This document provides information and guidelines about formal meetings and meeting minutes. It explains that the objectives are to understand agendas, how to write and take minutes using formal language, and how to observe formal meetings. It defines important terms like meetings, agendas, and minutes. It provides examples of meeting agendas and minutes formats. It describes the different types of meeting minutes including action minutes, discussion minutes, and verbatim minutes. The purpose of meeting minutes is to have an accurate written record of meetings and assignments.

1. Formal Meetings & Minutes
Irfan Ali
M.Phil. English Literature

2. Objectives
By the end of this unit, students will be able to:
Explain what an agenda and
meeting minutes1
How to write an agenda and meeting
minutes2
Take minutes using language
appropriate / formal language3
Observe / comment on the proceedings
of a formal meeting4

3. “
You have a meeting to make a decision,
not to decide on the question.”
Bill Gates

4. Important Terms
Meeting:
A meeting is an event Formal or Informal in which a
group of people come together to discuss or debate
certain issues and problems, and to take decisions.
• The points to be discuss or debate known an
Agenda.
Following terms help us to understand objectives clearly.
Formal meetings are held at definite time, at a definite
place and usually for a definite duration to follow and
agreed upon an agenda.

5. Cont:….
Such meetings must have a minimum number
of members (called quorum) and Decisions
which are to be taken (called resolutions)
A meeting is typically headed by a chairperson,
and its deliberations are recorded in a written form
called minutes.

6. Agenda
• An agenda is a list of activities in the order they are to be taken
up, from the beginning till the adjournment.
• An agenda helps in preparing for a meeting by providing a
list of items and a clear set of topics, objectives, and time
frames that are needed to be discussed upon.
• Other words that can be used are ‘program’, ‘schedule’
or ‘docket’, although ‘docket’ is usually used to refer to a list
of legal cases that are going to be tried in court.

7. Cont:…
• An agenda is either distributed before the meeting or announced
by the chairperson at the beginning,

8. Format of an Agenda
An Agenda normally includes the following elements :
•Meeting Agenda Title − at the top; preferably center-
aligned
•Meeting Information − Description of the purpose
•Objective − description of Agenda
•Date − for maintaining records of correspondence
•Location − the place of meeting
•Time − the actual time of commencement of the
meeting

9. Cont:….
•Meeting Type − brainstorming or Discussion or Assessment
•Time of Arrival − time to begin the meeting
•Time of Adjournment − time the meeting ends
•Attendees − Number of people present, with their names
•Preparation for Meeting −
Please Read − instructions to be followed
Please bring − things supposed to be carried that day
Other notes − other instruction or information to be taken down.

10. Example
Meeting Information − Update after meeting with ABC books providers and interior
decoration company
Objective − for the purpose of interior decoration of Library
_ new book purchasing.
Date- 11 March, 2019
Location- Meeting Room
Time- 10:30 AM
Meeting Type- Discussion
Time of Arrival- 10:00 AM
Time of Adjournment-11:30 AM
Attendees- Hakim S, Kiran R, Imtiaz A
Preparation for Meeting:
Please Read - Decoration Company Brochure, Quotation Document
Please bring - Competitor Company’s quotation, rates analysis

12. Minutes of Meeting
• Minutes of Meeting Also known as protocol or note, are
the live written record of a meeting.
• Minute is an official written statement of the motions
and resolutions taken in a meeting.
• It is brief but a complete record of all discussions held
among the members of the meeting.
• It is also defined as the official record of the proceeding
of a meeting that should be needed to approve by the
participating members of the meeting.

13. Purpose of Meeting minutes
• Their purpose is to record what actions have been
assigned to whom, along with the achievements
and the deadlines.
• An accurate written record of meetings is
essential not only for all those who attended the
meeting but also for those who were unable to
attend.

14. Format of Minutes of Meeting
A minutes of meeting normally includes the following elements :
•Name of the company − to the top-left of the page.
•Date − to the top-right of the page.
•Topic − after two return keys; Center-aligned.
•Attendees − Name and designation (2 columns of a table).
•Absentees − name, roles, reasons for absenteeism. (3 columns)
•Agenda at hand − topic to be discussed.
•Issues raised − along with the names of the speakers.
•Suggestions − made along with the names of the speakers.
•Decision − the outcome of the meeting.
•Task List − task allotted and the respective allottee.
•Future Meetings − the date and topic of the next meeting.
•Adjourned − with the permission of Chair.

15. Types of meeting minutes
1) Action minutes
Action minutes record the decisions reached and the
actions to be taken, that allows members to easily see
what happened at a meeting in a short time frame,
without having to wait until the minutes of a meeting
are approved and sealed.
This is the most common form of minutes used.

16. 2) Discussion minutes
Discussion minutes contain everything action minutes
do as well as the discussion which lead to the actions
decided upon. Do not include discussion which does
not pertain to the topic at hand.

17. 3) Verbatim minutes
Verbatim minutes, like transcripts, are a record of
every single word said at a meeting. They are often l
ong and can be difficult to skim for a particular
piece of information.
• They are rarely used unless required by law, or
the meeting is a highly formal one.
• Verbatim minutes focus on individual’s comments
and not the general consensus.

19. Thank you