The Skills Shack

This resource is for anyone required to prepare an agenda, take minutes and prodcue the action list from a meeting.This resource introducies skills required to produce professional, accurate, clear and concise minutes for any meeting, regardless of your previous experience. Target AudienceAnyone required to take the minutes of a meeting, regardless of your experience. Learning Objectives<ul><li>Outline the key roles and responsibilities of the Chairperson &amp; Minute Taker</li><li>Introduce the different types of meetings; </li><li>Discuss the role of the minute taker Before, During and After the meeting; </li><li>Outline the steps required to produce an agenda; </li><li>Provide tips and strategies for taking notes during the meeting to help prepare your minutes</li><li>Outline what to include &amp;  exclude from your Minutes, and</li><li>How to prepare an Action List</li></ul>

In this module, we will;

<ul>
	<li>Look at some definitions of meetings</li>
	<li>Examine the roles and responsibilities of both the meeting Chairperson and the Minute Taker</li>
	<li>Consider different types of meetings and their requirements</li>
	<li>Define minutes and the types of minutes</li>
	<li>Have a brief look at what should and should not be included in minutes 
	Consider the impact and importance of legislation, regulation and the legal system.</li>
</ul>

<h1 class="custom-cursor-default-hover">What is a meeting?</h1>

<img alt="Meeting definition" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/s3.go1.service/the-skills-shack.mygo1.com/apiom/1731154/1748579301454/1748579361-funny-definition.jpg" style="height:450px;width:450px;" />

We can all laugh at the following definitions, but most of us have attended meetings where some or all of these definitions were just too true! 

<pre>
A meeting is...

a gathering where people speak up, say nothing, then all disagree.

A meeting is...

a place where you keep the minutes and throw away the hours.

The best meeting is...

a group of three with one person sick and the other out of town.</pre>

Some definitions

<h1 class="custom-cursor-default-hover">What is a meeting?</h1>

<img src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/s3.go1.service/the-skills-shack.mygo1.com/apiom/1731154/1748579490308/1748579550-meeting-minutes.jpeg" style="height:300px;width:450px;" alt="1748579550-meeting-minutes.jpeg" />

Let's look at some more sensible definitions.

A meeting is

<ul>
	<li>an assembly of people for a particular purpose, especially for formal discussion.</li>
	<li>an event in which a group of people come together to discuss things or make decisions.</li>
	<li>a gathering of three or more people who use verbal communication to achieve objectives.</li>
</ul>

The need for meetings is increasing due to increased legislation, compliance requirements, and a greater awareness of the need for transparency within and across organisations and government.

While all meetings incur costs, including time, wages, travel, room hire and other operational costs, ineffective meetings are wasteful of members' time and resources.

There are generally accepted three types of meetings: 

<ol>
	<li>Formal, </li>
	<li>Informal, and </li>
	<li>Action meetings.</li>
</ol>

We will look at each of these in a later topic.

Real definitions

Minutes are: 
<img src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/s3.go1.service/the-skills-shack.mygo1.com/apiom/1731154/1748579707933/1748579768-meeting-minutes.jpeg" style="float:right;height:200px;margin:20px;width:300px;" alt="1748579768-meeting-minutes.jpeg" />Permanent, formal and detailed (although not verbatim) record of business transacted and resolutions adopted at a meeting.

Minutes provide a business, group, or sporting club with

<ul>
	<li>Clarity about meetings, discussions, decisions and agreed actions</li>
	<li>Information for members or interested parties who were unable to attend the meeting</li>
	<li>A record that can be used at future meetings for verification of decisions and actions</li>
	<li>Identification of items for future agendas. 
	Meetings that occur where no minutes are taken, distributed and agreed upon can lead to confusion and disagreement among meeting participants and other stakeholders.</li>
</ul>

What are Minutes?

Legislation

Most jurisdictions have legislation in place that covers the requirements for government organisations, registered companies, and other organisations to maintain accurate records, which may include meeting minutes. This legislation is in place to protect organisations and ensure transparency of decision-making. Individuals and their organisations can be questioned in a court of law about the decision-making process and how these decisions are reflected in the minutes.

