Agenda, Notes and Minutes of the meeting

 5. Agenda, Notes and Minutes of the meeting

1 What Is an Agenda?

An agenda is a plan for a meeting that outlines topics to be discussed, while minutes are the official written record of what was discussed, decided, and auctioned. An agenda is a list of activities to be done in an ordered sequence. In meetings, business agenda refers to the activities and topics that need to be discussed or performed at a particular time or the things to achieve during a meeting. The agenda is also used to determine the goal of a meeting.

Agendas are the documents that give those attending meetings prior notice of what is being discussed. Agendas also give all the relevant details of when and where the meetings take place and who attends. Normally they have reports attached.

The main purpose of an agenda is to give the participants a clear understanding of the meeting or subject at hand and logically guide the participants with the whole process. It also makes the participant be familiarized with the topics to be discussed.

Meeting Agenda

1.   Purpose: To structure the meeting and set expectations for attendees before the meeting takes place.

2.   Timing: Created and distributed before the meeting.

3.   Content:

4.   Meeting purpose

5.   Date, time, and location

6.   Names of attendees and absentees

7.   List of topics and activities to be discussed

8.   Time allocated for each topic

9.   Who will lead each discussion item 

 What Should Be Included on an Agenda?

Almost all business follows a similar format of an agenda to run their meeting effectively and ensure that it stays on time. To make your meeting as effective as them, include these things in your agenda

1.          The title of the agenda. The titles are important in any agenda example as it can be used as identification.

2.          The objective of the meeting. The objective of the meeting should also be included in the meeting to remind the participants about what the meeting is all about and what it hopes to achieve.

3.          The topics and/or activities. The agenda should list all the topics or activities to be addressed in a meeting.

4.          The time allocation. Every topic and/or activities must have a time allocation so that it will be followed accordingly.

5.          Call to action. The agenda should have a call to action that signifies the start and end of the meeting.

Easy Steps to Writing an Agenda

1.          Write the title of the agenda.

2.          Followed by a who, when, and where information.

3.          Write an overview of the meeting.

4.          Outline the topics and/or activities and give a sufficient allotted time.

5.          Add extra instructions.

6.          Check for errors.

2 Meeting notes

What are meeting notes?

Meeting notes are personal, informal records of discussions, while meeting minutes are formal, official documents that serve as a record of key decisions, actions, and attendees for an entire group. Both contain information like attendance, decisions, and action items, but minutes are structured for official purposes and often include a specific template, while notes can be more flexible and personal. 

Meeting notes are special type of notes which are compiled at meetings by an appointed note-taker. The note taker could be a professional, or they could be one of the attendees who has been assigned the task for that meeting. They provide a written report about the meeting, which includes the place, date and time of the meeting, the purpose of the meeting, who attended the meeting and a list of the things which were discussed at the meeting.

 What are meeting notes like?

Meeting Notes are like an incredibly accurate diary entry, which everyone is able to read. Participants in a meeting can look at these notes to help to jog their memory about the events of the last meeting and to get clarification about the points which were discussed therein.

 What is the purpose of meeting notes?

Meeting Notes act as an official record of the debates and decisions which were taken at a meeting. They are recognised as the official version of events, and are ratified as such by the people who attended the meeting. These notes are often distributed to attendees before the next meeting. Certain companies and government bodies are required to keep their meeting notes on file.  

 What’s involved with meeting notes?

Formal meeting notes include

1.          Date, time and location of the meeting.

2.          The purpose of the meeting.

3.          Names of attendees and those who were unable to attend.

4.          Agenda items.

5.          Decisions that were made.

6.          Actions that need to be done. ...

7.          Follow up meeting.

 When the meeting starts, the note-taker is expected to keep a true and accurate record of what transpires during that period. The notes must clearly state the outcome of each point and any actions which are going to be taken. Once the meeting has come to an end, the note taker compiles their notes into a formal document. Once this document is ready, it is approved by the chairperson and circulated amongst those who were in attendance (as well as those who sent apologies for their absence). If there are any problems with the notes that need changing, they can be addressed by the group at the next meeting.

 What terms are used in recording and transferring meeting notes?

Action Points – These are things which a person has been tasked with doing before the nest meeting.
Ratification – The agreement that the notes from the previous meeting are correct.
Amendment – Changing the notes to reflect the correct version of events, if they are wrong

 3 What are meeting minutes?

The "minutes" of "meeting minutes" don't refer to the minute measurement of time, but to the "minute" (my-newt) notes taken during meetings.

Meeting minutes, or mom (for minutes of meeting) can be defined as the written record of everything that's happened during a meeting. They're used to inform people who didn't attend the meeting about what happened, or to keep track of what was decided during the meeting so that you can revisit it and use it to inform future decisions. 

 What should you include when writing meeting minutes?

The five steps that you must include are: 

1. Pre-Planning

2. Record taking - at the meeting

3. Minutes writing or transcribing

4. Distributing or sharing of meeting minutes

5. Filing or storage of minutes for future reference

 1. Pre-planning meeting minutes:

A well-planned meeting helps ensure effective meeting minutes.  If the Chair and the Secretary or minutes-taker work together to ensure the agenda and meeting are well thought out, it makes minute taking much easier. For example, depending on the meeting structure and the tools you use, the minutes-taker could work with the Chair to create a document format that works as an agenda and minutes outline as well.

 What is the agenda of a meeting?

Meeting agenda = outline:

At the very least, it’s important to get a copy of the meeting agenda and use it as a guide or outline for taking notes and preparing the minutes – with the order and numbering of items on the minutes of meeting matching those of the agenda.

In addition, the agenda and/or meeting notice also provides information that will need to be included in the minutes, such as:

Ø   The names of all the meeting attendees, including guests or speakers

Ø   documents that are sent out with the agenda or handed out in the meeting – copies (digital or hard copy) of handouts should be stored with the meeting minutes for future reference and for sharing with those who were unable to attend the meeting (and others as determined by the meeting’s Chair).

 2. What should be included in meeting minutes?

Before you start taking notes, it’s important to understand the type of information you need to record at the meeting. As noted earlier, your organization may have required content and a specific format that you’ll need to follow

 Meeting minutes usually include the following:

1.   Date and time of the meeting

2.   Names of the meeting participants and those unable to attend (e.g., “regrets”)

3.   Acceptance or corrections/amendments to previous meeting minutes

4.   Decisions made about each agenda item, for example:

5.   Actions taken or agreed to be taken

6.   Next steps

7.   Voting outcomes – e.g., (if necessary, details regarding who made motions; who seconded and approved or via show of hands, etc.)

8.   Motions taken or rejected

9.   Items to be held over

10.                      New business

11.                      Next meeting date and time

 Meeting notes vs. meeting minutes

Feature	Meeting Notes	Meeting Minutes
Purpose	Personal reference, informal record of individual thoughts, and to ensure understanding of next steps.	Official record of the meeting for all participants and for legal/compliance purposes.
Formality	Informal and flexible.	Formal and structured, often using a standard template.
Audience	Primarily the note-taker, though they may be shared informally.	All meeting participants and relevant stakeholders.
Content	May be less detailed and focus on individual takeaways.	Includes formal details like date, time, attendees (including absences), motions, voting outcomes, and action items with deadlines.