Writing Effective Minutes

How to record accurate notes at meetings and present clear and useful minutes

with Jolynn Chow

Accurate minutes of meetings are an essential for any successful organisation. If you are the one who has to record and write the minutes, you are probably well aware of how challenging this process can be.

During the meeting, you need to listen actively for important points to record. You must know the difference between the relevant and the irrelevant, plus differentiate between the nice-to-know and the need-to-know. This is particularly challenging when a discussion is lively and issues are highly contentious.

After the meeting, when you begin compiling your notes, you must first consider the type of minutes you are writing. Are they narrative or action minutes? What are the special considerations for each type? How do you avoid the common mistakes and pitfalls when you write them? On top of it all, you need to be sure that your language is clear and concise, and accurately portrays the issues discussed.

In this hands-on workshop, Jolynn will navigate you through this maze of challenges to help you reach your goal of writing minutes clearly and accurately. You will get lots of practical tips on listening and taking notes effectively, plus Jolynn will help you to analyse the critical aspects of a typical set of minutes, and learn the appropriate language and grammar for portraying various situations.

If you need to make notes at meetings and present clear and accurate minutes, don't miss this practical workshop.

Preparing the Agenda

• The importance of a Notice and Agenda to the smooth running of a meeting
• How agenda items can help you take better notes
• Overcoming common problems in setting up a clear and accurate agenda

Taking Notes Effectively

• Preparing yourself for efficient note-taking
• Working with the chairperson before and during meetings
• Clarifying and confirming points professionally and confidently
• How to actively listen for main points and actions
• Differentiating between relevant and irrelevant details
• Distinguishing between the need-to-know and nice-to-know, and knowing what to record

Preparing Accurate Minutes

• Types of meetings, and different types of minutes you may need to prepare
• Accepted ways of labelling different sections of minutes
• The ideal time frame for compiling and distributing your minutes
• Using attachments appropriately and effectively

The Right Way to Write Minutes

• Using language effectively to make your minutes clear and accurate
• Being specific and focused when presenting your points
• Making your minutes reader-friendly by using sentences and paragraphs effectively
• Portraying discussions accurately by using correct tenses

About Jolynn Chow

Jolynn has over 25 years of operational experience in industries including banking and finance, publication and distribution, packaging products marketing, and training and education.

She specialises in areas like business communication, interpersonal skills and customer service. She has designed and delivered many training workshops for organisations like Canon Marketing, Jebsen & Jessen Group of Companies, Keppel Land, Lend Lease, Pfizer Asia Pacific, Schering-Plough, SAP Asia, Visa International, Singapore Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, HDB, and TransitLink.

Jolynn has an in-depth understanding of the language problems of bilingual users of English, as well as the common communication problems faced by business language users in Singapore and the region.