Hi everyone
I am going to continue with my tips for minute takers to help you all get through a meeting and to boost confidence, so you can stroll through meetings from now on.
So here we go:
Whilst there are a lot of new technological advancements out there that can assist you in minute taking, don’t rely too much on them. You can record the meeting but this won’t give you a feel for the issues and the participants. It will also take you all day to listen, with lots of stopping and starting. Best to take full notes.
Prepare as much as you can. Make sure you read and understand the papers in advance of the meeting.
Don’t panic after the meeting and it looks as if you will never complete a finalised minute. It is amazing what you can do if you take your time and methodically think through main discussions of the day. You will get there, I promise.
Find the key speakers at the meeting and listen carefully to them. This is usually the Chair plus one or two other participants.
During a long meeting you will have to mentally pace yourself. If the meeting goes on for hours, you will get tired. This usually happens around the 2 hour mark. When someone is just repeating what has already been said, stop writing and give your brain a rest. You will know with experience when it is appropriate to do this. You can also ask the Chair for a break.
Anyway, hope that helps all you minute takers out there and remember I am available to guide you and help you with minute taking on a one tone training basis. So get in touch if you need help.
Until next time.
Kind Regards
Colin