The use and importance of minutes

Procedural aspects

Content and structure of minutes and how to select an appropriate format

Preparation:

• Issues
• Target audience
• Establishing a relationship with the chair
• Inspiring confidence within the meeting

The critical skill - listening:

• Barriers to listening
• Active listening

Effective note-taking:

• Developing a short-hand – from abbreviations to mind-mapping
• How to clarify what has been said
• Structured note-taking
• Identifying key points
• Ensuring you have all that you need

The finished minutes:

• Combining materials (there may be documents, items, people etc that are referred to during the meeting)
• Selecting appropriate:
  • Style
  • Language
  • Structure
• How to summarize – writing concise, precise minutes
• Procedural aspects – sign off

Tips and techniques:

Lessons learned from experienced minute takers - from ensuring that you write up notes quickly through to note-taking shortcuts