Take minutes

What are minutes?

Minutes are the official written record of the proceedings of a group meeting. They are taken (written) by one person and then distributed to everyone in the group, whether or not they attended the meeting.

It is usual for the Deputy Stage Manager, when there is one, to take and distribute minutes from a production meeting. Otherwise the role may fall to the Stage Manager or another appropriate person. The minute-taker should not be someone heavily involved in discussion, as it’s difficult to write accurate minutes and concentrate on discussion at the same time. It should always be decided who is taking minutes, prior to the meeting beginning.

Why are minutes important?

Minutes provide a clear reference document for everyone involved in a project. They record the decisions and action items (tasks that need to be done) from a meeting. Minutes serve to clarify information in the event of confusion, to convey information to someone not at the meeting, and as a reference document to check the progress of tasks.

How to take minutes

Before the meeting

Download the template, or create your own with similar categories.

Obtain or create a list of attendees and their role on the production. Find out who will be running the meeting.

Decide how you want to record the minutes – typed, handwritten, audio recording. Note that you will need to create a typed final document.

During the meeting

Check off the names of the attendees as they arrive. This will make is very easy to create a list of those in attendance or absent. If you are unsure who someone is, ask for clarification at this stage.

Don’t attempt to write down everything word for word. Focus on action items (things that need to be done, by who, and when) and decisions made. If you don’t understand something being discussed or what conclusion was reached, ask for clarification immediately.

Record the key points of discussion. This gives the reader background information as to why the conclusions or action items have been reached, and may eliminate the need for repeatedly discussing the same points. It is not necessary to record chatter or off-hand comments. 

After the meeting

Go over your notes and make additional comments or clarifications immediately.

Type up your notes and distribute them to all who attended the meeting, as well as any absentees/apologies. Distribute the minutes as soon as possible, always within 24 hours of the meeting.

Tips for effective minute-taking

It is not necessary for the minutes to be in chronological order. Group the information together by topic.

Make sure all action items are assigned a who, what, where and when. For example, rather than writing “We need rehearsal props,” write something like, “Jane to obtain all rehearsal props and bring them to the Theatre by 10am, Friday 27 March.” Using the template should ensure you record all the necessary information.

Be objective and avoid adding your opinion. Make sure to include decisions even if you don’t like or agree with them.

Apologies refers to someone who should have attended the meeting, but informed the organiser prior to the meeting that they would not be able to attend. Absent refers to someone who was expected to attend, but didn’t.