COURSES > CONFIDENCE & RESILIENCE

Advanced Minute Taking

Improve Your Confidence and Efficiency in Meetings

Chaired by
Sue Calthorpe

Available Dates

Date & Time

5 June, 2024
09:25 - 16:00

26 September, 2024
09:25 - 16:00

4 December, 2024
09:00 - 16:00

Venue

Availability

Purchase

Virtual using Zoom

Virtual Using Zoom

Central London

5 Spaces Left

Spaces Available

Spaces Available

Overview

Taking minutes involves more than simply writing notes. Being able to keep up in busy meetings, turn notes into concise minutes and cascade the relevant action points to the right people are all critical skills that minute takers have to master.

Attend our Advanced Minute Taking course led by Communications Expert, Sue Calthorpe, to maximise your listening and writing capabilities and gain invaluable practice and feedback. Through writing sessions, gain the confidence to create great meeting notes and turn them into insightful and actionable points.

Leave the day confident in your ability to generate tangible results in your role as a minute taker.

What previous delegates had to say:

  • “Fantastic course, trainer and facilitator. I am really pleased I attended the course and have learned new skills and techniques. The course was very informative, interactive and well organised. It was great to hear how the other delegates work and all help each other to improve our skills.”
    - Executive Assistant, Saint Francis Hospice

  • “I really enjoyed this course. I found many of the activities useful and the trainer was very good at delivering information whilst keeping my attention. I have certainly learnt some new skills that will make me a better minute taker going forward.”
    – Executive Assistant, University of Cambridge


Media & Communications Specialist

Susan works with organisations and individuals to improve their written communications skills.

She worked as a regional and national newspaper journalist before setting up a full-service communications company, now established for 30 years.

She works with public and private sector organisations to help with:

  • Effective emails

  • Report writing

  • Briefings and submissions

  • Persuasive and influential writing techniques

  • Promotional writing

  • Effective complaint handling

  • Communicating complex information for non-technical readers.

Her recent clients include Legal & General, HSBC, BRIT, the Law ...

Sue Calthorpe

Learning Outcomes

  • Improve efficiency and accuracy when 
    taking notes

  • Confidently cascade outcomes and 
    action points to the relevant people

  • Practice your listening and 
    writing skills     to excel within the public sector

  • Gain a full understanding of the role and responsibilities of the minute- taker

  • Overcome the common pitfalls surrounding writing notes and minute taking





All the Understanding ModernGov
courses are Continuing Professional Development (CPD) certified, with signed certificates available upon
request for event.

Enquire About In-House Training

To speak to someone about a bespoke training programme, please contact us:

0800 542 9414
InHouse@moderngov.com



Agenda

09:25 - 09:30 Registration

09:30 - 10:00 Trainer’s Introduction and Clarification of Learning Objectives

10:00 - 10:30 The Poor Meeting

In this session, learn how to turn a poor meeting into a good meeting.

  • The purpose of minutes vs. notes and best practice

  • Before, during and after the meeting: what are the roles of the minute-taker?

  • Focus on what can go wrong in a meeting and what you can do to guard against common barriers to minute taking

10:30 - 11:3 Establishing a Partnership with the Chair

Effective minutes happen when the Chair and minute-taker work as a team. In this session, discuss strategies to encourage closer working for better results.

  • Define Standard Terms: What do each of the headings on the minutes mean?

  • Understand what sort of notes you should take: on the values of action minutes, summary notes or verbatim reporting

11:30 - 11:45 Morning Break

11:45 - 12:45 Don’t Just Listen – Hear

Practise writing minutes in pairs (while maintaining eye contact) to test your accuracy and skill. Your minutes will be shared with the trainer to gain invaluable feedback, advice and guidance.

  • Develop interpersonal skills

  • Improve your focus in busy meetings

  • Pick out the key pieces of information from a conversation

12:45 - 13:45 Lunch

13:45 - 14:30 Writing Concise Minutes

  • How to deal with abbreviations and technical language

  • Practical exercise in taking notes from a filmed meeting

  • Turn notes into legible, concise, well-written minutes

  • Explore different note-taking methods to suit your style

14:30 - 15:00 Workshop: Turn Minutes into Actionable Points

  • Ensure maximum clarity in meetings

  • Making sure action points are easy to find

  • Making sure the relevant parties have been informed

  • Developing attractive layouts that readers want to read

15:00 - 15:15 Afternoon Break

15:15 - 16:00 Workshop: Mind Mapping

  • Alternative ways to capture lots of information

  • Organise your notes in a visual manner to convert them into meaningful minutes

  • Effective Report Writing, Senior Engineering Specialist, Eastleigh Borough Council

    “This course provided an excellent understanding of how to write effectively and why it is important to do so.”

  • Effective Proofing and Editing Skills: Senior Events Officer, King's College London

    “I would really recommend the course. Sue is a fantastic trainer and the day passed by far too quickly. Lots of helpful resources to take away, also very impressed with the smooth transition to online learning. Thank you!

  • Effective Data Visualisation: Corporate Performance Management Officer, Carmarthenshire County Council

    “I have learned a great deal with many tips and ideas to enable to improve the authority’s reports”

  • Effective Business Process Mapping: Internal Quality and Improvement Officer, Social Work England

    “It was a fun course to take a part in. There was a lot of information given, and it was done in an engaging way with lots of interactivity, even over zoom. i really enjoyed the course and learned lots from it.”

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