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Meeting Minutes Template

Meeting Minutes Template

Run our Meeting Minutes Template to quickly, simply, and effectively keep a record of your business meeting.
1
Introduction:
2
Record checklist details
3
Before the meeting:
4
Plan the meeting
5
Email attendees
6
During the meeting:
7
Note down individuals present
8
Discuss agenda item 1
9
Discuss agenda item 2
10
Discuss agenda item 3
11
Discuss agenda item 4
12
Discuss agenda item 5
13
Other information
14
After the meeting:
15
Summarize key meeting points
16
View your meeting notes as a report
17
Approval: Managerial approval
18
Export your meeting notes report
19
Use your meeting notes report to write up your final meeting notes
20
Upload your final meeting report
21
Approval:
22
Sources:
23
Related checklists:

Introduction:

Run our Meeting Minutes Template to quickly, simply, and effectively keep a record of your business meeting.

What are meeting minutesMeeting minutes are a written transcript of what has been discussed during a meeting. The notes taken during the meeting are often taken by a designated note-taker or secretary. Notes are often proof-read and prepared for use after the meeting.

Why are meeting minutes important? Your meeting minutes are a vital part to convert your meeting into an action plan. Meeting minutes provide transparency and accountability and therefore are regulatory requirements for many industries and business processes.

Other benefits that come with recording your meeting minutes include:

  1. Meeting minutes become your guide allowing participants to keep tabs of commitments and when they are due.
  2. Meeting minutes serve as a reminder, with so many things happening at once, forgetting a thing or two is unavoidable. The minutes will allow the team to check their progress.
  3. Serve as a reference for members not present in the meeting. Conflicts in schedule could result in some members not being able to make it to the meeting. Creating a meeting summary means anyone who missed the meeting can be updated on what they missed.
  4. It is time-saving, as every teammate gets to know their responsibilities, whether or not they were in the meeting. The whole team can focus on their designated duties.
  5. It may serve as your corporate defense, as companies that strive to reach new heights in their industry would inevitably face litigation along the way. Meeting minutes provide facts, solid evidence, and transparency.

How do you create meeting minutes? Our meeting minutes template acts as a guide you can quickly and easily jump into to prepare for, take, and finalize meeting minutes for any meeting type.

How to use this checklist

At the beginning of this checklist, you will be presented with a set of specialized questions given as form fields. You are required to populate each form field with your data.

Most meetings are taken place with attendees that share decisions-making responsibilities and accountability. Therefore, minutes taken should be approved by the relevant personnel. With this in mind, certain stages will require approval utilizing Process Street’s approvals feature.

Other features included in this template are:

  • Stop tasks – To ensure task order.
  • Dynamic due dates – To make sure your initiative is reviewed on time.
  • Role assignment – To delegate tasks within your team ensuring your supervisors are appropriately assigned to the review tasks.

Record checklist details

In this Meeting Minutes Template, you will be presented with the following form fields for which you are required to populate with your specific data. More information for each form field is provided via linkage to our help pages:

Let’s start by recording important meeting information, such as who the meeting is called by and the meeting timekeeper.

This is a stop task, meaning you cannot progress in this template until the required form fields are populated.


Meeting Information








Before the meeting:

Plan the meeting

Plan the meeting and prepare the different topics to be addressed during the meeting.

Use the long-text form field to:

  1. Note the topics to be addressed during the meeting (agenda items), making sure to write them down in the order to be discussed,
  2. Note what you know about each topic to be addressed to save time and focus on the important topics during the meeting,
  3. Note important calendar dates and due dates.

Although there is no set number of agenda items to cover in a given meeting, it is recommended that no more than 5 topics should be covered at one time.

On this note, use the dropdown form field to record the number of agenda items to be discussed in the meeting (a maximum of 5 choices is provided).

You will be directed to the relevant section in this template depending on your response given.

For some meetings, the meeting attendees may need to bring important items.

Take the time to consider important items you attendees may need to bring and note these down using the long-text form field provided.

For some meetings, the meeting attendees may need to read important reading resources.

Take the time to consider the reading requirements for the meeting and note this down using the long-text form field below.

You may want to email the attendees to inform them of the incoming meeting.

Use the drop-down form field provided, selecting Yes or No to the question: Would you like to email meeting attendees to inform them of the upcoming meeting?

Your response given will direct you to the appropriate stage in this checklist.

Email attendees

You selected yes to the option of emailing the meeting attendees to inform them of the upcoming meeting.

To send the appropriate email, use the email widget form field below.

During the meeting:

Note down individuals present

Make a note of the people present in the meeting. Record absent attendees using the member’s form field provided.

Discuss agenda item 1

Build your notes as the meeting progresses. Note down your meeting agenda along with the appropriate discussions and action items.

Meeting minutes are an effective contributor to run a successful meeting, yet they need appropriate distribution and to be written in time. Reports made from meeting notes often take a long time to write yet they must be sent quickly after the meeting.

