By the end of this course, participants will be able to write meeting minutes that are:

• Clear and concise

• Complete and accurate

• Correct and fit for purpose

• Presented in the format required by their organisation

Introduction

• The purpose of meetings

• The purpose of meeting minutes

The role and responsibilities of the minute-taker

• Pre-meeting preparation

• Responsibilities during the meeting

• Post-meeting responsibilities

Styles of meeting minutes

• Transcript minutes

• Decisions and actions only

• Record of information shared

• Combination formats

• When to use each style

• Contemporary templates

• Practice sessions

Additional elements in minutes

Business arising

• What it is

• When and how it is used

Tracking actions

• Keeping track of action items

Decision lists

• What they are

• Their purpose

• When decision lists are appropriate

Tips and techniques for recording minutes

• Managing meandering conversations

• Recording decisions without emotion

• Clarifying decisions and actions during the meeting

• Blocking time within three hours of the meeting to write minutes

• Using a meeting buddy to clarify issues

• Recording as much as possible electronically during the meeting

Using AI appropriately

• Using AI tools to support minute writing

• Training AI models responsibly and in line with organisational policy

Techniques to increase readability

Editing techniques to improve clarity:

• Sentence length and structure

• Main message first

• Passive versus active voice

• Conversational style where appropriate

• Using minimum words

• Modern formatting techniques and visual presentation