14 Tips for Better Board Meeting Minutes

You may not believe that the question of "Who takes minutes at your Board meetings?" could spark a lively discussion, but thanks to some of our members, that's exactly what happened on our Third Sector Connector LinkedIn Group when this tip was first published.  We're featuring it again because its one of our most popular.

It turns out that there's incredible variety in how organizations manage this important-but-often-perceived-as-mundane task. Here are some of the good practices that came out during the discussion, as well as a few extras:

1. Value the Role. The Secretary's role is often one that is very hard to fill on the Board because of the perception of this as an administrative role instead of "Keeper-of-All-Things-Important." Ensure that the Board as a whole treats this role as a valuable strategic asset and that, as an officer, this person is an active participant in strategic discussions.
2. Use a Sign-In Sheet. Pass around a sign-in sheet or have it available at the entrance to the room so that everyone who is physically present is responsible for recording their presence themselves. Make this sign-in sheet a formal part of the record and include it in meeting minute binders (if you're still paper-based) or scan it into digital records. Check the sheet immediately after the meeting, and add any names of people who were present but who forgot to sign.
3. Incorporate Name Tags. Put the sheet next to re-usable tent-style name tags that people put in front of them for the duration of the meeting. Even if people know each other well, it will make it easier for the Secretary, as well as everyone else, to follow motions and discussions without having to come up with people's names on the fly each time. It's also a great aid for any invited guests or members of the public who attend.
4. Require Written Reports. Find ways to ensure that the Secretary isn't just charged with scribbling frantic notes during your Board meetings. Ask those who are providing oral reports to submit their own summaries in writing so that the Secretary already has a written document that can be referenced. For detailed reports, the Secretary can refer to highlights and then incorporate the entire written report into the minutes by direct reference.
5. Do Summarize, Don't Recite. "Minutes" are note intended to be "transcripts" and every word spoken does not need to be recorded, nor should it be. In fact, often a brief description of each agenda and action item can suffice as the official record. Do also ensure that basic information like organization name, attendees, location, start/finish time are included.
6. De-Personalize. Focus on the direction and content of the discussion instead of a person-focused approach like "John Brown said such-and-such and then Jane Smith said such-and-such-back." A preferred approach is to summarize by saying something like, "Several Board members expressed concerns about X, while others requested more information about Y. Additional discussion followed." This allows your minutes to stay focused on key discussions, especially when Board members have engaged in non-strategic sideline discussions that do not need to be part of the official meeting record.
7. Use Neutral Language and Avoid Emotion. Don't say, "Board members were upset about the performance of the annual appeal letter and felt that it wasn't well executed." Do say, "Board members expressed concerns about the progress of the annual appeal, and a discussion followed about how best to improve performance moving forward." It may help to avoid the excessive use of adjectives and stick to data.
8. Record Only "Need to Know" Info. Find a comfortable reporting level for your organization's need-to-know information. No more than a page of notes for each hour of the meeting is a good guidepost for many organizations. Use paragraph-style summaries and sub-heading to make it an easy-to-navigate document. Don't duplicate the content of documents. Instead, simply incorporate them by reference.
9. Use a Recorder. Provide a digital recorder or task a staff person with acting as recorder at the meetings and then providing a draft to the Secretary for review and finalization.
10. Finalize and Destroy. If you're using a digital recorder, make sure that all Board members know that they are being recorded and are comfortable with that. Make it clear at the beginning of each recording that it is being used as an aid for creating draft minutes. Consider that recording might "chill the conversation" and if that's the case with your organization, use a person as recorder instead. If you do use a digital recording, test the sound from the farthest points away in the room so that everything is captured. To avoid having the recording become a secondary set of unofficial minutes, save the recording only until the minutes are finalized and approved, and then erase or destroy.
11. Prep and Prepare. If a staff person is tasked as recorder, make sure it is someone who has reviewed the agenda beforehand and who understands what the critical issues and action items may be. Having advance notice of planned discussion items can make a huge difference in the quality of the drafted minutes. If there's grumbling, consider rotating the function among several staff. You can even use it as a skill-building exercise.
12. Double Up. Ensure that a staff leader also makes note of some of the key items for the agenda. If you are the CEO/ED, get in the habit of jotting down the start and end time on the agenda, the initials of the attendees and those who make or 2nd motions as well as some some short notes. Print your agendas so that there is ample space between each item, and that will encourage all Board members to take their own notes during the meeting as well.
13. Ensure Quality. Some executives actually prefer to act as recorder so that they can ensure that the meeting minutes reflect key strategic discussions and decisions and can be used in other ways, including as a solid "catch-up" tool for absent Board members or to provide to prospective Board members to show the strategic nature of discussions. If the executive or a staff person takes this role, have two signature lines on the minutes, one for recorder and one for the Secretary.
14.  Draft and Deliver. Make it a priority for whoever does the actual recording to get a draft prepared ASAP following the meeting, reviewed by the Secretary, and sent to the full Board with a request to review and send any suggested edits. If corrections or supplements are necessary, it will be fresh on Board members' minds at that time, and will expedite adoption of a final version at the next regularly scheduled meeting.

Do you have other tips to enhance the Secretary role or to provide better meeting minutes? What would you add to this list?