1. Class Reps: Minute-Taking 2018-2019

2. What we’ll cover this evening…
The minute taker’s role
Listening
Capturing what’s said
Writing up and structuring minutes

3. The weird language of meetings
Formal
Informal
Everyday

4. 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?
5 mins discussion and 5 minutes feedback

5. The Minute-Taker’s Responsibilities
Taking down notes accurately
Writing the notes with responsibility and ownership
Distributing the minutes and filing them for future reference

6. The Minute-Taker’s Task
Before Meeting
Preparation
During Meeting
Writing down actions and conclusions
After Meeting
Distributing the minutes
Overview about the role/ the importance of quality, consistent minutes

7. Meeting Preparation Organising the meetings Inviting participants
Setting the agenda

8. Setting the Agenda Producing the agenda (with the Chair)
It sets clear objectives
It provides pre-meeting information
It includes all relevant items
It shows the structure and timing of the meeting
It shows who is required
5 minutes activity on setting an agenda. In pairs, they will come up with objectives and list 5 agenda for the meeting (sample worksheet provided). 5 mins for comparing the agenda + feedback

9. Listening Skills

10. 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
2 minute active listening exercise
Talk about your favourite TV show and what you like about it? After the discussion, they will get 1 min to write down all the important points they came up with.
2 minutes of feedback

11. 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

12. Writing up minutes
Take notes during the meeting, write minutes up afterwards
Do it soon!

13. What you’re aiming for Background Discussion Decision Action
Whilst being: authentic, complete, concise, free from ambiguity, in the past tense

14. The structure of minutes
Beginning
Middle
End

15. Beginning Heading Attendance Item 1: Previous Minutes
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
Heading – title of meeting
Date, time and place
If anyone has issues with the previous minutes they raise them here. Any updates or corrections are recorded and the minutes are then signed off as being a ‘correct record’

16. 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]

17. End
4. AOCB
5. Date of next meeting
Chairperson’s name and date

18. The power of words
How you minute conversations can subtly change how the reader interprets the minutes:
Use “They”
Past Tense: “…said, stated, argued, contested, emphasised, reinforced, stressed, urged, declared, mentioned”
10 mins discussion on their agenda items and discussing actions. 5 mins for writing up the mins.

19. Once minutes completed
Distribute quickly: 80:20 rule
File them safely somewhere – paper and electronic?
People will do 80% of the task in the last 20% of the available time

20. Professional Skills Curriculum
Development programme open to all students
11 graduate key skills graduate employers value
 Dip in and out, or complete 8 and a reflective essay to receive certificate
ProfessionalSkillsCurriculum