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Taking Minutes of Meetings: Set the Agenda; Identify What to Note; Write Accurate Minutes
Minutes are vital to the success of meetings. Attendees rely on them for information they may have missed, and they serve as an essential communications tool for non-participants. In addition, the action points highlighted in minutes act as a timely reminder for the whole organization. Taking minutes involves listening skills as well as the ability to absorb information and summarize it simultaneously. The minute-taker is one of the most important and powerful people in a meeting. Although the tasks can be daunting, it is an opportunity to develop knowledge, broaden horizons and build credibility within the organization.
Taking Minutes of Meetings is an accessible reference guide following the whole meeting cycle. Starting with organizing a meeting, it goes on to give reliable, hands-on advice about the sections of a meeting; the agenda; personal preparation; taking notes; accuracy; structuring notes; writing up the minutes and recording decisions and actions. It is aimed at anyone new to taking minutes and professionals looking to brush up their technique.
Taking Minutes of Meetings is an accessible reference guide following the whole meeting cycle. Starting with organizing a meeting, it goes on to give reliable, hands-on advice about the sections of a meeting; the agenda; personal preparation; taking notes; accuracy; structuring notes; writing up the minutes and recording decisions and actions. It is aimed at anyone new to taking minutes and professionals looking to brush up their technique.
160 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
July 10, 2012
I have just finished reading this book and am a big fan of it. I was thrown into the role of meeting minute-taker over a decade ago and have still learned quite a bit from this 150-page book. From formatting the agenda and minutes to how to listen and what to listen for, the phrasing of the minutes, where the focus should be, and even how to project confidence when you might not feel it as "just a secretary" in a roomful of executives. There is quite a lot to learn in this quick read. If you are a minute-taker, do yourself a favor and grab this book.
July 23, 2016
Some useful tips but seems out of date. I.e. Section on how to invite and track acceptance with no mention of say outlook meetings. Books like this will get out of date quickly.
However I'm sure there is lots of good tips for someone with little experience at meetings and minute taking. I didn't really gain what I'd hoped from this book.
However I'm sure there is lots of good tips for someone with little experience at meetings and minute taking. I didn't really gain what I'd hoped from this book.
November 8, 2016
Look beyond this book’s title and you have a very diverse book in front of you that can do a lot, lot more than just help you better take minutes in a meeting!
Obviously it will take you through the entire process of minute taking from arranging the meeting to writing up the notes after the event and a lot in-between. For those who just attend a meeting, it may seem an easy job that anybody can do as well as making the coffee and running errands… so it may be an eye-opener for the uninformed at the same time.
Even if you don’t have minute-taking responsibilities, a lot of the advice given can be used in other areas of business life to great effect. The advice given is practical and actionable in nature and surprisingly a lot of information is disseminated in relatively few, clearly written and straightforward pages. The book’s very affordable price means that you need not think twice about buying it; a very minor investment for a potentially valuable transfer of knowledge.
You should not feel ashamed by buying a book like this. It is deceptively simple yet incredibly powerful if you embrace it. Highly recommended.
Obviously it will take you through the entire process of minute taking from arranging the meeting to writing up the notes after the event and a lot in-between. For those who just attend a meeting, it may seem an easy job that anybody can do as well as making the coffee and running errands… so it may be an eye-opener for the uninformed at the same time.
Even if you don’t have minute-taking responsibilities, a lot of the advice given can be used in other areas of business life to great effect. The advice given is practical and actionable in nature and surprisingly a lot of information is disseminated in relatively few, clearly written and straightforward pages. The book’s very affordable price means that you need not think twice about buying it; a very minor investment for a potentially valuable transfer of knowledge.
You should not feel ashamed by buying a book like this. It is deceptively simple yet incredibly powerful if you embrace it. Highly recommended.
March 26, 2017
A good overview, and one I could see being regularly pulled out for reference.
This explains the key requirements, giving plenty of practical examples, taking you through each part of minute-taking in turn, starting with the essential but often-overlooked preparation. There isn't just one type of "minutes" either, with variations presented along with uses and scenarios, bullet points and charts to show layout. (Unfortunately the copy I received did not translate well into Kindle format, but I'm sure the charts would have been very useful in native format.)
