The minutes of board meetings are a critical record of key information and governance procedures. If they are well-planned and approved they form the basis for post-decision evaluations and help boards hold themselves accountable to their agreed decision-making procedures. They can also help prevent the board from making a mistake in the future, which could cause problems for the stakeholder group of the company.
Minutes are usually prepared by the chairman of the board or one of the staff members of an organisation. It could be a scribe with expertise in the writing of board minutes or a professional secretary who is knowledgeable of the kind of information that should and shouldn’t be included. Whatever the person who writes the draft minutes, it’s essential to establish clear expectations of what they should expect from them, so that they are able to write a memorable note that will make the meetings of the board credible.
It is important to include the date, the time and the location of the meeting in the minutes. The next step is a list of presiding officers, directors and nonvoting attendees. It’s also important the members who were present via telephone or online.
The minutes should be divided into two sections that are administrative and substantive business. Administrative business may include items such as agenda approval, a summary of previous minutes and the use of a consent agenda (which reduces the necessity for debate by acknowledging the recurring or administrative items in one motion). Substantive business involves more content-driven items such as the release of updates from committees, risk management briefings and decisions regarding new service initiatives.
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