A guide to secretaries of meetings, especially in Higher Education institution where the Committee system works. Presented at The Federal University of Technology Akure, Nigeria in November 2012 at a staff training session.
2. Your Experience & Perspective
5 short statements telling your experience and
perspective of covering and writing meeting
minutes
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3. My Experience & Perspective
• Meetings are too many & unfocussed
• Attendees have no value for time
• Minutes are too verbose
– Diffused
– Decisions/resolutions mangled
– Inaccuracies abound
– Littered with grammatical infelicities
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4. Dave Barry - humorist
The modern corporate meeting can be compared to a
funeral, … a gathering of people who are wearing
uncomfortable clothing and would rather be
somewhere else. "The major differences are that most
funerals have a definite purpose (to say nice things
about a dead person) and reach a definite conclusion
(this person is put in the ground), whereas meetings
generally drone on until the legs of the highest-ranking
person present fall asleep. . . . Also, nothing is ever
really buried in a meeting. An idea may look dead, but
it will always reappear at another meeting later on"
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5. Minutes
• What is it:
– Record
– Summary
– Representation
– Report
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6. Good Minutes
• What makes a good Minute/Minutes?
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7. Your view as Registrar?
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8. As Registrar
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9. Sample Minutes
View & Critique Samples (4)
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10. Preparing for Meetings
• Things to consider:
– Meeting Venue & Needs
• Meeting notice
• Content
• Agenda
• Distribution
Ref: #1
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11. How to take Minutes
• Things you need
• Instructions
• Transcribing minutes
• Tips & Warnings
• Ref: #2
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12. How to write Minutes
• Elements of Business Minutes
• Tips & Warnings
Ref: #3
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13. Meeting
• Groups of 5 – 10 Meet
• Decide Purpose of meeting
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14. Meet & Present
Meet, take decisions & Present your minutes
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