This section of our Meeting Minutes Template is structured to organize your notes appropriately, to differentiate actions from remarks, as well as noting the different actions per person with a deadline. 

{{form.Agenda_items}}

Agenda item 1



Use the long-text form field to record discussions made for agenda item 1.

When recording discussions for a given action item, highlight the key arguments for and against in an unbiased way.

Use the long-text form field to record conclusions made for agenda item 1.

For each agenda item, there may be an event, task, activity, or activity that needs to take place. This is termed as the action item.

Action items can be performed by a single person or group of people. They are discrete.

Use the short-text form field to document the action item, assigning the relevant personnel to each using the members form field, and entering a due date for each using the date form field.

Note that the opportunity to record information for three action items has been provided. If required, you can edit this template to provide the opportunity to enter more action items for each agenda.




Discuss agenda item 2

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Agenda item 2



Use the long-text form field to record discussions made for agenda item 2.

Use the long-text form field to record conclusions made for agenda item 2.

For each agenda item, there may be an event, task, activity, or activity that needs to take place. This is termed as the action item.

Action items can be performed by a single person or group of people. They are discrete.

Use the short-text form field to document the action item, assigning the relevant personnel to each using the members form field, and entering a due date for each using the date form field.

Note that the opportunity to record information for three action items has been provided. If required, you can edit this template to provide the opportunity to enter more action items for each agenda.




Discuss agenda item 3

{{form.Agenda_items}}

Agenda item 3



Use the long-text form field to record discussions made for agenda item 3.

Use the long-text form field to record conclusions made for agenda item 3.

For each agenda item, there may be an event, task, activity, or activity that needs to take place. This is termed as the action item.

Action items can be performed by a single person or group of people. They are discrete.

Use the short-text form field to document the action item, assigning the relevant personnel to each using the members form field, and entering a due date for each using the date form field.

Note that the opportunity to record information for three action items has been provided. If required, you can edit this template to provide the opportunity to enter more action items for each agenda.




Discuss agenda item 4

{{form.Agenda_items}}

Agenda item 4



Use the long-text form field to record discussions made for agenda item 4.

Use the long-text form field to record conclusions made for agenda item 4.

For each agenda item, there may be an event, task, activity, or activity that needs to take place. This is termed as the action item.

Action items can be performed by a single person or group of people. They are discrete.

Use the short-text form field to document the action item, assigning the relevant personnel to each using the members form field, and entering a due date for each using the date form field.

Note that the opportunity to record information for three action items has been provided. If required, you can edit this template to provide the opportunity to enter more action items for each agenda.




Discuss agenda item 5

{{form.Agenda_items}}

Agenda item 5



Use the long-text form field to record discussions made for agenda item 5.

Use the long-text form field to record conclusions made for agenda item 4.

For each agenda item, there may be an event, task, activity, or activity that needs to take place. This is termed as the action item.

Action items can be performed by a single person or group of people. They are discrete.

Use the short-text form field to document the action item, assigning the relevant personnel to each using the members form field, and entering a due date for each using the date form field.

Note that the opportunity to record information for three action items has been provided. If required, you can edit this template to provide the opportunity to enter more action items for each agenda.




Other information

Some more details may need to be recorded before moving forward in this Minute Meetings Template.

Use the long-text form field given to record:

  • The observers
  • The resources
  • Species notes

After the meeting:

Summarize key meeting points

Once the meeting has been conducted, the next stage is to type out the meeting notes.

These meeting notes should be typed out in a logical, chronological, and organized manner, before being sent to your colleagues.

To help you, the information recorded from this meeting has been organized to produce a final report, which you can access as your move forward in this template.

Before moving onto the final report section, take the time to record:

  • The most important take-home points made during the meeting,
  • Summarize future decisions made during the meeting.

You can use the long-text form field provided to record this information.

View your meeting notes as a report

The information compiled during the meeting has been brought together to produce a final meeting report.

Final meeting report

Meeting: {{form.Meeting_name}}

Location: {{form.Meeting_location}}

Date: {{form.Meeting_date}}

Agenda item 1

Agenda item: {{form.Agenda_item_1}}

Agenda presenter: {{form.Agenda_item_1_presenter}}

  • Action item 1: {{form.Agenda_1,_action_item_1}}, due {{form.Agenda_1,_action_item_1,_deadline}}
  • Action item 2: {{form.Agenda_1,_action_item_2}}, due {{form.Agenda_1,_action_item_2,_deadline}}
  • Action item 3: {{form.Agenda_1,_action_item_3}}, due {{form.Agenda_1,_action_item_3,_deadline}}
Agenda item 2

Agenda item: {{form.Agenda_item_2}}

Agenda presenter: {{form.Agenda_item_2_presenter}}

  • Action item 1: {{form.Agenda_2,_action_item_1}}, due {{form.Agenda_2,_action_item_1,_deadline}}
  • Action item 2:  {{form.Agenda_2,_action_item_2}}, due {{form.Agenda_2,_action_item_2,_deadline}}
  • Action item 3: {{form.Agenda_2,_action_item_3}}, due {{form.Agenda_2,_action_item_3,_deadline}}
Agenda item 3