It is a little out of date, obviously written pre-internet, but the skills are the same, and the example wordings are extremely useful. It points out what to listen for, how and when to ask for clarification (and who to ask), gives examples of agendas and provides caveats along with general notes of good practice, and even supports the person, helping a new minute-taker to understand their role, and how to present themselves in meetings. It's refreshingly real too, pointing out some practicalities that will make you more physically comfortable.
There are plenty of practical tips and examples of many different types of meeting, from board meetings to team meetings to disciplinaries, each with their own requirements and concentrations.
In short, although obviously intended to be a reference book, as it does cover the topic in detail, this would also be good for a possible minute-taker to browse through to get an idea of what might be required before accepting a role.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This explains the key requirements, giving plenty of practical examples, taking you through each part of minute-taking in turn, starting with the essential but often-overlooked preparation. There isn't just one type of "minutes" either, with variations presented along with uses and scenarios, bullet points and charts to show layout. (Unfortunately the copy I received did not translate well into Kindle format, but I'm sure the charts would have been very useful in native format.)
It is a little out of date, obviously written pre-internet, but the skills are the same, and the example wordings are extremely useful. It points out what to listen for, how and when to ask for clarification (and who to ask), gives examples of agendas and provides caveats along with general notes of good practice, and even supports the person, helping a new minute-taker to understand their role, and how to present themselves in meetings. It's refreshingly real too, pointing out some practicalities that will make you more physically comfortable.
There are plenty of practical tips and examples of many different types of meeting, from board meetings to team meetings to disciplinaries, each with their own requirements and concentrations.
In short, although obviously intended to be a reference book, as it does cover the topic in detail, this would also be good for a possible minute-taker to browse through to get an idea of what might be required before accepting a role.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 27, 2023
This is a very to the point look at making meeting minutes and presenting them in a way that is easy to read and use for maintaining professional processes. The book goes into things that are useful to include and even how meeting cadences and procedure should be conducted. On top of that it provides tips and tricks to survive in this landscape and how to plan effective meetings (something I wish more people would learn). My only point of critique is that the book has not aged the best in the advent of so much technology to make people’s lives easier at work but despite this some of the points are salient as ever.
Gutmann writes clinically and coldly, which ironically makes this a fantastic introduction to taking minutes. It is to the point and informative, with no timewasting and brilliant examples of what she expects. The book does not waste your time whatsoever.
Gutmann writes clinically and coldly, which ironically makes this a fantastic introduction to taking minutes. It is to the point and informative, with no timewasting and brilliant examples of what she expects. The book does not waste your time whatsoever.
May 20, 2026
I picked up this book to polish my minute taking skills. As someone who attends meetings on almost a daily basis, this was quite underwhelming.
Of the hundreds of meetings I've attended at this point, a handful of them are as well organized and coordinated as the meetings described in this book. The minute taker sounded more like a transcriber in a courtroom rather than an actual participant in an office meeting. A tad bit idealistic to be honest.
Not to mention there wasn't much in here I didn't already know.
Of the hundreds of meetings I've attended at this point, a handful of them are as well organized and coordinated as the meetings described in this book. The minute taker sounded more like a transcriber in a courtroom rather than an actual participant in an office meeting. A tad bit idealistic to be honest.
Not to mention there wasn't much in here I didn't already know.
October 31, 2019
In and on itself the book does not provide particularly new knowledge, however the attention to details and broad range of discussion are commendable. The only issues I had would be chapter redundancy where as many correlating materials should be merged into one group instead of being seperated across chapters. But overall it is good enough and fairly easy to understand even for someone that have no prior knowledge on Minutes of Meeting.
October 31, 2019
When I picked up this book, I knew that the primary audience was company secretaries. Majority of the book is spent on other things around a meeting and less than a quarter on actual minute taking. So, only part of the book was relevant to myself but definitely gathered some useful tips and guidelines.
December 3, 2019
Basic overview of minute taking, if you know nothing about minute taking it will give you a comprehensive overview. I find with minute taking you need to know the content to be able to construct the minutes. This was an ok read but I didn't learn anything new, it just reinforced what I already knew.
