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Meeting Minutes Template : Excel and Word Free Download

What is Minutes of Meeting?

The Minutes of Meeting (MoM) is a written report, which summarizes a meeting or hearing. The MoM (Also called Meeting Minutes Template) records the tasks, decisions, attendees, and other vital information conveyed during the meeting/hearing. It is not a transcript of the meeting and doesn't record all of what was said. The MoM is typically dictated by the meetings' chair during the session and distributed to all stakeholders and team members.
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How to make your minutes effective?

A task should have only one owner to avoid confusion regarding who is responsible for performing it. If an SME (Subject Matter Expert) be consulted, their name should also be mentioned in the remarks column. Presenting the MoM report during the meeting will allow all attendees (and especially the chair) to approve its content online. Doing this will help in diminishing objections to it. The row type may be expanded from only "task" or "decision" to include different variants of tasks: "Risk," "Opportunity," etc. If an attendee joined the meeting via VC (video conference) or teleconference, this fact should be recorded next to their name in the attendee's list of the MoM. The MoM should be distributed by the meetings' chair or whoever recorded it. Doing that will give the task owners an address of who can update the MoM's status or remarks for the next meeting.

The first section of each meeting should be reviewing the last MoM tasks and updating their status/remarks. Once a task is completed, it may be deleted from the MoM. All the MoM's should be stored in a public folder that can be accessed by all (read-only access). Keep taking notes in the meeting, however small the detail is even if you are the organizer. It is easy to forget. After the session is complete, you can skim through your notes. You can document the minutes only for the vital information. Always confirm the minutes immediately after the meeting so that you do not forget what was discussed. Writing when it is fresh in your mind is very easy, and you will recollect any key points addressed efficiently. Ensure that the MOM is circulated much before the meeting to get a chance to read the template. 

meeting minutes template, meeting minutes PPT
Meeting Minutes Template PPT


Whenever starting a new meeting, always review the minutes from the previous session. Whenever putting something controversial or recording a decision, make sure you check with the person who will be the owner. Documenting minutes is very crucial in project management. Without proper documentation, a project manager will always struggle to hold people accountable for what was said and what was done. Make sure you use the right meeting minutes template excel so that all the information is captured. Having a proper MOM format to the minutes will make sure people will read the minutes. Remind people of the action items in the template so that they do the necessary task. Keep all the previous version of the document so that you can keep track of the historical information.

Benefits of sending meeting minutes

  • People forget what they say, and that is the fundamental reason why minutes are needed.
  • Minutes of the meeting is a vital follow-up document with all the details about the meeting. It includes the meeting agenda, the location of the meeting, and who attended the meeting. 
  • MOM is also a mechanism of sharing information about meeting with people who did not attend the meeting. 
  • Having a standard document or meeting minutes template will ensure all the meetings are documented in the same fashion. 
  • Document key points that were discussed in the meeting. After publishing the minutes, if everybody accepts the minutes, then there will be no conflicts. 
  • It is essential to capture what everyone's view is about a given topic. Document action items that help in following up on tasks with a due date. Document decisions made may be in log in the meeting and also who made the decision. 
  • It can be used as a starting point for new meetings. 
meeting minute template excel, meeting minutes template
Meeting Minutes Excel Template

How to write Professional Meeting Minutes

Following the steps outlined below will result in a comprehensive MoM, which can be used to track. 


The chair designates a recorder of the meeting, and it's their sole responsibility to produce an MoM report. The recording should be done during the session and not rely on memory. While the attendees arrive (or call in), the recorder should add them to the attendee's section of the MoM. A record should also be made of the date, meeting chair, among other details. Each row should be numbered for reference sake. The type of row needs to be outlined, where the class is typically either a task or a decision.


The difference is that a task is a one-time effort with a due date for completion, and a decision affects the entire team/project/company from the date it was published onwards. For example, A task can be "Danny needs to bring a cake to the office by the 19th of July 2017," A decision can be "All team members must wear a red hat when presenting at a conference." The task/decision needs to be simply explained so that even someone who hasn't participated in the meeting can understand what they need to do when it is expected that the task will be done. If the row contains a decision, the due date is when the decision was made (usually the meeting date).


The owner of the task needs to appear so that they can resume responsibility for it. If the row contains a decision, then the owner is whoever made it. The status of the task gives a summary of where it stands. This is usually a drop-down list that contains a few possibilities. The plan typically includes the following attributes: "Completed," "In Process," "Not Started," and "Cancelled." It is acceptable to add a few more details, such as "On Hold," "Postponed," etc. A decision shouldn't have any status. The last column allows the task owners to write any remark they see fit, while the rule of thumb is the more, the merrier. If it a decision, whoever made it can explain the reasons and logic behind it.


project meeting minutes template excel
Meeting Minutes Template Excel

How to send an email for the minutes of the meeting?

Include both the people who attended and missed the meeting. Send the minutes ASAP after the meeting. It is also a good practice to copy the action item in the email so that people responsible will know without opening the attachment. Include the meeting title, date, and time in the subject and attachment name so that you can quickly identify the email or document a later point in time. Don't forget to attach the minutes to your email. To reduce the attachment size, it is a good practice to convert the document to a PD.

How to send meeting minutes email
Sending an email after meeting with minutes