Does anyone go to the extent of getting project team or steering group minutes physically signed by the client at the conclusion of each meeting? Looking to address the potential for clients modifying electronic copies of minutes. Saving Changes...
Wayne MackRetired| RetiredSouth Riding, Va, United States
Adrian, if one's concern is that the client is intentionally changing the minutes, I think there are bigger issues than just getting a signature. Unless there is an actual problem, I would not recommend doing anything. The one step I might take would be to issue draft minutes following the meeting and then approving the minutes at the start of the next meeting. Typically, I do no more than just e-mail the minutes with the vague hope that the recipients will bother to read them.
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I would have to agree with Wayne. What I usually do is type up the minutes and email to all invitees and attendees stating minutes attached and to let me know if I've misunderstood or misrepresented anything. If I'm working with a very challenging group, I might paste the action items into the body of the email.
As to your client modifying e copies of minutes, if they would really do that, you have way bigger fish to fry. However, not sure what you are using to store minutes (sharepoint, notes, database, etc) but is there anyway you can lock them down? then maybe state in the email communicating the draft that folks have 24 hrs (or whatever) to communicate\request changes - after that, locked down. That or version control? Saving Changes...
Adrian, if you're still concerned with document modification even after what Beth and Wayne have said, you could also consider saving your presentations/minutes as PDFs. It's not bullet-proof, but may address the concern. Saving Changes...
Bipin Lekshmanan PMPProject Manager| Wipro TechnologiesEdison, Nj, United States
When I think about what your problem is, I would like to believe that altering the minutes done by client is done with good intention- to get their projects right. They might have thought that you or your team understood something different and is trying to clarify. But, you can always request them to send a note for any clarifications and you be in charge of updating any minutes/documents. The clent team would definitely agree (in my opinion) because at the end of the day, you are executing their project and they donot want to do anything to s**** themsleves or their projects.
You may have to work on developing more trust in your relationships as well. In my limited expereience, what I have realized is that if you can develop good client relationships, everything else can be addressed. If you go the other way, by doing everything by the book and not gaining client trust- you will always find new issues to resolve on every turn.
I would love to walk in to an amicable work place every morning. Of course, you can counter my statements.
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Minutes are not legal documents, just a statement of discussions held by a group of people and acts as notes to that effect.
I would suggest you refer to them in the next meeting and ask if the minutes are a true reflection of the previous meeting and then record the fact they are true or not if the case maybe.I for one do not request a signature. Please, I am open to convincing comments. Saving Changes...
Bipin Lekshmanan PMPProject Manager| Wipro TechnologiesEdison, Nj, United States
I would agree with Glen...tracking the minutes/actionables sound good. Saving Changes...
Here is another possibility. Meeting minutes are taken during the meeting and agreed upon by all of the members before the next topic is discussed. It can be a bit draconian but it puts an end to "that's not what I meant" and the ever popular "huh?
Also, most people like appreciate minutes right after the meeting rather than days or even weekks later Saving Changes...
George JucanManaging Partner| Organizational Perfomance Enablers NetworkWoodbridge, Ontario, Canada
Except for really important meetings, couple of years ago I gave up taking minutes in the traditional format – nobody has time to read 2-3 pages about the meeting. For really important meetings I record them (with participants agreement), but for normal meetings I only write down the decisions and action items. So my “meeting notes” are now reduced to an email with an intro phrase and couple of bullet points. Frankly, the feedback I receive increased significantly as people only need couple of seconds to read it. It also improved the tracking of action items as people add to each bullet some sub-bullets with their actions – couple of words but better than nothing, and if needed I follow up to clarify.
Worked for me, hope it helps others too.
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George, I understand the format you produce your minutes in, and I can see how it can be more efficient in some cases, but when you work in an organisation which expects or prefers you to stick to tradition and provide minutes in a method which is consistant with others, which is then filed in the project electronic filing system to be made available to everyone, it is difficult to break off from that tradition without creating angst. Another company I worked for produced what they called 'File Notes'.Same thing but in a way different? Saving Changes...
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