Embedded Files
Most business meetings should have meeting minutes. But creating and distributing them can be a pain - so sometimes, nobody bothers.
How much time would you save by creating them with one click - and even have them filled out automatically? And more - how many more meeting notes would be created? Let's dive in.
Easy meeting minutes make the team happy.
Calendar ♥ Docs
Calendar ♥ Docs
Google has just launched an integration between Docs and Calendar. And if there is anything we love on this blog, it's integrations.
Meeting notes are a frequent use case for Google Docs. Now, you can have notes that link to the event (and display elegant information chips) and vice versa.
Remember that Google Calendar does not have its own file storage. Instead, attachments to events are links, usually to files stored on Google Drive. That is why even if you chose to share meeting notes with guests, external persons might not be able to access the notes.
Repeating meetings share the same body and attachments - meeting minutes shine here as well. Your meeting minutes can become a rolling document where you insert a new header each time you meet (see below).
Creating meeting notes ahead of time
Creating meeting notes ahead of time
There are 2.5 ways of creating meeting notes, all very similar. We will look at all of them to know what to expect.
A bit of terminology first: "Creating" a minute means setting up a document. Google will do it in the background for you, no need to open Docs. Creating a meeting note is an elegant way to signal that a) we're using Google Workspace and know what we're doing b) this is going to be a minuted, professional meeting.
To create meeting notes ahead of time, go into the full editor and click "Create meeting notes". Since you are modifying the event for everybody, you need to have "modify event" privileges, which usually means the meeting organizer.
A Docs will be created for you, attached and shared silently with your guests. All in the background, ready for when the meeting starts. Easy!
Taking meeting notes in the moment
Taking meeting notes in the moment
When you are in the meeting and forgot to create meeting minutes before, just click take meeting minutes from the event's card (the floating box that appears when you click an event once). The meeting minutes document will also be created, attached and shared.
The difference is that, you guessed it, the minutes document opens for you right away. That is probably what you wanted, so it saves you some clicks.
Meeting notes from Google Docs
Meeting notes from Google Docs
Solutions 1 and 1.5 above where Calendar based. But what if you already have a document and want that to become official meeting minutes - attached, shared and everything? Or what if you have a rolling document and want to insert a new "chapter" for today's meeting?
Google's service integration has you covered. Simply type @ in your document and select Meeting notes. Then select the event that you're referring to. That's the Universal @ menu in action!
Will your document be attached to the calendar event? If you are allowed to modify the event, you will be prompted to share and attach. Otherwise, you will be prompted to just share. If you dismiss those prompts, your document will be yours alone.
Tip: Meeting organizers can always attach solo documents later, as they would any attachment. That's a great way to say "Thank you for participating, here are the minutes."
Pro tip: Meeting minutes will be created using your documents' standard formatting. You can configure it to make it look great.
Meeting minutes are easy and help everybody remember what was discussed and decided. They make the time you spend in meetings much more valuable. And thanks to Google Docs and Calendar, creating them takes one click. How about you create one now for your next meeting, and improve accountability and effectiveness for everyone? Thank you for reading!
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