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