Minute Taking Training

The aim of our Minute Taking training course is to help delegates to take and write meeting minutes and to do so more easily and speedily.

It covers working with the Chair, preparation, summarising, formatting the agenda and the meeting minutes, taking good (but not copious) notes and writing clear meeting minutes. Lessons learned are applicable to most types of meetings.

This is a popular course in both the public and private sectors, and with both junior and more senior staff. Minute taking practice is built into the course.

Organisational benefits of ‘Taking and Writing Meeting Minutes’ include: writing minutes - often shorter too, better communications and a saving in time and effort for Chairs and committee members as well as minute takers.

There is no pre course work for this minute taking course

Course Content:
Taking meeting minutes - writing minutes - minute taking
Purpose of meetings; purpose and styles of minutes
Determining how much detail is needed
Formats and content of the agenda
Formats and content of the meeting minutes
How to prepare well before minute taking
Who is responsible for what?
Working with the Chair - getting his/her help with your minute taking
Listening skills
Improving note taking
Turning notes into meeting minutes
Editing
Summary and action plans

Course Description:
Taking and Writing Minutes
The purpose of your meeting and your minutes.
How much detail is really needed in your meeting minutes?
What minute taking style is best for your meetings?

Minute Taking  – The Agenda
The purpose, content and structure of the meeting’s agenda.
What the items mean.
Writing the agenda as a control tool for the Chair.
Adequate and inadequate agendas.

Minute Taking – Format of Meeting Minutes
What goes where?
Making the minutes useful but easy to read.
Terminology such as In attendance, Apologies, Matters Arising, Committee Business, Any
Other Business, etc.
Coping with items like part-time attendance, in-hand, completed, etc.
Some conventions.

Minute Taking - Responsibilities and Preparation
You and the Chair - Who does what?
Before, during and after the meeting.
Good preparation.
Building a working partnership.

Minute Taking - Listening and Note Taking:
Barriers to good listening. What gets in the way? Overcoming the barriers.
Tips for improving your listening when taking minutes.
Workable ideas for improving note taking.
Keeping up. What to do when you get lost.
Using the 80:20 rule.

Minute Taking – From Notes to Meeting Minutes
A professional writer’s technique to make writing minutes easier and better.
Writing the draft minutes - just one draft!
Editing the draft minutes into the final version.

This course is available as an inhouse course tailored to your organisational aims and objectives, please contact us to discuss your requirements and delegate numbers. (pricing can vary dependant on the size of group)

All prices are excluding VAT, travel is charged with In-house courses at 40p per mile from our head office
Accommodation is required for distances over 100 miles from our head office.

Public Course Availability

Minute Taking Training is available as a public course on the following dates at the venues shown. You can book yourself and other delegates onto any of these courses simply by clicking the Book now buttons.