Introduction

• Background
• Cycle of a meeting
• The participants

Sections of a Meeting

• Introduction / welcome, apologies
• Committee business
• Minutes of the last meeting
• Matters arising, reports
• Agenda items, any other business
• Date of the next meeting

Personal Preparation

• Read the agenda and papers
• Talk to the chairperson and others
• Consider who's who
• Confirm administrative arrangements
• Get the equipment together
• Signed copy of the minutes
• Last minute minute taker
• Personal preparation checklist

Create the Right Environment

• Create a professional impression
• Freshen the room
• Layout and refreshments
• Be there to greet
• Mobile phones and pagers

Attending the Meeting

• Where to sit
• Finding out who's who
• Not understanding
• Hearing
• Minuting and argument
• Skivvying
• Coping with numbers/figures
• Maintaining concentration and focus
• Contributing minute taker

Taking Notes

• The mechanics of writing
• Taking notes
• Look as well as listen
• The message not the words
• Developing the skills

Structuring Notes

• Follow the agenda
• Structuring the notes
• Using the structure

Writing up the Minutes

• Speeding up the process
• If you can't type them for a few days
• Get the chair person's approval
• Dealing with amendments

Style of Minutes

• Summary
• Verbatim
• Action

Recording Decisions and Actions

• The action triangle
• Where there is no outcome
• Layout of action points
• Where there are several action points

Layout

• Page layout and headings
• Layout for 'present' etc
• Numbering

Business English for Minutes

• Vocabulary and spelling
• Abbreviations
• Punctuation
• Hyphens
• Exclamation marks