Minute Taking & Meeting Management
Overview
Meetings take up a large share of every manager's week, yet many end without clear decisions, owners or deadlines. Weeks later, people remember the discussion differently and actions are forgotten. Well-prepared agendas, active support for the chair and accurate minutes turn discussion into decisions that are recorded, followed up and, for formal committees and boards, legally defensible.
This minute taking and meeting management course builds the practical skills needed before, during and after a meeting. Participants learn to plan agendas and papers, support the chair, listen actively, capture decisions and actions accurately and write concise, objective minutes. They also practise minuting formal committees and boards, tracking actions and using digital tools for virtual and hybrid meetings.
Who should attend
Executive assistants, committee and board secretaries, administrative officers, office managers, and staff who organise or minute meetings in public bodies and companies.
Training methodology
Interactive presentations, practical exercises, case studies, group discussions, role-plays where relevant, and a personal action plan that participants apply in their own work.
Objectives
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Plan effective meetings with clear agendas and papers
- Support the chair before, during and after meetings
- Capture decisions and actions accurately through active listening
- Write clear, concise and objective minutes
- Track actions and manage follow-up after meetings
Course outline
Day 1Effective Meetings
- Why so many meetings fail to decide
- Roles of the chair, secretary and members
- Planning, scheduling and inviting the right people
- Building a clear, decision-focused agenda
- Preparing and circulating meeting papers on time
- Exercise: plan a committee meeting
Day 2During the Meeting
- Supporting the chair before and during meetings
- Recording quorum, attendance and apologies correctly
- Helping manage time and keep discussion focused
- Active listening for decisions and actions
- Recording motions, votes and formal resolutions
- Practice: live note-taking from a meeting
Day 3Writing Minutes
- Choosing the right type and style of minutes
- Standard structure and useful minute-taking phrases
- Writing objectively in neutral, reported language
- Summarising long discussions into clear points
- Handling confidential and sensitive agenda items
- Workshop: write minutes from your notes
Day 4Formal Committees and Boards
- Terms of reference and standing orders
- Board and committee procedures in practice
- Recording resolutions, approvals and declarations of interest
- Minutes as official and legal records
- Approving, signing and correcting minutes
- Exercise: minute a board meeting
Day 5Follow-Up and Tools
- Action logs and tracking progress after meetings
- Circulating minutes promptly and to the right people
- Templates and digital tools for minute takers
- Running and minuting virtual and hybrid meetings
- Filing, retrieving and archiving meeting records
- Build your meeting management action plan