June 22, 2020
Absolutely useful if your job requires you to record Minutes of Meetings. I have approximately five Committee Meeting Minutes to prepare monthly and I am always looking for ways to improve.
I will be putting these great tips into practice immediately!
I will be putting these great tips into practice immediately!
July 27, 2018
Perfect for secretaries.
May 17, 2020
Читал на get-abstract. Руководство для секретаря, не более того.
August 27, 2020
OH MY GOD! This book is from another WORLD!
So, first of all, I am a passionate note taker and this book has some solid tips and wonderful reminders on how to take notes--the Action Triangle, the importance of interruptions, the types of meetings, etc---wonderful, great, love it.
BUT...and SERIOUSLY this is a BIG BUT....
What sets this book apart is the tone--which is AMAZING. The book is fairly modern--it talks of laptops, smart pens, Teleconferences, etc.--but the TONE is straight from the TV show Mad Men or some 1950's Philip K Dick amphetamine fueled alternative universe! It is amazing & must be experienced.
Many might consider it sexist (stuff on dressing in layers so that you can adjust your wardrobe appropriately or what to wear based on the meeting attendees is just straight up condescending and inappropriate at some very real gendered level), but the "avoid getting tired by not eating too many snacks" or "drop shoulders, don't push up your hips" or "practice smiling with your eyes in the mirror" all combine to make this some kind of submissive secretary training manual. And you combine it with the over arching theme of "act properly to ensure you get the respect you deserve" and the entire things just reads as a seriously wicked manual for misbehaving!
it is true that the soft core film Secretary may be influencing my judgement here, but there is something very weird about the overall tone of this book which must be experienced to be believed.
Strongly recommended for all sorts of inarticulate reasons.
So, first of all, I am a passionate note taker and this book has some solid tips and wonderful reminders on how to take notes--the Action Triangle, the importance of interruptions, the types of meetings, etc---wonderful, great, love it.
BUT...and SERIOUSLY this is a BIG BUT....
What sets this book apart is the tone--which is AMAZING. The book is fairly modern--it talks of laptops, smart pens, Teleconferences, etc.--but the TONE is straight from the TV show Mad Men or some 1950's Philip K Dick amphetamine fueled alternative universe! It is amazing & must be experienced.
Many might consider it sexist (stuff on dressing in layers so that you can adjust your wardrobe appropriately or what to wear based on the meeting attendees is just straight up condescending and inappropriate at some very real gendered level), but the "avoid getting tired by not eating too many snacks" or "drop shoulders, don't push up your hips" or "practice smiling with your eyes in the mirror" all combine to make this some kind of submissive secretary training manual. And you combine it with the over arching theme of "act properly to ensure you get the respect you deserve" and the entire things just reads as a seriously wicked manual for misbehaving!
it is true that the soft core film Secretary may be influencing my judgement here, but there is something very weird about the overall tone of this book which must be experienced to be believed.
Strongly recommended for all sorts of inarticulate reasons.
May 3, 2014
3.5 of 5 stars – Useful Set of Basic Ideas for Effective Meetings and Minutes
(I'm excited to have won this as a Goodreads First Read – so thanks!)
I thought the author, Joanna Gutmann, presented a good, straightforward set of tips and suggestions for not just taking minutes at meetings, but also what makes up an effective meeting.
Gutmann organizes her ideas in a logical manner, and explains each of them in a clear, no nonsense manner. I liked that she went beyond just the subject of minute-taking to how to have an effective meeting, with proper preparations, purpose, responsibilities, agenda, atmosphere, sections, etc. I thought the idea of different minutes for different types of meetings was useful.
Some of her discussion was common sense and/or things I already knew (and my guess is, many business people would also), but there were also things I hadn’t thought of before. Nevertheless, it is still good to have spelled out some of the basics, as sort of a reminder and checklist. If anything, it certainly raises your awareness of what’s needed and what happens.
In all, there were some useful takeaways for me on this, as there probably will be for most, and more so for someone just coming into the responsibilities of organizing and recording meetings.
