Minutes of the board meeting are a critical aspect of good governance, which ensures that there are accurate records of every discussion and decision. The responsibility of taking minutes of a meeting generally fall to the board secretary or someone designated for the task.
The person who records the minutes of the meeting must be able listen and accurately record the entire meeting even when directors are discussing a subject or conversing over each other. The minutes may be scrutinized in court when the company is sued and they should be as impartial and objective in the event of a lawsuit.
Note the date and time of the meeting. This information is required to record your minutes following the meeting. It also helps the attendees to locate relevant information. You should also indicate whether the meeting was an ordinary one or a special one, an emergency or an executive session.
Include all attendees who attended the meeting, including the presiding officers and board aboutboardroom.com members, as well as non-voting participants like staff or guests. It is essential to keep a record of all attendees, especially when recording meetings conducted remotely.
Include a brief summary of each item on the agenda. This can be done with a few words of summary that summarizes the major issues being discussed and any important decisions made. It is important not to include too detailed information however. In fact, detailed minute books can overwhelm readers and make it difficult to comprehend the direction of the company.