Policies and Procedures

Organisations may have policies, procedures, rules, and bylaws that specify formats and how meetings are conducted, as well as how minutes are recorded. For example, they may specify

<ul>
	<li>Notice of meeting</li>
	<li>Who can attend and participate in the meetings</li>
	<li>How the Agenda is developed and circulated</li>
	<li>The roles of the Chair, Minute taker and other key attendees</li>
	<li>Voting rights and the processes for approving decisions and motions</li>
</ul>

What records can be accessed?

Different jurisdictions and organisations may have different requirements, but generally, the records that can be accessed include:

<ul>
	<li>Agendas and meeting minutes</li>
	<li>Emails</li>
	<li>Electronic files and databases</li>
	<li>Expense claims and accounts</li>
	<li>Non-final drafts and working notes</li>
	<li>Handwritten notes</li>
</ul>

Associations Incorporation Act and Regulation specify the requirements for organisations to keep and maintain accurate records. In addition, privacy and freedom of information legislation protect individuals' rights to have private information kept private, while also enabling access to some information, especially by government departments.

Legislation, Policies and Procedures

Key Roles and Responsibilities

1. TheChair 
<img alt="Chair" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/s3.go1.service/the-skills-shack.mygo1.com/apiom/1731154/1748580566788/1748580627-chair.jpeg" style="float:left;height:216px;margin:20px;width:150px;" />

<ul>
	<li>Knowledgeable</li>
	<li>Good time management skills</li>
	<li>Objective</li>
	<li>A good listener</li>
	<li>A good speaker</li>
	<li>Makes everyone feel comfortable</li>
	<li>Works well with the minute-taker</li>
</ul>

 

2. The Minute Taker - needs to take concise and informative notes that accurately summarise the discussions and outcomes.

<img alt="minutes" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/s3.go1.service/the-skills-shack.mygo1.com/apiom/1731154/1748580873888/1748580934-minutes-taken.jpeg" style="float:right;height:133px;margin:20px;width:200px;" />The minute taker's responsibilities include

<ul>
	<li>taking notes that are an accurate record of decisions and discussion</li>
	<li>writing up notes with responsibilities and ownership</li>
	<li>copying and distributing minutes to all participants</li>
	<li>filing appropriately for future reference and legal requirements</li>
</ul>

Key roles and responsibilities

Meetings and Minutes

In this module, we will consider:

<ul>
	<li>Where the agenda comes from</li>
	<li>Why an agenda is important</li>
	<li>Different types of meetings and agendas</li>
</ul>

<h3>The Agenda</h3>

<img alt="Agenda" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/s3.go1.service/the-skills-shack.mygo1.com/apiom/2036063/1570772259/1570772259-agenda.jpeg" style="height:300px;margin:25px;width:450px;" />

The Agenda

An agenda forms the spine of the meeting and helps to ensure that the meeting:

<ul>
	<li>Stays on track </li>
	<li>Is productive</li>
	<li>Enables members to feel that they are accomplishing something by their attendance </li>
	<li>Provides information to other stakeholders</li>
	<li>Enables feedback and promotes discussion</li>
	<li>Helps determine the next steps</li>
</ul>

Without an agenda, it would be challenging to take notes and maintain any consistency of information, decisions or actions over time.

Meetings without an agenda can be

<ul>
	<li>Frustrating and lacks consistency</li>
	<li>Unproductive</li>
	<li>Usually leads to non-participation and falling attendance </li>
	<li>Rarely achieve the objectives of the group</li>
	<li>Difficult to take minutes, record actions, and follow through.</li>
</ul>

The Agenda

<h1 class="custom-cursor-default-hover">Creating the Agenda</h1>

Agenda items can come from many places, including

<ul>
	<li>Standing Agenda items that are on the Agenda for each meeting. These might include Correspondence In; Correspondence Out, Presidents Report, Actions Arising, Treasurers report</li>
	<li>The Chair and other members of the meeting can submit items to the Agenda</li>
	<li>Previous minutes of the meeting can generate new Agenda items</li>
	<li>An Action List of an earlier meeting</li>
</ul>

There are no must-haves for Agenda items, and different meeting groups will determine the items for the Agenda...the essential thing is that there is an Agenda.

