The minutes of board meetings are a crucial record of important information and governance processes. If they are well-planned and approved they serve as the basis for post-decision evaluations and help boards be held accountable to their agreed decisions. They can also help prevent the board from making a mistake in the future, which could prove problematic for the stakeholder group of the company.
Minutes are often written by a board member who is the chairman or a member of the organization’s staff. It could be a scribe with experience of writing board minutes or a professional secretary who is familiar with the content that should not be included. No matter who is responsible for the draft minutes, it’s crucial to establish clear expectations of what they should expect from them, so that they can make notes that stand out and make the meetings of the board credible.
The first thing required is a record of the date, time and location of the board’s meeting, as this is vital for the accuracy of minutes. The next is a list of presiding officers directors, non-voting participants and the like. You should also note if any of the attendees attended via telephone or via the internet.
The body of the minutes should be divided into two parts that are substantive and administrative. Administrative business can include things like agenda approvals, a summary of previous minutes or the use of consent agendas (which reduces debate by acknowledging the same items by a single motion). Substantive business https://www.aboutboardroom.com/virtual-board-meetings-minutes-and-votin is more content-heavy including reports from committees, briefings on risk management, and the decision about new initiatives in service.