How to Write an Email Requesting Approval of Meeting Minutes: Examples Included

Approval of meeting minutes by email is an email that accompanies the minutes of a meeting, requesting approval before it is shared with other members of the team. 

Meetings will be ineffective if no one remembers what was said and the conclusions reached. While relying on the attendees’ memories is possible, nothing’s as effective as an email reminding everyone of what was discussed.

After the end of the meeting, it’s important that there should be an electronic document of the matters discussed during the meeting.  It’s also equally important that everyone is on the same page after the meeting, and actions can begin to be taken after the deliberations of the meeting. This is the importance of sending an approval of notes by email. 

In this article, we will discuss what minutes are, everything you should do before writing one and some samples to help you get started when writing yours. 

What Are Meeting Minutes?

Meeting minutes are records taken during the meeting to take notes and create a log of what was discussed. These records are mainly the most critical discussions of the meeting, and not everything said. 

Meeting notes contain the most important aspects of the meeting, such as what was discussed, the people in attendance, the presentations and reports submitted (and links to them, depending on their importance). 

Meeting notes are essential for several reasons, but the main reason is so everyone can have a takeaway of everything that was discussed for reference purposes. So the absentees can be kept abreast of everything that happened in the meeting. 

Meeting minutes are official records of what happened during the meeting. This is why it’s important to send approval of minutes by email, so everyone’s on the same page. In some cases, meeting minutes are only shared with employees, they can also be sent to external stakeholders or other involved third parties. 

What Should Be in Your Minutes Email?

Before requesting approval of minutes by email, you must ensure your meetings are written properly. This way, you eliminate all the back and forth that could ensue from an improperly written meeting minute. 

Here, we will discuss all the most important aspects of your meeting minutes:

1. The title or reason for the meeting.
2. The date, time, meeting duration and team involved. 
3. Everyone who attended the meeting and who recorded the minutes. 
4. The agenda of the meeting. 
5. Key discussions and agreements reached.
6. Motions and OKRs concluded. 

These are the most important things to be included in your meeting minutes. If they’re not in your minutes, they aren’t complete. 

Tips when Writing Minutes of Email

Writing meeting minutes is a herculean task, and there is a thin line between writing what is essential and what isn’t. Here, we will tell you what should be in your email and what shouldn’t. 

Do not use a pen and paper. Because notes need to be taken in meetings, speed is emphasized. As such, you may be tempted to write the minutes on paper and then transcribe them. You can do this if you’re writing the minutes for personal use, but since you’re an approval of minutes email that will be sent to multiple stakeholders, you should use a digital medium. 

Do not reiterate information. In minutes, a single fact or agenda can be belabored for hours on end. When this happens, you must pay extra attention so you do not end up repeating what’s already been written. 

Avoid including personal opinions. Unless you’re a decision-maker and actively involved in making decisions, you should keep your thoughts and opinions away from the minutes.

Do not write the minutes word for word. The approval of minutes email should contain summarized versions of the discussion that was had. Do not make the mistake of writing everything that happened in the meeting. 

Use Initials and acronyms. It can be hard to keep up with who’s talking and what they’re saying when writing minutes. To make this easier and faster, use initials for names and acronyms where you can. 

Who to Send the Approval of Minutes Email Be Sent To?

The email should be sent to everyone that attended the meeting. If people missed the meeting for whatever reason, ensure to include them in the email as well. 

While the email may be sent to everyone that attended the meeting, their approval may not be needed. So, highlight in your email the people who need to approve the minutes. 

When Should the Minutes Be Sent?

The ideal time for the approval email is immediately after the meeting ends. When the minutes are ready, they should be sent to the necessary people. This is because the meeting details are still fresh in their minds.

How to Write Approval of Minutes Email?

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to write an email to approve meeting minutes:

1. Be Concise

Most, if not everyone who receives the minutes of the meeting attended said meeting. It would be counterproductive to bore them with the details of the meeting they just attended. Unless it is imperative that they are aware of the discussions. 

Ensure all key points are listed while sparing the details. If anyone missed the meeting, they could refer to the transcripts if there are any. 

2. Include relevant documents and links

For the sake of people who could not attend and for reference purposes, all relevant documents relating to the meeting should also be linked to the minutes. 

3. Mention stakeholders whose approval are needed

The email seeking approval of minutes should be sent to everyone in the meeting, the stakeholders and even those that missed the meeting. 

Everyone should be CCed in the email. However, not everyone who attended the meeting needs to approve the minutes. In the email, mention the names of people you want to approve the minutes and when you need them approved. 

Alternatively, you could send the minutes first to people who need to approve them before forwarding them to the rest of the team. For large teams, this is the best approach. 

4. Include accurate project timelines

To ensure there’s no back and forth between you and your supervisors, ensure to input accurate deadlines and project timelines.

Approval of Minutes by Email Template

Hi Team,  Thank you for taking the time earlier today to discuss (the topic of meeting). The main agenda of the meeting was to discuss steps on how to (include agenda of the meeting). Here's a quick recap of everything that was discussed in the meeting:  (Include what was discussed at the meeting) After the discussions, these were the conclusions drawn and the necessary steps to take to make them happen. (Include the conclusion drawn and the course of action) There was a presentation from (include anyone who made a presentation). For reference purposes, a link to the presentation has been attached to this email.  To the managers in charge of the meeting, please acknowledge and approve this minute so it can be disseminated to the rest of the team.   Kind regards, (Your Name) 

Approval of Minutes by Email Sample

Hi Team,   Thank you for taking the time earlier today to discuss marketing strategies for the quarter. The main agenda of the meeting was to discuss steps on how to increase revenue by taking on more clients and delivering better results for existing ones.  Here's a quick recap of everything that was discussed in the meeting: The marketing plan of Soles.com Restructuring ad spend for Woculus Analyzing current campaigns for Afrimash.  After the discussions, these were the conclusions drawn and the necessary steps to take to make them happen:  The marketing team hired a google ad specialist to handle all google ads. Increase Afrimash ad spend on google. Focus on influencer campaigns for Soles.com  There was a presentation from (include anyone who made a presentation). For reference purposes, a link to the presentation has been attached to this email.  To the managers in charge of the meeting, please acknowledge and approve this minute so it can be disseminated to the rest of the team.   Kind regards, (Your Name) 

Conclusion

When sending approval of minutes by email, you must state the people you want to approve the minutes. If you don’t get a response from the general email, send them personal emails.

The post How to Write an Email Requesting Approval of Meeting Minutes: Examples Included appeared first on Woculus.

Ayo Oyedotun is a professional blogger and freelance writer. He reads, writes and talks about business. You can follow him on Twitter @Ayo_Oyedotun[http://twitter.com/#!/Ayo_Oyedotun] or read Business Owners’ Bible[http://woculus.com/].