<h5>Why might an item be on the Agenda?</h5>

<ul>
	<li>Provide information about a project, previous action or an area of interest to the group.</li>
	<li>Obtain feedback or approval following a project or actions undertaken on behalf of the group.</li>
	<li>Determine the next steps for a project or activity</li>
</ul>

<h5>Information required to create the Agenda</h5>

Before adding an item to the Agenda, ensure that all the information required has been provided by the person proposing the Agenda item. The information could include

<ul>
	<li>Who will lead the meeting concerning this item? Usually, this is the person who proposes the Agenda item.</li>
	<li>How the meeting should address the Agenda item. Is the item for Information, Discussion and/or Decision? It is a common practice to include a tick box in the agenda to identify whether the item is for information only, a discussion, or requires a decision.</li>
	<li>How much time needs to be allocated to the item? The Chair can extend the time limit at the meeting if required; however, the Agenda should provide all members with an indication of the allotted time.</li>
	<li>If a decision is to be made, it is good practice to ask the person proposing the item to include draft resolutions or recommendations for consideration.</li>
	<li>Numbering for each item. This is a crucial part of the Agenda, especially if there are attachments and reports included with the meeting papers.</li>
</ul>

Creating the Agenda

<h5>Meeting Templates</h5>

There are numerous FREE Templates available on the internet. Click on the links to access a few, they can be downloaded and adapted for your business or group.

<a href="https://www.google.com.au/search?q=formal+meeting+agendas&amp;tbm=isch&amp;tbo=u&amp;source=univ&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=0ahUKEwizo73b0evbAhUOhrwKHQ_XBMcQsAQIKQ&amp;biw=1573&amp;bih=882">INFORMAL Meeting</a>

<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=formal+meeting+agenda+template&amp;tbm=isch&amp;source=univ&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiXy8jkmPzkAhWimuYKHea6BswQsAR6BAgHEAE&amp;biw=1569&amp;bih=765">FORMAL Meeting</a>

<a href="https://www.google.com.au/search?q=action+meetings&amp;tbm=isch&amp;tbo=u&amp;source=univ&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=0ahUKEwj45KPT0uvbAhUEjZQKHQpLCG0QsAQIUQ&amp;biw=1573&amp;bih=882">ACTION Meeting</a>

Types of Meetings

<h1 class="custom-cursor-default-hover">The Consent Agenda</h1>

The consent agenda can be used to streamline meeting procedures by identifying items placed on the agenda that do not require discussion and are provided for informational or background purposes. Using a consent agenda can save considerable time and allow for further discussion and debate on more critical or contentious items on the agenda. Typically, items for the Consent Agenda are placed at the beginning of the meeting agenda, following the welcome, introduction, and adoption of the previous minutes.

What belongs on a Consent Agenda?

The answer to this could be anything that the Chair determines can be on the Consent Agenda. Usually, items such as

<ul>
	<li>member reports and updates</li>
	<li>routine matters such as meeting dates, venues</li>
	<li>correspondence</li>
	<li>routine and non-controversial matters.</li>
</ul>

Once an item is presented for inclusion on the Agenda, the Chair will ultimately decide where on the Agenda the item should be placed. This is usually done in consultation with the Minute Taker and often the person proposing the item. Similarly, the Chair may decide that an item not be on the Consent Agenda and move it to the body of the Agenda for discussion. Items on the Consent Agenda should include a recommendation for approval at the meeting. For example, the recommendation may be that ...the treasurer's report is adopted as read.

While Consent Agendas save time in meetings, it is essential that they not be overused and that all meeting participants are allowed to voice any concerns and request discussions.

