Taking minutes requires skills because when you are taking down minutes, you do not have time to think what information to add and how to add it.

To develop mastery in minute-taking, consider participating in Minute-Taking Training Course offered by pdtraining in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and other cities in Australia.

Here are some tips to help you develop skills in minute-taking:

1.      Know the Topic

It is difficult to quickly understand something that we are unfamiliar with. Prepare yourself before the meeting by reading about the topic and reviewing what was discussed in the previous meeting (if it holds value for the present meeting).

2.      Active Listening

Listening must not be a passive activity for a minute-taker. Active listening involves being receptive to the important while leaving out the unimportant. Developing active listening skills allows you to focus your mind to identify and absorb the valuable information instantly. Observing the non-verbal signs and knowing when to actively listen is necessary, as retaining focus for a long period of time is tiring.

3.      Remove Distractions

Expect distractions and plan to remove them before the meeting. Make sure that you have everything you might need during the meeting right by your side. You must be comfortable during the entire length of the meeting so that you can concentrate on taking down the minutes.

4.      Build and Maintain Objectivity

Most of us are subjective, which is why we need to develop objectivity, especially in tasks where subjectivity is damaging. For gaining mastery in minute-taking, you need to train yourself to remain objective, and not be biased towards issues or people. This is a necessary skill that will enhance the quality of the work.

5.      Focus on Decisions, Not Discussions

At all times, keep the purpose of the minute-taking in mind, which is to record the decisions taken, the decisions that will be implemented, who took the decisions, and the topics discussed during the meeting. When taking minutes, retain your focus on action items and not on the discussion. Note that only actions that led to the concrete results are of value to the company.

6.      Proofing Your Work

After you have taken down minutes, you will need to edit and proof your work for inconsistencies, spelling, grammar, style and language. Make sure you review the information once after you have edited it to remove any remaining errors. Many companies use the services of editors to ensure the minutes are without errors.

7.      Take Feedback

It is never a bad idea to take feedback from others on how you can improve. Use the expertise of editors, writers and fellow minute-takers to enhance your skills. If you think of improvement as a continuous process, you will quickly increase your expertise in minute-taking.

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Pdtraining delivers 1000’s of professional development courses each year in Brisbane, Sydney, Parramatta, Melbourne, Adelaide, Canberra and Perth, so you can be assured your training will be delivered by a qualified and experienced trainer.

All public Minute Taking Training courses include am/pm tea, lunch, printed courseware and a certificate of completion.  Customised courses are available upon request so please contact pdtraining on 1300 121 400 to learn more.