Class Rep training:
Minutes Expansion Pack
October 2015
What we’ll cover this evening..
 The minute taker’s role
 Listening
 Capturing what’s said
 Writing up and structuring minutes
The weird language of meetings
The Minute Taker’s role
• In small groups,
identify the key
tasks of an SSCC
minute taker.
• What skills will you
need to complete
these task?
THE ROLE OF MINUTE TAKER
Meeting Preparation
• Organising the meetings
• Inviting participants
• Producing the agenda (the Chair)
It sets clear objectives
It provides pre-meeting information
It includes all relevant items (Y4->Y1?)
It shows the structure and timing of the meeting
It shows who is required
A possible agenda
• What’s right with it?
The importance of listening
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Stay focused on the speaker
Don’t tune out dry-sounding information
Try not to evaluate as you are listening
Show you are ‘actively’ listening
Ask clarifying questions
Don’t interrupt
Brain Vs Ears
Listening exercise
•
•
•
•
School President
Class Rep
DoT
Lecturer
• 1. CAPTURE what was said…
Tips for taking notes
• Draw up a table plan
• Print off an agenda
for you to write notes
against with big
spaces
• Record the action to
be taken clearly and
the date when it’s to
be done by
Writing up minutes
• Take notes during the meeting, write minutes
up afterwards
• Do it soon!
 Read – 90%
 Heard – 80%
 Seen – 70%
 Heard and seen – 50%
 Said – 30%
 Said and done – 10%
What you’re aiming for
1.
2.
3.
4.
Background
Discussion
Decision
Action
•
Whilst being: authentic, complete, concise,
free from ambiguity, in the past tense
The structure of minutes
• Beginning
• Middle
• End
Beginning
• Heading
• Attendance
–
–
–
–
Present
In attendance (i.e. not a member of the committee)
Apologies
Absent
• Item 1: Previous Minutes
• Item 2: Matters arising from the previous minutes
Middle
• Item 3. Business
• Go through in order of the agenda (keep the same
numbering)
• Make a record of what was said
– E.g. a brief outline of the discussion and actions agreed or…
– Just a record of the actions [in bold, with initials of who is
responsible]
End
• 4. AOCB
• 5. Date of next meeting
• Chairperson’s name and date
The power of words
• How you minute conversations can subtly
change how the reader interprets the
minutes:
• They…
• …said, stated, argued, contested, emphasised,
reinforced, stressed, urged, declared,
mentioned
Listening exercise, part 2
•
•
•
•
School President
Class Rep
DoT
Lecturer
• 2. From your notes, draw up the background,
discussion, decision and action for each of the
items.
Once minutes completed
• Distribute quickly: 80:20 rule
• File them safely somewhere – paper and
electronic?
Leadership; managing a team,, speaking to a large audience, planning; building resilience,
meetings and minutes, understanding thinking styles, project management how to
engage others, assertiveness, presentation skills, positive personal impact; what
employers want, valuing diversity, time management, interpersonal communication,
followership; learning styles and train the trainer, writing for the web, effective posters,
managing change, effective time management; negotiation skills, organisations and
strategy, communication; professional conduct, influencing others, assess your English;
confidence, motivation and mindset, being enterprising….
PSC
Evening
lectures
(tuesdays @
5.15pm)
Skills
sessions
(mondays 2-4pm)
Online
workshops
(24/7 when
launched)