Types of minutes: Do you know the minutes of proceedings, the minutes of results, etc.?.?
Minutes are particularly important so that the contents of a meeting can still be understood by everyone long after the meeting has ended. In addition to the question of how to write a meeting protocol, it is also important to decide on a protocol type so that the protocol can really serve its purpose. We present the most important types of minutes and explain which form is best suited for which purpose.
Type 1: The full protocol
This type of minutes is also called Verbatim transcript Designates. The exact wording of the speeches is recorded here. This applies both to the contributions of the speakers and to the subsequent discussion. Thus, this protocol is very laborious, but also guarantees that no important detail is lost. The full protocol is usually used in court hearings. It is also helpful for meetings in which serious decisions have to be made or critical discussions have to be held and in which it is therefore important to be able to understand the exact wording of the speeches afterwards.
With the full transcript, it is important to adhere to the standard rules of citation so that all speeches, interjections and responses can be attributed to the correct speaker. In addition, non-verbal reactions and disruptions are usually also recorded in a full protocol.
Our Tip: When taking full minutes, it is best to use a dictation machine so that all speeches can be transcribed correctly afterwards.
Type 2: The memory protocol
When keeping a memory log, the meeting is reconstructed and recorded from memory. The contents of the meeting are usually recorded in bullet-point form, sorted by agenda item. So the minutes don’t reflect the chronological course of the meeting in all details, but concentrate on the essential contents. The memory protocol does not cause much effort during the meeting, but it is very prone to errors. It can happen that content is reproduced incorrectly or incompletely. Therefore, the memory protocol has little probative value and should therefore only be used for short meetings without serious decisions.
Our Tip: A memory protocol must not be queried after the fact. Inform the minute taker well in advance of the meeting so that he or she can prepare to memorize and write down important facts.
Type 3: The progress log
The proceedings protocol records the course of a meeting or event in a concise and factual form. Speeches are reproduced in a summarized form. This makes it possible to retrace the course of a discussion. As with the full minutes, it is important here that the speaker is clearly identifiable for each speech. The minutes are kept in bullet points, in the present tense and formulated in indirect speech. This type of protocol is used when you not only want to record results, but also use the speeches to understand how those results were arrived at.
Our tip: Since in the progress protocol the speeches are chronologically seized, it can become fast confusing. Digressions by individual speakers can unnecessarily lengthen the minutes and should therefore be shortened in the revision afterwards.
Type 4: The results protocol
Unlike the minutes of proceedings, minutes of results, as the name implies, record the results of a meeting. Speeches will not be reproduced – only the key statements and the decisions made will be mentioned in the minutes of the meeting. The same or similar contributions from different speakers are summarized and noted in bullet points. The results protocol is mainly used for conferences and meetings in which decisions have to be made, as well as for counts or announcements.
Our Tip: For a well-founded result minutes it is helpful to make first a progress protocol and to summarize from it afterwards the resolutions.
General tips on the different types of minutes
If you’ve been designated as the minute taker, be sure to clarify before the meeting what minutes are desired. If there are no guidelines, ask what the goals of the meeting are and use that to select the appropriate type of minutes.
Regardless of the type of protocol, it is also important in many cases to save any presentations, blackboard images, etc. that may be necessary. To record. Make sketches for this purpose or ask the respective speakers to provide you with the presentations in electronic form.
I’m Topsy and have been involved with the events industry for some time now. Therefore you can find many interesting tips in my blog& Tricks around this topic.