Agenda item: {{form.Agenda_item_3}}

Agenda presenter: {{form.Agenda_item_3_presenter}}

  • Action item 1: {{form.Agenda_3,_action_item_1}}, due {{form.Agenda_3,_action_item_1,_deadline}}
  • Action item 2: {{form.Agenda_3,_action_item_2}},  due {{form.Agenda_3,_action_item_2,_deadline}}
  • Action item 3: {{form.Agenda_3,_action_item_3}}}, due {{form.Agenda_3,_action_item_3,_deadline}}
Agenda item 4

Agenda item: {{form.Agenda_item_4}}

Agenda presenter: {{form.Agenda_item_4_presenter}}

  • Action item 1: {{form.Agenda_4,_action_item_1}}, due {{form.Agenda_4,_action_item_1,_deadline}}
  • Action item 2: {{form.Agenda_4,_action_item_2}}, due {{form.Agenda_4,_action_item_2,_deadline}}
  • Action item 3: {{form.Agenda_4,_action_item_3}}, due {{form.Agenda_1,_action_item_3,_deadline}}
Agenda item 5

Agenda item: {{form.Agenda_item_5}}

Agenda presenter: {{form.Agenda_item_5_presenter}}

  • Action item 1: {{form.Agenda_5,_action_item_1}}, due {{form.Agenda_5,_action_item_1,_deadline}}
  • Action item 2: {{form.Agenda_5,_action_item_2}},  due {{form.Agenda_5,_action_item_2,_deadline}}
  • Action item 3: {{form.Agenda_5,_action_item_3}}, due {{form.Agenda_1,_action_item_3,_deadline}}
Take home meeting points

{{form.Take-home_meeting_points}}

Future decisions made

{{form.Future_decisions_made}}

Most meetings take place with attendees that share decisions-making responsibilities and accountability. Therefore, minutes taken should be approved by the relevant personnel. Your final meeting report requires approval from the relevant person.

Use the members form field below to assign the meetings approver. Set a due date for when this meeting needs to be approved.

View your meeting report as a Google Document.

Select yes or no from the dropdown form field provided to learn how to export your final meeting report as a Google Document.

Approval: Managerial approval

Will be submitted for approval:

  • View your meeting notes as a report

    Will be submitted

Export your meeting notes report

Below Process Street has outlined how you can send your final meeting notes report from Process Street to Google Documents using the application Zapier. 

Create a free account with Zapier here

Re-open a blank version of this “Meeting Minutes Template” and click on the ‘Edit Template’ option in the right-hand side of the screen. Once you have opened the ‘Edit Template’ view, go to the “View your final report” task and copy and paste the entire text into a new google document as above. Name this document and save. When the ‘Zap’ has been created using Zapier, all the relevant information from your final report will populate the form fields in this document.

Set up a Zapier account, and click on “Make a Zap”. Select Process Street as your Trigger application. By doing this, you will then be able to access the Meeting Minutes Template from your Process Street account in the next steps.

Select “New Task Checked” as the trigger task. When a new task is checked in the Meeting Minutes Template, a response will be triggered in Zapier.

Make sure to select the Meeting Minutes Template and the “Export the Report” task. Then test to see if the trigger works.

Choose an appropriate action app. The Meeting Minutes Template report is to be exported as a new google document, and so Google Documents is our action application.

Select “Create a Document from Template” as the action step. This will create a google document from the Meeting Minutes Template.

Edit the new document. Insert the fields from your completed Meeting Minutes Template. This will pull the information from this template and populate the linked google document.

Your final report should come through to your google drive as a new document. The information in the google document report should match the information in your final report created in the Meeting Minutes Template.

Use your meeting notes report to write up your final meeting notes

You can use your meeting notes report to write up your final meeting report.

Take a look at the examples provided below, from Drews Park and PDF Archive respectively, for more information on how to write the final report.

Upload your final meeting report

Use the file upload form field provided to upload a copy of your final meeting report.

By uploading a copy of your final meeting report every time you run a checklist from our Meeting Minutes Template, you are securely storing meeting note information in the cloud, that can be accessed easily and quickly by all relevant personnel, from anywhere. This also gives your meeting note information in a format compatible with an Electronic Document Management System, allowing you to reap the benefits of that come with these systems.

For more information on Electronic Document Management Systems and the benefits that come from using these systems, read: What is an Enterprise Document Management (EDM) System? How to Implement Full Document Control.

Your meeting final meeting notes report needs to be reviewed and approved by the relevant personnel. Use the members form field provided to select the personnel to review and approve the final meeting notes report.

Approval:

Will be submitted for approval:

  • Upload your final meeting report

    Will be submitted

Sources:

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