Consent Agenda

<img alt="Flying Minute" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/s3.go1.service/the-skills-shack.mygo1.com/apiom/2036063/1570775745/1570775745-flyingminute.jpg" style="height:314px;margin:25px;width:450px;" />

<h1>A Flying Minute</h1>

A flying minute is often used when a decision needs to be made by meeting members before the next meeting.

Sometimes, this is referred to as a VOC or Vote Outside Committee.

The item for the flying minute is prepared in the same way as other agenda items and can include attachments along with a recommendation. Members will be sent the Agenda item and asked to vote or return questions for further consideration.

At the next meeting of members, the outcome of the Flying Minute will be included on the Consent Agenda for information.

Flying Minute

In this module, we will consider a range of planning tasks for the minute taker.

Minute Taker planning tasks could include

Understanding the meeting processes and practices 
Gathering items for Agenda and preparing the meeting papers 
Preparing the Agenda 
Consulting with the Chair and seeking approval of the Agenda 
Distributing the Agenda to all meeting members 
Confirming meeting attendees and recording apologies 
Confirming the venue, equipment and refreshments if required.

<h1>Preparing a template</h1>

Preparing an Agenda and Minute template that complies with the organisations or meetings policies and processes will save you time in both preparing for the meeting and then writing up the minutes from your notes.

There are numerous template designs and many can be downloaded for free and adapted to meet the needs of your organisation or group. Click<a href="https://www.google.com.au/search?q=tagenda+templates&amp;oq=tagenda+templates&amp;aqs=chrome..69i57j0l5.4621j1j7&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8"> here</a> to access some of the available options or type agenda template into your browser and search. 
There is no right or wrong agenda template, however, most will have some or all of the following:

<ul class="custom-cursor-default-hover">
	<li>Meeting title and date</li>
	<li>Welcome and Introductions</li>
	<li>Attendees and Apologies</li>
	<li>Previous Minutes</li>
	<li>Correspondence</li>
	<li>Consent Agenda</li>
	<li>President or Chairs Report</li>
	<li>Treasurers Report</li>
	<li>Agenda Items</li>
	<li>Next Meeting</li>
</ul>

Planning the Meeting

<h1 class="custom-cursor-default-hover">Be prepared</h1>

Take everything you might need for the meeting with you, including spares.

Agenda Papers: it is a good idea to take a couple of hard copies as there is always someone who forgets to bring some or all of the papers and handouts.

<ul>
	<li>Copies of any late Agenda items and handouts that didn’t make it to the original agenda and were added subsequently with the Chairs approval</li>
	<li>Extra pens &amp; paper</li>
	<li>An Attendance list to circulate at the beginning of the meeting and ask attendees to complete. This could include Name, Organisation, Position, and Contact details, including mobile phone numbers. Once you send this around the room, you will also have an idea of who is sitting in each position, which will help with your meeting notes.</li>
	<li>Recording Device if required and approved by the Chair. All meeting participants should be aware that the meeting is being recorded, and the recording will be deleted after the meeting minutes have been prepared.</li>
	<li>Computer, charge code, and USB (if required).</li>
</ul>

There may be other items specific to the organisation's policies and procedures, such as a copy of the meeting constitution, terms of reference, and previous minutes. As part of your planning, you should be able to identify these.

 

<img alt="meeting room" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/s3.go1.service/the-skills-shack.mygo1.com/apiom/2036063/1570777116/1570777116-board-meeting.jpg" style="height:334px;margin:25px 100px;width:500px;" />

Be Prepared

Before the Meeting

In this module, we will consider how as the minute taker you can best

Use your skills as a communicator 
Take Notes that you can use to produce the meeting minutes 
Know what to include and what to Exclude from your notes and subsequently from your minutes 
Overcome difficulties at the meeting

<h1>At the meeting</h1>

As the minute taker for the meeting, it is a good idea to

<ul>
	<li>Arrive a few minutes early</li>
	<li>Greet each of the members as they arrive. This will help you put a name to each member and help with your notes</li>
	<li>Sit close to the Chair if possible</li>
	<li>Set up and test any equipment you plan to use.</li>
</ul>

Communication Skills

Communication is like breathing we do it every day and often without thinking or being aware of the message we are communicating. Recognising that we each have preferred styles of communication can help you work more effectively with your employees, your customers and suppliers.