(I'm excited to have won this as a Goodreads First Read – so thanks!)
I thought the author, Joanna Gutmann, presented a good, straightforward set of tips and suggestions for not just taking minutes at meetings, but also what makes up an effective meeting.
Gutmann organizes her ideas in a logical manner, and explains each of them in a clear, no nonsense manner. I liked that she went beyond just the subject of minute-taking to how to have an effective meeting, with proper preparations, purpose, responsibilities, agenda, atmosphere, sections, etc. I thought the idea of different minutes for different types of meetings was useful.
Some of her discussion was common sense and/or things I already knew (and my guess is, many business people would also), but there were also things I hadn’t thought of before. Nevertheless, it is still good to have spelled out some of the basics, as sort of a reminder and checklist. If anything, it certainly raises your awareness of what’s needed and what happens.
In all, there were some useful takeaways for me on this, as there probably will be for most, and more so for someone just coming into the responsibilities of organizing and recording meetings.
August 24, 2014
Joanna Gutmann's "Taking Minutes of Meetings" is a useful reference guide for those individuals who have assigned the task of taking minutes at various types of meetings. The book is organized well, concise and easy to understand. Most readers will probably be aware of much of the information contained in this guide, but there is a lot of info they probably haven't considered as well, along with some useful advice from the author.
My first experience with taking minutes did not go so well. I thought I should only note the important or interesting aspects of the meeting, but when nothing notable occurred, I found myself sitting there after the meeting trying to recall some of the mundane events and conversations just so I would have something written down. In my defense, I was just a child, but I still wish I had this guide prior to that event. Since Ms. Gutmann's guide is so well-organized and easy to understand, it can be used by all age groups.
I would definitely recommend this guide to me friends who could benefit from the information provided therein.
This book was won from the Goodreads.com website.
My first experience with taking minutes did not go so well. I thought I should only note the important or interesting aspects of the meeting, but when nothing notable occurred, I found myself sitting there after the meeting trying to recall some of the mundane events and conversations just so I would have something written down. In my defense, I was just a child, but I still wish I had this guide prior to that event. Since Ms. Gutmann's guide is so well-organized and easy to understand, it can be used by all age groups.
I would definitely recommend this guide to me friends who could benefit from the information provided therein.
This book was won from the Goodreads.com website.
July 18, 2014
This was quite a painful read, perhaps cuz I'm not familiar with Business English and do not like formal writing. Alot of the formatting is not compatible with my area, but a few key points are useful, for instance:
- summarize what is discussed not what is said
- do not transcribe
- say "it was discussed" instead of he said, she said.
- some useful business words to use
However, I found some information redundant and a little silly.
For instance, reasons for using computers and papers, as well as some formatting examples which did my head in.
Overall, I read it twice. Twas ok.
- summarize what is discussed not what is said
- do not transcribe
- say "it was discussed" instead of he said, she said.
- some useful business words to use
However, I found some information redundant and a little silly.
For instance, reasons for using computers and papers, as well as some formatting examples which did my head in.
Overall, I read it twice. Twas ok.
August 11, 2016
This is a good book for anyone who wants to improve your skills there are plenty of examples and check lists to help guide you to a more professional way of taking the minutes in any meetings.This review was originally posted on Books In Brogan
April 24, 2014
This is a great book for anyone that ever needs to take minutes at a meeting. I wish I would have had it when I was on the local fair board as the secretary. I will be sure to keep this on hand in case I get the chance to use it's wonderful tips in the future! Great win from Goodreads first reads!
May 29, 2019
There is a lot of great information in this book. It gives a lot of details (a lot) about being a minute-taker. This would be a great reference book for someone who is a minute-taker or just starting out as an organization's secretary.
January 22, 2016
Tips for managing minutes for committees I get on. It had some simple but good methodologies for creating useful minutes and keeping abreast of agenda items.
May 23, 2019
Great tips here for taking minutes, really helped me in my new job. Looking forward to amazing everyone with my minute taking from now on!
June 20, 2019
A useful refresher on an important skill that I use every day at work. Easy to read, informative, with good examples shown throughout.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews