If you are responsible for taking minutes at meetings, then the tools and techniques covered in this course will prove invaluable.

• Personal preparation - What's on your checklist to do prior to the meeting?
• Create the right environment - Consider what is important to attend to within the actual room
• Attending the meeting - What's your role during the meeting?
• Taking notes - The mechanics of actually taking minutes
• Structuring notes - Develop the skill of taking structured notes
• Writing up the minutes - How to speed up writing the notes, get approval and amend, styles of minutes
• Sections of a meeting - What are the various sections of the meeting?
• Recording decisions and actions - Tips for getting it right
• Business English for minutes - Grammar, spelling and vocabulary tips

Introduction

• Background
• Cycle of a meeting
• The participants

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 chairperson's approval
• Dealing with amendments

Style of Minutes

• Summary
• Verbatim
• Action

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

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

The course runs from 9:30am through to 4:30pm. Refreshments are available from 9am.

We provide:

• Full course material
• Certificate of attendance
• 90 days post course support
• Note pad and pen
• Polos!

Also includes:

• Free on-site parking
• Refreshments throughout the day
• Lunch at a local restaurant
• Free WiFi

Our Norwich on-site parking (NR3 1UB) is free and situated 5 minutes walk along the river to our training centre at St James Mill. If you arrive by train it is about 20 minutes on the Riverside walk or a short taxi ride to get to us. View full directions for Norwich and all our other venues.

You will learn in a relaxed environment with a small group of people. A specialist tutor will guide and encourage you through all the learning necessary to develop your skills and questions are always welcome.

• PA/Executive Assistant
• Conducting Effective Meetings
• Business Writing Skills