It is important that you start by identifying your own preferred communication style. This will be the style you use most often.

Knowing this will help you to

<ul>
	<li>Be more aware of the impact your communication style has on others</li>
	<li>Work more effectively with other people</li>
	<li>Recognise the different communication styles other people are using</li>
	<li>Choose when to change styles.</li>
</ul>

The video below is from The Skills Shack resource Communicating Effectively and has been included in this resource to provide an introduction to effective workplace communication.

Communication Skills

<h1 class="custom-cursor-default-hover">Being an effective listener</h1>

<img alt="Be an effective listener" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/s3.go1.service/the-skills-shack.mygo1.com/apiom/1731154/1749014106991/1749014167-listen-copy.jpg" style="height:318px;width:450px;" />

As the Minute Taker, you need to listen carefully to ensure that you capture the essential points and decisions made. While we all spend a lot of our time listening, to become an effective listener, we need to practice and become conscious of

<ul>
	<li>How we listen</li>
	<li>Why do we listen and</li>
	<li>What we are listening to.</li>
</ul>

The benefits of effective listening include receiving more accurate information and finding solutions to issues or problems more quickly.

Things we can do to be good listeners and get the most benefit from our communications include

<ul>
	<li>Pay attention to both the verbal and non-verbal information being communicated</li>
	<li>Not being distracted by things around you</li>
	<li>Concentrating on what the person is saying</li>
	<li>Watching the person’s body language</li>
	<li>Showing that you are listening by using your body language and gestures. For example, looking at the person who is speaking, nodding occasionally and making encouraging comments such as yes or mmm</li>
	<li>Provide feedback to help clarify and demonstrate that you are listening. For example, If I understand correctly, your concern is about the new opening hours. Is that right?</li>
	<li>Don't interrupt.</li>
</ul>

Your body language is important and serves as an indication of your engagement with the meeting.

Be an effective listener

Tips for taking meeting notes

<img alt="Problem Solutions" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/s3.go1.service/the-skills-shack.mygo1.com/apiom/2036063/1570778417/1570778417-problem-2731501-1280.jpg" style="float:right;height:158px;margin:25px;width:300px;" />

Taking notes at a meeting can be challenging, especially when there are numerous participants, a comprehensive agenda, and contentious issues. The meeting can become boisterous, making it difficult for you, as the minute-taker, to keep track of what is being discussed and agreed upon.

This is where you and the Chair should work together to ensure that essential points are made and noted.

Many problems arise due to poor Chairing, and these can include

<ul>
	<li>Two or more conversations at one time</li>
	<li>Rambling discussions</li>
	<li>One or two meeting participants often dominate discussions and prevent others from sharing their views.</li>
</ul>

Other problems that can impact your ability to take adequate notes include

<ul>
	<li>Overuse of jargon and abbreviations that you are not familiar with</li>
	<li>The agenda being unclear or poorly constructed</li>
	<li>Participants were unaware of the agenda items either because they were not distributed in time, items were added, or participants had not thoroughly read the papers. 
	 </li>
</ul>

As the Minute Taker, you must manage distractions in consultation with the Chair and be prepared to seek clarification through the Chair when a point is made that is unclear.

Importantly, do not try to take everything down in your notes. Agree beforehand with the Chair on the crucial aspects to include in your notes, typically the decisions and agreed-upon actions.

