Effective Minute-Taking
With our extensive knowledge of the different software currently on the market, including all Microsoft and Adobe applications, ON-TRACK Computer Training Ltd. has a diverse and flexible schedule that can be customized to your needs – we offer group course (both public and corporate), one-on-one training, and on-site training options. We also have easily accessible on-line training videos available.
Duration: 1 Day
Objectives
After this workshop participants will be able to:
- Prepare to take meeting minutes
- Explain the roles of the people in a meeting
- Distinguish between different types and purposes of business meetings
- Use one of the three categories of meeting minutes
- Take effective agenda-based notes
- Draft, proof, correct and distribute accurate, timely, complete minutes
- Handle common minute-taking problems
Methodology
Learning methods include individual and group case studies and worksheets; lecturettes, practice meetings, question and answer sessions and class discussion of issues brought by participants.
Outline
Whether you are asked for the first time to take minutes at an approaching meeting or whether you are a seasoned minute-taker with experience in formal and informal meetings, there are relevant skills and knowledge bases that can be learned and improved upon.
This workshop covers the following topics:
- General Information about Meetings and Taking Minutes
- Definition of terms: “minutes” “motion” “quorum” “point of order”
- Reasons for taking minutes
- Cost analysis of a meeting
- Advantages to the minute-taker
- When is appropriate to take verbatim minutes?
- Roles and Responsibilities of Meeting Members
- Role and responsibilities of the chairperson or moderator
- Role and responsibilities of the minute-taker
- Role and responsibilities of the participants
- The Meeting Agenda
- How is it prepared and by whom?
- Components of a working agenda
- Sample template of a meeting agenda
- Techniques for Taking Notes
- Know which of the three types of minutes you will be taking
- Formal minutes (parliamentary procedure: Robert’s Rules of Order)
- Informal minutes
- Action minutes
- Preparing for the meeting
- Your secret weapon: knowing the topics, terms and
- Setting up your note page using the prepared meeting agenda
- Pens and highlighters
- Advantages and disadvantages of taping, laptops and computer notes
- Virtual meetings, teleconferences and videoconferences
- Schedule a block of time immediately after the meeting to draft minutes
- When to arrive at the meting and why
- Checklist of items to assemble and take with you
- Prepare your own work to ensure focus on the meeting
- During the meeting
- Agree on a “meeting contract” regarding your role and rights
- Coordinate each topic heading in your minutes with the agenda items
- Listening techniques: what to listen for
- How to record a decision
- What to do if you need clarification or miss an important point
- After the meeting
- Importance of drafting minutes right after the meeting
- Attaching documents, reports and other relevant data
- Conform to your organization’s style norms: font, bolding, underlining
- Proofread draft minutes for spelling, grammar, punctuation, mechanics
- Techniques for Preparing and Distributing Minutes
- Sample template of draft minutes
- What to include; what to omit
- Follow your notes and coordinate topic headings with agenda items
- Who signs off on the minutes and when?
- Methods of distribution
- Filing the minutes
- How to handle corrections
- Handling Common Problems
- Lack of an agenda
- Incompetent chairing: skipping items, moving on before a decision is taken
- Rambling, repetitive discussion
- Late arrivals
- Introduction of items not on the agenda
- “Parked” items
- Other issues
- Personal Action Plan for Improving Minute-Taking
- Course Closure and Evaluation