The document discusses the role and skills of an effective minute-taker at meetings. It outlines that the minute-taker is responsible for accurately documenting discussions, decisions, and assigned actions during a meeting in a clear structure. This includes listening closely without interrupting, taking thorough notes, and promptly writing and distributing the minutes afterwards. Effective minutes are concise, unambiguous, and use a standard structure including headings, attendance, the agenda items discussed, and assigned actions. The document provides tips for minute-takers to help fulfill these responsibilities.

1. Technical Writing &
Presentation Skills: Minute-
Taking
Alipur College, Alipur

2. What we’ll cover this evening…
The minute taker’s role
Listening
Capturing what’s said
Writing up and structuring minutes

3. The weird language of meetings
Formal
Informal
Everyday

4. The Minute Taker’s role
• In small groups,
identify the key
tasks of an SSCC
minute taker.
• What skills will you
need to complete
these task?

5. The Minute-Taker’s Responsibilities
Taking down notes accurately
Writing the notes with
responsibility and ownership
Distributing the minutes and
filing them for future reference

6. The Minute-Taker’s Task
Before Meeting
• Preparation
During Meeting
• Writing down
actions and
conclusions
After Meeting
• Distributing
the minutes

7. Meeting Preparation
• Organising the meetings
• Inviting participants
• Setting the agenda

8. Setting the Agenda
Producing the agenda (with the Chair)
It sets clear objectives
It provides pre-meeting information
It includes all relevant items
It shows the structure and timing of the
meeting
It shows who is required

9. Listening Skills

10. The importance of listening
• Stay focused on the speaker
• Don’t tune out dry-sounding information
• Try not to evaluate as you are listening
• Show you are ‘actively’ listening
• Ask clarifying questions
• Don’t interrupt
• Brain Vs Ears

11. Tips for taking notes
• Draw up a table plan
• Print off an agenda for
you to write notes
against with big spaces
• Record the action to be
taken clearly and the
date when it’s to be
done by

12. Writing up minutes
• Take notes during the meeting, write minutes up afterwards
• Do it soon!

13. What you’re aiming for
1. Background
2. Discussion
3. Decision
4. Action
• Whilst being: authentic, complete, concise, free from ambiguity,
in the past tense

14. The structure of minutes
• Beginning
• Middle
• End

15. Beginning
• Heading
• Attendance
• Present
• In attendance (i.e. not a member of the committee)
• Apologies
• Absent
• Item 1: Previous Minutes
• Item 2: Matters arising from the previous minutes

16. Middle
• Item 3. Business
• Go through in order of the agenda (keep the same
numbering)
• Make a record of what was said
• E.g. a brief outline of the discussion and actions agreed or…
• Just a record of the actions [in bold, with initials of who is
responsible]

17. End
• 4. AOCB
• 5. Date of next meeting
• Chairperson’s name and date

18. The power of words
How you minute conversations can subtly change how the reader
interprets the minutes:
• Use “They”
• Past Tense: “…said, stated, argued, contested, emphasised,
reinforced, stressed, urged, declared, mentioned”

19. Once minutes completed
• Distribute quickly: 80:20 rule
• File them safely somewhere – paper and electronic?

20. Professional Skills Curriculum
• Development programme open
to all students
• 11 graduate key skills graduate
employers value
• Dip in and out, or complete 8
and a reflective essay to receive
certificate
https://www.facebook.com/ ProfessionalSkillsCurriculum