Definition of MOM ( Minutes of the meeting )
Minutes of the meeting are the notes that one takes throughout the course of the meeting recording what ensues in the meeting. It would include the key points discussed, the participants involved, the resolution arrived at etc.
Steps That Are Involved in Recording The MOM
The steps involved are as follows - Pre-planning – this step would involve deciding the agenda of the meeting at an earlier date, inviting all the relevant participants, designating a specific person to take notes during the meeting, deciding the mode of record making etc. The participants must walk into the meeting fully aware of what is to be discussed in the meeting and how best they can contribute to the same. - Record-taking – the person so designated might use the physical or electronic mode to take the minutes of the meeting. The discussions and deliberations have to be recorded with utmost clarity and accuracy. - Writing or transcribing the minutes – the meeting so recorded has to be converted into a readable, presentable format that can be easily understood on reading. - Sharing meeting minutes – the transcribed minutes have to be shared with all the participants and other relevant persons to keep them informed about the same. This can be shared electronically to save time and reach out to a wider number of recipients at once. - Filing or storage of minutes for referencing in the future – each successive meeting and the minutes of the same has to be meticulously recorded and kept in a specific order for referencing at a later date. These records may also come handy in legal proceedings and is valuable evidence in the court of law.
Contents of the MOM
Usually, the following contents are included in the MOM
- Date and time of the meeting;
- Names of attendees, as well as absent participants;
- Acceptance of, or amendments made to, the previous meeting’s minutes;
- Decisions made regarding each item on the agenda;
- Key takeaways of the meeting;
- Future course of action.
Some Aspects That Have to Be Kept in Mind While Writing MOM
- Ensure that the minutes is recorded when the matter is still fresh in one’s mind. Avoid delaying it.
- Revise the minutes to make it crisp and concise.
- Ensure that all the key points are recorded without fail. Omissions can be costly mistakes at a later date.
- Take the help of pre-existing templates in order to save on time.
