Taking meeting minutes may appear to be a simple administrative task, but as anyone who has taken on this job knows, it is far from easy. When done properly, taking minutes doesn’t just create a record of events; it showcases the structure of the decision-making process, supports good governance, and keeps the team on the same page. Poorly taken minutes can cause real issues, such as legal complications, project or decision delays, and the loss of important information.
With years of experience training minute takers and reviewing our clients’ previous sets of minutes, we’ve become well-versed in not only identifying the most common mistakes but also in how to avoid them. The good news is that most of these problems are easy to fix once you know what to watch for.
Here are the three most common mistakes made when taking minutes, along with tips on how to avoid them.
1. Having decision-makers take the minutes
In smaller organizations, it’s not unusual for the chair or a senior team member to take the minutes, especially when resources are limited. It feels efficient, but in practice, it can create problems. If the person leading a meeting is also taking notes, it can be hard to stay neutral. There’s a natural tendency to write from your point of view, and it’s easy to miss something important while you are focused on speaking, not listening. Alternatively, there is always the danger of unintentionally leaving out the things you disagree with.
These issues can directly affect the accuracy and value of the final minutes.
Here’s what we advise instead:
1. Ask a neutral party to take the notes, ideally a professional third-party minute taker.
2. Give the minute taker enough time after the meeting to finalize the draft before distributing it.
3. Once the draft is complete, encourage a quick review process to ensure the clarity and accuracy of the notes while the information is still fresh in the minds of the participants.
Where employing a professional third party isn’t possible, having a template and structured review process will go a long way in keeping things accurate and objective.
2. Recording opinions instead of decisions
This error might be the most common one exhibited by less-experienced minute takers: recording what people said rather than the details of the decision itself.
It’s easy to see how this happens, especially in a meeting where there’s a lot of discussion surrounding the decisions, or the discussion is long and heated. But it’s important to understand that good minutes are focused on outcomes, not the conversations that lead up to or follow them. Minutes need to record the final decisions of a conversation and a concise summary of any relevant context, not the conversation itself.
For example:
- James wanted to paint the lobby green, but Sarah said she hated green and that the green paint was too expensive.
Versus
- Motion passed 5 – 2 to paint the lobby beige.
It was noted that beige was the only colour to perform well in the resident survey and be within the budget.
The second option provides significantly more clarity and information, including the final decision itself. It focuses on the end result and removes subjective opinions and arguments.
It’s also always important to keep your language simple and neutral. It’s helpful to avoid adjectives or persuasive language, except when there is a specific legal requirement to do so. Whether they are being reviewed a week or a year later, your minutes should help people understand the outcome of the meeting and the objective context behind important decisions.
3. Poor data storage practices
It’s not hard to imagine; you are so focused on the production of the minutes that you give too little thought to where or how to store them. However, the storage and ease of accessibility are just as important as writing the minutes themselves.
Depending on the jurisdiction, minutes may need to be kept for seven years or more; this isn’t just good practice, it’s also a legal requirement. Yet, even if it’s not a legal requirement, it’s important to give record storage careful consideration. People come and go, memories fade, and meeting formats can change. Without a reliable and well-thought-out storage system, it’s all too easy to lose meeting minutes and the record of the important decisions held within.
Best practices for record keeping:
1. Store your minutes in a secure, digital location. Cloud platforms, especially those with version control and built-in backups, are a great option.
2. Use a consistent format or template that includes the date, attendees, agenda items, decisions, and action points.
3. Use a consistent file naming policy and label minutes according to sensitivity (e.g., Executive Session, Public, Confidential).
4. Define clear access policies. It is typically best to assign permissions based on roles or committees, not individuals.
Conclusion
Avoiding these common pitfalls by entrusting minute‑taking to a neutral party rather than a decision‑maker, focusing solely on concrete decisions instead of opinions, and implementing secure, organized records storage ensures that your minutes support transparent, actionable governance.
The opportunity for mistakes spans the entire minute‑taking process: who writes them, how they’re written, and how they’re handled afterward. By deliberately addressing each area, your organization can produce accurate, reliable records that bolster accountability and compliance.