Writing Accurate and Effective Minutes

About this Course

What are the main challenges of minute-writing?

As a minute-writer, you need to listen carefully to discussions, record relevant points, and present that information in an accurate, clear, concise and useful format.

During the meeting, you need to listen actively for important points to record. You must know the difference between the relevant and the irrelevant, plus differentiate between the nice-to-know and the need-to-know. This can be challenging when a discussion is lively or fast-paced.

After the meeting, when you begin compiling your notes, you must consider the type of minutes you are writing. Are they narrative or action minutes? What are the requirements for each type?

On top of it all, you need to be sure that your language is clear and concise, and accurately portrays the issues discussed.

What do you gain from this two-day workshop?

This workshop discusses the various actions you could take before, during, and after a meeting, to facilitate and improve the note-taking and minute-writing processes.

You will have a better understanding of what a typical minute format is like, and how each section of the minutes can be labelled and written.

You will receive practical tips on listening and taking notes effectively, and learn the appropriate language and grammar for portraying various situations in writing up your minutes.

Although this programme deals primarily with minute-writing, there will be a mock meeting and discussions about the various roles you can play during a meeting, and how these roles can contribute towards meeting objectives.

Note

This workshop covers skills for writing minutes of operational meetings, not minutes of board meetings and other corporate meetings, which follow specific procedures and formats.

Workshop Objectives

Know how to prepare yourself to take accurate notes during the meeting.
Appreciate how an agenda should be written, and how it helps in the running of an effective meeting and taking the minutes.
Know how to actively listen during the meeting, and record the necessary points.
Understand the difference between the need-to-know and nice-to-know, and know what to record.
Study a typical minute format, and understand how the various segments can be written.
Use the language of minutes more confidently.
Write concise sentences and paragraphs so your minutes are easier to read.
Be aware of accepted timelines in preparing meeting documents.

Workshop Highlights

Before the Meeting

Working with the Chairperson
Preparing yourself for the meeting
Preparing an agenda
Keeping pace with the meeting

During the Meeting

Playing your role effectively
Focused listening
Knowing how to interrupt, clarify, and confirm
Developing your own shorthand
Picking out main points, ideas, and actions
Distinguishing between nice-to-know and need-to-know

Writing Up the Minutes of Meeting

Types of minutes you may have to write
A typical minutes format
How to write: A) Apologies B) Minutes of Last Meeting C) Matters Arising D) Any Other Business

Application