Certificate IV Business Administration Minute Taking Presented by

Certificate IV Business Administration Minute Taking Presented by Janette Dempsey

Content Purpose Preparation Listening skills Note taking skills Using technology Verbatim What to record Terminology Transcribing Finalising Distributing Janette Dempsey – 30 July 2010 2

Why Take Minutes of Meetings? Janette Dempsey – 30 July 2010 3

Why take minutes of meeting? Keep the organisation moving towards its objectives Provide a legal and historical record of ◦ Proceedings ◦ Recommendations of the committee ◦ Decisions ◦ Actions to be carried out Janette Dempsey – 30 July 2010 4

Preparation Read the previous minutes Meet with the Chair to prepare and discuss Agenda Read any briefing or business papers Talk with Chair or other “experts” Find out about people you don’t know Janette Dempsey – 30 July 2010 5

Be organised Check the room booking Let reception know who to expect Check equipment and supplies Have copies of agenda and previous minutes Have name badges for everyone Prepare an attendance sheet Consider using a preparation checklist Janette Dempsey – 30 July 2010 6

At the meeting: Sit beside the Chairperson Hand out name badges and attendance list Make sure you are comfortable Concentrate Don’t be involved in discussion or decision making Janette Dempsey – 30 July 2010 7

Humanology –v-Technology Shorthand (records what is said verbatim) Note taking (uses abbreviations and symbols) Tape recording (make electronic recording which can be replayed later) Laptop (notes are electronically recorded and can be quickly expanded and formalised) Use a template to transcribe your notes into. Janette Dempsey – 30 July 2010 8

Types of Minutes Formal – verbatim (word for word – reports the detail) Summary – more casual (reports the important points) Action – brief (focuses on the actions to be taken and by whom) Janette Dempsey – 30 July 2010 9

Terminology Quiz ? ? ? ? ? Janette Dempsey – 30 July 2010 10

Terminology Quorum AGM Point of order Proxy Motion Mover Seconder Verbatim Adjourn Unanimous Scrutineer Abstention Hearsay AOB Janette Dempsey – 30 July 2010 11

What to include in Minutes Type of meeting • Place, time and date of meeting • Chairperson and attendees • Apologies • Approval of previous minutes (noting any changes) ……. . • Janette Dempsey – 30 July 2010 12

What to include Reports, briefing or business papers and other agenda items Motions arising from business Outcome or resolution of votes and/or proposals Any action required and who is responsible Time and date of next meeting Janette Dempsey – 30 July 2010 13

Note Taking Skills Memory retention Listening skills Clarifying skills Written communication skills Proofreading skills Janette Dempsey – 30 July 2010 14

Listening Skills How good are yours? Janette Dempsey – 30 July 2010 15

When taking notes: Sit comfortably – good back support Have a good pen or pencil Lap top/equipment ready to go Pre write agenda points with space for notes Use bullet points down the page not sentences across the page Record the message not the words Be concise Janette Dempsey – 30 July 2010 16

Symbols & Abbreviations Symbols replace whole words or phrases Abbreviations shorten a word or phrase Industry specific abbreviations SMS abbreviations Omit vowels Abbreviate prefixes and suffixes Short forms Janette Dempsey – 30 July 2010 17

Transcribing As soon as possible after meeting Focus on outcomes rather than what was said to reach them Transcribe motions, movers and seconders exactly (verbatim) Include any action required before next meeting and who is responsible Write in Third person Use Title and Department rather than Individual Names Janette Dempsey – 30 July 2010 18

Plain English • • Avoid vague terms Avoid general words Be specific about documents or papers Use short sentences Don’t pad out sentences Use active statements Avoid jargon Write in the positive Janette Dempsey – 30 July 2010 19

Wordy Sentences All the furniture in this office is old; it’s scruffy and much of it is falling apart. We should do something about replacing it. It looks dreadful and one day there’s going to be an accident. Janette Dempsey – 30 July 2010 20

The office furniture needs replacing. Janette Dempsey – 30 July 2010 21

The phones must be answered by a human between 9. 00 and 5. 30; voicemail is only acceptable outside working hours. People don’t like leaving a message and it gives the impression that we’re keeping them at arm’s length. Janette Dempsey – 30 July 2010 22

Voicemail outside normal office hours only Janette Dempsey – 30 July 2010 23

The goldfish have been a great success; many people commented that they were relaxing. It seemed to stop small children running around – they were more interested in watching the fish. Janette Dempsey – 30 July 2010 24

Goldfish – a good thing. Janette Dempsey – 30 July 2010 25

The clinic has seen a 30 per cent increase in patient throughput. It’s not surprising that the car park gets full. Sometimes there’s a queue back out on to the road. There’s going to be an accident one day. Janette Dempsey – 30 July 2010 26

The car park isn’t big enough. Janette Dempsey – 30 July 2010 27

King Arthur had a point! The shape of the table is vital to the success of the meeting – I think we should consider a round table or at least a broad oval. These long boardroom tables make sensible discussion impossible. I can’t hear Ken and they’re chattering at the back. Janette Dempsey – 30 July 2010 28

Change the shape of table to round/broad oval. Janette Dempsey – 30 July 2010 29

Everyone in the team wants the new system; well, a couple of the administrators aren’t too keen but they’ll come around. Oh, and Tim is anti – but he always is. Everyone else is keen. Janette Dempsey – 30 July 2010 30

Views are mixed about new system Janette Dempsey – 30 July 2010 31

The Action Triangle What? Who? When? • Precisely what is going to be done • Who will take responsibility? • When the action should be completed. Janette Dempsey – 30 July 2010 32

Outstanding Action Schedule Completed at same time as minutes Follow up prior to next meeting Distribute with minutes Janette Dempsey – 30 July 2010 33

Other outcomes No further action required Closed No decision taken No consensus reached Deferred to next meeting Referred to ……. . for further advice Janette Dempsey – 30 July 2010 34

Distribution To Chairperson within 5 working days for approval. To Committee members ◦ within 5 working days of previous meeting fortnightly meetings or ◦ within a fortnight of previous meeting for monthly meetings. Janette Dempsey – 30 July 2010 35

Approved delivery methods: Hand delivery External post Internal mail Facsimile Email TRIM file notification Janette Dempsey – 30 July 2010 36

Record Keeping Minutes and Agendas placed on intranet and internet Secretariats responsible for maintaining agendas and minutes Minutes and Agenda kept for seven (7) years Janette Dempsey – 30 July 2010 37

Review What did I learn today that I can use to help me in my job? What will I do to improve my minute taking skills? Janette Dempsey – 30 July 2010 38

Thank You and Happy Minute Taking Janette Dempsey – 30 July 2010 39