The minutes of the board meeting are among the most important documents a company can produce. The purpose of the document is to accurately record the decisions taken at a board of directors meeting as web well as any follow-up actions. The minutes should be written in an objective and neutral tone to achieve this. This can be difficult during meetings that are heated, but there are ways to ensure the minutes accurately reflect the events that occurred without revealing any personal feelings or bias.
The first thing you should include is a brief outline. This will assist anyone who reads the proceedings to be able to comprehend what happened. This section could include a description about the location of a meeting and whether remote attendees were present or not, and the name of the person who took the minutes. It’s also useful to record the time that the meeting began and ended, and also who was in attendance (and in the event that your regular minute-taker wasn’t present, who stepped in for them).
A second paragraph should be added that describes the content of the meeting. The meeting will typically comprise two main components, substantive and administrative work. The first will include routine items such as agenda approval minutes of the previous meeting, and a consent schedule that cuts meeting time by acknowledging items like committee reports.
The discussion of a broad range of subjects is covered in the second. It is essential that the minutes include the results of every vote, as well with the names of those who made and seconded the motion. It is also recommended that the minute-taker to record any major arguments that took place during the discussion. However don’t go so far as to identify exactly who said what. This can expose you to legal liability.
