Effective Minute Taking

Effective minute taking is designed for staff who have the responsibility for organising and attending meetings in a support function. This one day course includes various practical exercises in minute taking which will provide participants with the opportunity to put the learning points of the course into practice.

Content:

• Module 1 – Essential Minute Taking Preparation – 2 hours
•  Role & Responsibilities of a Minute Taker
•  Checklist for organising a meeting
•  Pre-meetings
•  How to prepare and layout an agenda
•  Timescales for agenda, draft minutes, approval etc.
• Module 2 – Minute Taking Skills – 2.5 hours
•  Methods for taking notes
•  Using shorthand
•  Listening and taking notes simultaneously
•  How to transcribe from notes to minutes
•  What to include/exclude from minutes
•  Use of appropriate style and language in minutes
•  Dealing with action points during and subsequent to the meeting
•  Layout of minutes
• Module 3 – Practical session – 2 hours
•  Participants will attend a virtual meeting, take notes and transcribe into minutes
•  Course summary and identification of action points

Learning Outcomes:

•  Understand the role and responsibilities of the minute-taker in meetings
•  Organise an effective meeting
•  Take effective and relevant notes at a meeting
•  Write clear, accurate and concise minutes
•  Practise their newly developed skills

Who Should Attend:

• This programme is ideal for anyone who may all have the responsibility from time to time of taking minutes at meetings and will therefore be expected to follow up and report accordingly.

Course Benefits:

• How to avoid minute speak
• Incorporating the elements of good style in minutes - reported speech, passive verbs and tense
• Presenting minutes in a professional format
• Overcoming the challenges of taking minutes