What Should Not Be Included in Meeting Minutes?
Meeting minutes are essential for documenting the key points of a meeting, such as decisions made, actions assigned, and deadlines set. However, not everything discussed in a meeting should find its way into these minutes. Overloading minutes with irrelevant details can dilute their usefulness and lead to confusion or misinterpretation. Here’s a breakdown of what should be consciously omitted from meeting minutes to keep them clear and focused.
Personal Opinions and Informal Discussions
Keep the minutes professional and objective. It is crucial to exclude personal opinions, informal banter, or side discussions that do not directly contribute to the outcome of the meeting. According to best practices in corporate governance, minutes should reflect decisions and actions, not individual viewpoints or casual conversations. Including these can create biases or lead to potential disputes among team members.
Sensitive or Confidential Information
Confidential information must be handled with care. Sensitive details such as personal employee matters, legal issues, or secure financial information should not be included unless they are directly relevant to the decisions documented. Disclosure of such information can lead to security risks or legal repercussions. For instance, a mention of an upcoming but unannounced product launch could inadvertently lead to information leaks if the minutes are not securely handled.
Word-for-Word Transcripts
Avoid the trap of transcription. Meeting minutes are not meant to be a verbatim transcript of everything said during the meeting. Instead, they should summarize discussions succinctly, focusing on the outcomes. Including every word spoken can lead to unnecessarily lengthy documents that are difficult to review and use for follow-up. A concise summary with key points supports better recall and clearer action steps.
Irrelevant Details
Omit off-topic discussions. Sometimes meetings can veer off course, and topics that are not relevant to the agenda may come up. These should not be included in the minutes. The focus should remain on agenda items and decisions that affect the project or the company’s goals. Recording off-topic discussions can clutter the minutes and distract from their purpose.
Redundant Information
Streamline by cutting the fluff. Avoid repeating information that has already been captured or is well known to all participants. This includes redundant descriptions of standard procedures or well-understood roles and responsibilities. Keeping the minutes concise and to the point enhances their effectiveness as a tool for action and reference.
In conclusion, meeting minutes should be a clear, concise, and accurate record of what transpired, focusing on decisions and actions. They should not serve as a platform for personal opinions, a record of informal chats, nor a place to share sensitive information. For more detailed guidelines on what to exclude to maintain the integrity and utility of meeting minutes, visit the guide on what should not be included in meeting minutes.