Board meetings are the place where important decisions are taken. It’s not uncommon that a company decides its entire management structure via the vote of the board meeting. The quality of your board meeting minutes is crucial and it’s crucial to ensure that they’re taken as efficiently and accurately possible.
Having an outline or template that is based on the agenda ahead of time makes it easier for the person taking minutes to keep up with the conversation and to record relevant information. It is also useful to keep a list of attendees so that each participant can be checked as they arrive. This will save valuable time and make it simpler to compile the finalised board minutes after the meeting.
Be careful not to get too personal. It is best to keep minutes impartial and refrain from mentioning personal arguments or disagreements and political opinions, as well as idle chat. Dismiss any discussion of the personal lives of members or any other personal stories that aren’t connected to the business.
All voted-on items should be clearly documented. This would include who drafted and seconded the motion, the exact form of the motion, as well as whether it was passed or not. In addition, it’s recommended to record the number of yays and nays for each item and the reason behind the votes that absent or not. This will be useful in the event that there are any future legal challenges.