Have
no time for minutes?
Well please take note – increasingly PAs are being asked to minute
actual and virtual meetings. And generally it is a task that can
give you the heebie geebies.
While main meeting participants
understand the agenda and subject matters, the minute taker is often
in the dark.
There can be technical jargon and
acronyms. Conference calls at virtual meetings may be full of
strange voices. Oh, and a room full of senior people will be relying
on your skill and accuracy. How you handle it can get you singled
out by the powers that be – for promotion or relegation.
We have to stop meetings like this!
So take a few seconds to conquer the minutes minefield.
Before the meeting find out from the
Chairperson the type of minutes required. Very rarely are verbatim
notes needed. If they are, usually in informal, legal or sensitive
situations, then a tape recorder with a verbatim type transcription
is probably the solution. The common types of minutes are:
- Narrative – record of the
subject, discussion and actions
- Action points – agreed action
only
- Resolutions – resolutions or
motions carried by the committee/forum
Obviously you need to be a good
listener, an accurate and perceptive writer and a fast note taker.
On the latter a good shorthand speed is a real confidence booster.
Shorthand is in demand again and is one of the post popular
Pitman training subjects. – the quickest and easiest to learn
nowadays is Teeline. Alternatively fast typing is very effective –
70-80wpm is good. Check if there is a PC facility or if you can take
in a laptop. Otherwise boost your confidence with speed writing
techniques.
The duties of the minute taker appear relatively simple but this is
deceptive. As well as the above you also need to be alert and able
to concentrate fully on the discussions, to record the key points
accurately and objectively and summarise them succinctly.
You need to be highly organised too, as you may have papers to
circulate before and after the meeting. It is obviously vital to
keep confidential discussions completely confidential.
You still may not have the time of your life at such meetings but
these simple guidelines and tips will stop the minutes turning into
hours of misery.
If taking minutes is an important part
of your role, ask about our 1 day minutes workshop at Pitman
Training.
Call us on
(
020 7256 668
Stop
MINUTES