes in the style of large consulting firms like McKinsey, BCG, and Bain.
• 📅 The template includes a header with the meeting type, date, location, and participants, which is important for legal and reference purposes.
• 📋 The structure of the minutes focuses on three main points: insights, tasks, and decisions, rather than recording every detail of the conversation.
• 💡 Insights are significant points shared during the meeting that are new or contribute to the discussion, with the responsible person noted.
• 📈 Tasks are action items assigned to individuals, such as investigating issues or preparing reports, with the responsible person clearly identified.
• 🔔 Decisions made during the meeting are recorded, including any unanimous or dissenting opinions, to capture the board's or committee's consensus.
• 🔄 After the meeting, an email is sent to all attendees with the minutes attached for review and to ensure accuracy.
• 🔄 For recurring meetings, the template can be copied and the date updated for each instance, maintaining a historical record of past meetings.
• 👍 Using this structured approach to meeting minutes has been well-received and can help improve professional communication skills.
• 🎓 The video also promotes a Communications and Slide Writing Academy for further professional development in these areas.

Q & A

What is the primary purpose of writing meeting minutes?

The primary purpose of writing meeting minutes is to document the key points, decisions, and actions taken during a meeting, which is especially important in professional services, consulting, and corporate environments.

Why are meeting minutes written in a structured manner?

Meeting minutes are written in a structured manner to ensure clarity and to facilitate easy reference and understanding of the meeting's outcomes, including insights, tasks, and decisions.

What are the three main points to focus on when writing meeting minutes according to the script?

The three main points to focus on when writing meeting minutes are insights, tasks, and decisions.

What is an 'insight' in the context of meeting minutes?

An 'insight' in the context of meeting minutes refers to a valuable piece of information or a point that was shared and discussed during the meeting, which is not already part of the meeting document.

How should tasks be recorded in the meeting minutes?

Tasks should be recorded by specifying the action item, the person responsible for completing it, and any relevant details such as deadlines or the purpose of the task.

What is the significance of recording decisions in meeting minutes?

Recording decisions in meeting minutes is significant as it documents the outcomes of the meeting, including any unanimous or dissenting opinions, and serves as a reference for future actions and discussions.

Why is it important to include the date, location, and participants in the meeting minutes?

Including the date, location, and participants in the meeting minutes is important for providing context, ensuring transparency, and, in some cases, for legal requirements, especially for important meetings like board meetings.

What is the recommended format for the header of the meeting minutes template?

The recommended format for the header of the meeting minutes template includes mentioning the type of meeting, the title 'Meeting Minutes,' and the date of the meeting.

How can the provided template be accessed for personal use?

The provided template can be accessed for personal use by pausing the video and clicking on the link in the video description to download it for free.

What is the recommended approach for distributing meeting minutes after a meeting?

After a meeting, the recommended approach is to send an email to all attendees with the meeting minutes attached, typically in an Excel format, and ask for their review to ensure accuracy and representation.

How can the meeting minutes template be used for recurring meetings?

For recurring meetings, the template can be copied several times, with each copy representing a different meeting. The date can be updated for each meeting, and previous minutes can be kept for historical reference.