Atherton Training Consultants

Email: Tony Atherton

Phone: 07976-390960

MINUTE TAKING COURSE

Well over 100 courses run so far

One-day. Up to 12 of your delegates at your premises.

Minute Taking courses at your premises for up to 12 people.

"I've been on three minute taking courses in the past and this is by far the best one; so many practical tips".

COURSE AIM - Minute Taking Course

To help delegates to take and write better minutes of meetings and to do so faster and more easily.

The minute taking course covers various styles of minutes and the lessons learned are applicable to most types of meeting. The course is popular in both the public and private sectors, and with both junior and more senior staff.

Organisational benefits of the Minute Taking course include: better minutes, better communications and a saving in time for chairs, committee members and minute takers.

COURSE CONTENT - Minute Taking Course

INTRODUCTION

• Your own issues and objectives.
• Purpose of your meetings and your minutes.
• How much detail is needed and who decides.
• The style of minutes that's best for your meetings.

AGENDA

• The purpose, content and formats for agendas.
• Minutes terminology: what it means and how to use it.
• Approval of previous minutes.
  
• The agenda as a control tool for the Chair.
  
• Levels of detail in agendas.

FORMATTING THE MINUTES

• What goes where?
• Making the minutes useful but easy to read.
• More terminology including Present, In Attendance, etc.
  
• Coping with visitors, part-time attendance, etc.
• IDDA - a simple formula to consider for writing minutes.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND PREPARATION

• You and the Chair - roles and responsibilities.
• What to do before, during and after the meeting.
• Good preparation.
• Choosing where to sit.
• Working in partnership with the Chair.
• If, how and when to interrupt.
  
• Seeking clarification.
• Building a working relationship.

LISTENING AND NOTE TAKING

• Barriers to good listening. Overcoming barriers and distractions.
• Tips for improving your listening whilst taking minutes.
• Workable ideas for improving note taking.
• Identifying key points.
• Getting summaries.
• Keeping up and dealing with points you have missed.
  
• Being selective; using the 80:20 rule.
• Avoiding being the messenger and tea boy/girl as well as the minute taker.
• Shorthand: useful or not?
  

WRITING UP THE MINUTES

• Adapting a technique used by professional writers.
• Converting notes into draft minutes - just one draft.
• Editing the draft minutes into the final version.
• General points about writing good business English.

PRACTICE SESSIONS

• Informative and entertaining practice sessions are built into the course.

APPENDICES INCLUDED IN THE COURSE NOTES

• Editing your minutes: paragraphs, sentences, words, active and passive verbs, spelling, etc.
• Editing your minutes: punctuation issues.

WHO IS IT FOR? - Minute Taking Course

The course is for anyone who needs to take the minutes of meetings and write them up afterwards. Previous delegates have ranged from beginners to experienced PAs.

IS THERE A TRACK RECORD? - Minute Taking Course

The course has been presented over 100 times including at the following organisations as well as many others:

COURSE FEES

Please email or phone for a quotation. Email direct to Tony Atherton or phone 07976-390960.

TRAINING STYLE - Minute Taking Course

The training style uses talks, discussions, group work and practice sessions in a mix that is as appropriate as possible to the delegates. We will need to discuss your priorities with you beforehand, which may lead to your course differing slightly from the details above so as to match as accurately as possible the needs of your delegates. Full course notes are provided which also serve as reference books for later. The normal maximum number of delegates is 12.

THE TRAINER Minute Taking Courses

SOME DELEGATES' COMMENTS

• 100% score on their feedback forms.
• Really useful course. Tutor was superb. Presentation, etc. clear and to the point. My attendance on this course will make life easier for me. Thank you Tony.
• The session went really well and I have received some very positive feedback. Many thanks.
• Thank you very much for conducting a really great course for us.
• I really enjoyed the course and will be recommending it.
• I attended your minute taking course at ... which I have to say was most informative, structured and interesting - thank you!
• Just a quick thank you for sending us Tony Atherton for our staff training day yesterday (on minute taking)... everyone has commented on how useful it was.
• An easy to listen to and plain talking trainer who made the training enjoyable.
• Was dreading today, however I have gained a lot from this Taking Minutes course.
• I have had very positive feedback from the attendees, who are now busy minuting all over the place!! Thank you for such a successful training exercise.