SYNOPSIS
Minutes of meetings are vital to the success of a meeting. It also serves as an important document that record in writing what was discussed in a meeting and what action items came out of the meeting. In most organisations a review of the minutes of the primary management meetings over time would reveal an excellent record of the history of that organisation.
Minutes are a tangible record of the meeting for its participants and a source of information for members who were unable to attend. In some cases, meeting minutes can act as a reference point, for example:
- when a meeting’s outcomes impact other collaborative activities or projects within the organisation
- minutes can serve to notify (or remind) individuals of tasks assigned to them and/or timelines
Thus, participants rely on the minutes for information on subjects they don’t understand or to fill in gaps when they lost concentration.
For a role that carries significant responsibility, there is very little support for the minute-taker. There is a common misconception that secretaries can take minutes. This stems from two sources: first, the word 'secretary' as in committee secretary; secondly, the idea that taking minutes is about speed and secretaries can write fast, particularly if they have shorthand.
The key skill for taking minutes is the ability to listen to the words someone is saying, absorb them, evaluate the manner of the delivery and identify the speaker's point of view - the message. It is ongoing listening and simultaneous summarising. Although a good shorthand writer can take down the words and summarise them back in the office, it is a long drawn-out process and few can afford the time.
Whether you’ve been tasked with taking notes for a committee or you’ve been appointed Secretary to your organisation’s Board Meeting, preparing meeting minutes doesn’t have to be a difficult task. This course will provide some great tips and ideas that will help you get started with writing and preparing effective meeting minutes.
Course Outline
Introduction
- Importance of minutes
- Purposes of minutes
- Problems of the minutes-taking
Preparing to Take the Minutes
- Preparation and planning
- Summarising skills
- Taking notes for minutes
- Preparing the agenda
The Language of Minutes
- Tenses in reported speech
- Reporting verbs
- Reporting outcomes
- Avoiding ambiguity
- Diplomacy in minutes
- Analysing the minutes of a meeting
Methodology
- Interactive Lectures
- Group discussion and exercises will be used to enhance learning and reinforce skills
- Role Play
- Reflective Practice
Duration
1 day, 9am to 5pm
Course Objectives
At the end of the training programme, participants will be able to:
- Take appropriate notes during meetings
- Report more accurately and clearly; and
- Write appropriate minutes of meetings.
Target Audience
Staff who needs to take notes in briefings or those who need to write the minutes of meetings
Trainer
Mr. Loganathan is an experienced Facilitator with 25 years as a Military officer in the SAF.
He has extensive working experience in minute-writing and business communication skills.
Logan possesses 3 Masters; Master of Business Administration from University of Western Australia, Master of Arts (Instructional Design Technology) from Nanyang Technological University and Master of Training and Development from Griffith University, Queensland, Australia.