Problems you may encounter

<img alt="what to include" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/s3.go1.service/the-skills-shack.mygo1.com/apiom/2036063/1570778633/1570778633-includes.jpeg" style="float:right;height:200px;margin:25px;width:300px;" />

<h3>Include</h3>

Your notes should enable you to write minutes that include

<ul>
	<li>Describe the purpose of the meeting</li>
	<li>Endorsement or changes to the previous minutes</li>
	<li>Have a list of attendees and apologies</li>
	<li>Provide an outline of the issues discussed</li>
	<li>Record decisions made, actions, responsible person and time for completion</li>
	<li>Any items added to the Agenda or delay for the next meeting.</li>
</ul>

Depending on the meeting procedures, you might also need to record

<ul>
	<li>Items from the Consent Agenda, including the outcome of any Flying Minutes distributed</li>
	<li>Guests in attendance at the meeting</li>
	<li>Presentations made by guests</li>
	<li>Meeting participants dissenting from the majority view.</li>
</ul>

It is important to remember that the minutes of certain groups, including corporate boards must be kept on file and are legal documents.

What to include in your notes

<img alt="Include Exclude" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/s3.go1.service/the-skills-shack.mygo1.com/apiom/2036063/1570781425/1570781425-include-exclude.jpeg" style="float:right;height:200px;margin:25px;width:300px;" />

<h3>Knowing what to exclude from your notes and minutes is as important as knowing what to include.</h3>

Minutes are not a transcript of the meeting, and there is no need to record everything said or who said what.

Avoid including:

<ul>
	<li>Directly quote a participant unless instructed by the Chair. For example, a participant may ask that his reasons for voting against a motion or recommendation be recorded.</li>
	<li>Detail of the discussions and who said what. It is the decision that is important.</li>
	<li>Personal information revealed during a discussion or debate. This can be especially important when the meeting discusses a recruitment and selection process or outcome.</li>
	<li>Personal opinions expressed by a participant. For example, a meeting may discuss the merit of adding a vehicle to the fleet of cars, and one participant may express his dislike of one type of car due to his experience with the car. This is a personal opinion and has no place in the minutes, even though it may impact the eventual decision.</li>
</ul>

The focus should be on WHAT has been decided and WHO is going to take the required action.

What to exclude

At the Meeting

In this module we will consider:

Tips for writing up the Minutes

What to include in the Minutes

The process for writing up the Minutes

Managing approvals and any corrections

<h1 class="custom-cursor-default-hover">Writing your notes as minutes</h1>

When writing your minutes

<ul>
	<li>Keep sentences short and aim for two lines or less</li>
	<li>Keep paragraphs under six lines</li>
	<li>Write the minutes in the past tense. For example, 'It was agreed that...'</li>
	<li>Number the minutes to reflect the numbering used in the agenda</li>
	<li>Motions, Decisions and Resolutions should be recorded in the minutes verbatim</li>
</ul>

After the Meeting - What to do next

<h3 class="custom-cursor-default-hover">Preparing an Action List</h3>

<img alt="action" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/s3.go1.service/the-skills-shack.mygo1.com/apiom/1731154/1743401540931/1743401601-action.jpg" style="height:338px;width:450px;" />

An Action List can help you, as the Minute Taker and the other meeting participants, keep track of agreed-upon actions, responsibilities, and timelines. You can prepare the Action List as a separate document from the minutes or include it within the minutes.

An Action List shows:

<ul>
	<li>Who agreed to the action</li>
	<li>What was agreed</li>
	<li>Who is responsible for the action</li>
	<li>When the action is to be completed, or a progress report is to be submitted back to the meeting.</li>
</ul>

There is no right or wrong format for an action list.

Preparing an Action List

Knowledge Check

The information in this course is intended to be used as resource material on the subject matter covered and we are not engaged in providing or rendering legal, safety or compliance advice. If expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought to update the content.

The author and publisher shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused, or alleged to be caused, directly or indirectly by the information contained in the various pages within this course. While every effort has been taken to ensure that all details of this resource are correct, the authors or publishers cannot accept any responsibility for the accuracy of the information contained within this site, nor for the consequences of any actions taken or not taken as a result of this information.

Taking the Minutes

What you'll learn

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