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The Art of Minute-Taking
Featured Author:
Patricia Robb
Patricia Robb has been an Administrative Assistant for almost 30 years. She is a member of the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP), Ottawa Chapter. Patricia does freelance writing in Ottawa, Canada. You can find her on her blog “Laughing all the way to Work: A Survival Blog for Administrative Assistants.”
The title of her blog, “Laughing All the Way To Work” explains it all. “A blog for today’s Administrative Assistant. We all have to work, but who says we can’t enjoy it too! My goal for this blog is to give good tips and ideas and occasionally put a smile on your face as you start your day! Let’s enjoy our day together.” Her lighthearted and fun approach makes Mondays a little easier.
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Minute taking is an art! Anyone who is good at it is to be commended.
I have never had to take minutes, but I almost did many years ago. My boss came to my desk and told me he needed me to take minutes for a meeting. I was not aware of the meeting so I wasn’t prepared. I started to sweat and my heart started pumping as I mumbled something about it being a long time since I had taken minutes and he had better tell me when I needed to write something down. As my boss and I entered the meeting room I heard, “Surprise”! It ended up that instead of a meeting it was a surprise baby shower for me. Whew! I had escaped once again having to taking minutes.
Is the thought of taking minutes really that frightening? I thought so and I know many others who feel the same way. I recently spoke to a friend who is a minute taker and she passed along her wisdom and experience and I noticed when we broke the steps down, it really didn’t seem that daunting a task and I think that even I could do it.
Of course these tips are general ones and some meetings require more specific preparation, but they should be a help and a guide to you.
What you need to do before the meeting
Whether you are booking a meeting room on-site or off-site you need to ensure you have the space booked for the time and date you need it. If you require videoconferencing or teleconferencing, you will have to arrange for that. An LCD, laptop and a screen will need to be available if there is going to be a presentation at the meeting. You will want to order food if required.
An agenda should be sent to the attendees with the previous minutes and all background documents. It is advisable to bring extra copies of the agenda and attachments to the meeting in case someone arrives and has forgotten theirs.
A preferable way to send the agenda and attachments would be by e-mail, but some offices or Boards now have a website on which they post the agenda and any back-up materials, which can then be retrieved by the meeting attendees or Board members when they log onto the site.
Getting Yourself Prepared
In order to be as prepared as you can be for the meeting you should look at the attendance sheet from the past minutes to know who is on the committee and will be attending. If this is the first time you are taking minutes at this particular meeting, read through three to four previous minutes to familiarize yourself with the issues.
You can also start to create an agenda from the last minutes and present it to be approved by the Chair of the meeting. Once the agenda is approved you can use the new agenda to start the minutes.
If you start the minute template ahead of time and fill in as much information as you can, that will help you to be better prepared going into the meeting.
Namenotimportant
29 days ago
2 comments
I take minutes for two standing committees at a community college and I hand write them as I go. Yes, I know --some of you may be appalled. but it works for me. To prepare, I have a spreadsheet attendance list so I can check off attendees as they enter the meeting. There is room at the bottom to add guests. I also take the agenda and print it out - formatting it with adequate space to write in between each agenda item - this is where I record what takes place. I generally write more than necessary - as that insures I will have the "content and flavor" of the meeting which is what these committees require. I use shorthand abbreviations ( like "cmtee" for committee, "&" for and, "rpt" for report, etc.) whenever possible. And often if several people are stating the same thing, I just listen; when key phrases come out, I take those down. I make sure to get a copy of every handout or presentation to include with my minutes. And always remember - you do not have an opinion about what is occurring. Be concise when typing the final draft. Submit to the chair promptly.
Yadhi
3 months ago
82 comments
A take minutes every Tuesday and Thursday.... sometimes i get frustrated to hear all nonsense ideas, comments, accusations from management. Sad but true.
I dread to write... I Summarized the minutes.
OLANREWAJU
4 months ago
140 comments
A good advice for great minds.
EbonyRose
5 months ago
36 comments
I've been "accused" of being almost TOO detailed when taking minutes...talk to your chair in advance and find out the level of detail they want. Some want to know who said what, others just want a summary. I agree that motions are most important, and if there is an individual vote, be sure to record how each attendee voted. Good all-around article!
Mallory45
5 months ago
2 comments
If you do not have an excellent chair, just remember the tips above and immediately after the meeting, draft the minutes. You may have to type fast, or at minimum little phrases to jog your memory. The most important thing is to get the motions correct and the person to moved and seconded the motion. You can ask to read the motion to the board also, so everyone is clear on what they are moving and approving/disapproving. Good luck!
CorporateDoormat
5 months ago
2 comments
What if you don't have an excellent chair to help you along. Help!
minag426
5 months ago
2 comments
This is an excellent article!