Prepare for your meeting

How do you feel when you are rushing to a meeting with sticky notes, and pieces of paper flying about, and you are looking for a pen that works!  We know that this is NO way to be prepared to go into a meeting.  When you are rushed, ill-prepared, and do not have the information you need on hand, the meeting will be a disaster of distress, frustration, and unmet expectations.

How can you be prepared so that the above-mentioned situation is not what you are dealing with? Simply, be prepared – get organized!

1.   Schedule time in the days preceding the meeting to read through all material sent.

2.   Have your agenda ready (printed/digital) and ensure you have advised the person assigned to prepare the agenda; any items you want to have included for discussion.

3.      Read through any reports prior to the meeting and have your notes/questions ready.

4.  Read through the previous minutes, noting anything you are supposed to have completed (and ensure it’s done).

5.      If you are bringing items to the meeting for discussion, have your notes and research collated.

6.      Have your pen and paper ready, or your digital device (and ensure it is charged).

7.      Be well hydrated and rested.

These are some simple steps that you can take to help be prepared for an upcoming meeting.  Entering a meeting feeling calm and confident, with the correct materials on hand, will assist you in communicating through the discussions that will take place and working towards amicable, achievable decisions.

What to do post-meeting

So, you’ve just come out of the weekly/monthly/quarterly general meeting of your organization or not-for-profit. What is next?

Herein lies one big issue. Everyone in that meeting will either be required to undertake actions from the meeting, or you have just compiled a list of notes that are filed away, never to become exposed again.

During the meeting, actions should be assigned to people within the meeting. How can you assist, as the minute taker?

• As soon as possible post-meeting (within 24 hours), arrange concise notes, which clearly show WHO is responsible for an action. Ensure that any relevant points about each resolution are included
• In your notes, include the date, time, and location of the meeting, attendees (include apologies), topics discussed, and all decisions made. Ensure people understand clearly who is allocated to action which resolutions and action items.
• The minutes (or summary) should include the topic/s discussed, the resolution, a timeline, if necessary, what actions are to be undertaken, and who is assigned to complete.
• Ensure you have your draft minutes/summary typed up and approved within the timelines given to you so that distribution to key personnel is timely.
• If appropriate, provide a follow-up email/memo to each assigned person with a summary of the areas they have been assigned.  You may like to provide this in between meetings, as a way of improving communication, but also to encourage them. Often, good managers, will have completed the assigned tasks, or have them in progress, and a follow-up message can be edifying as they read and can say, yes, this is completed and ready for the next meeting.
• When preparing the next meeting agenda, you may choose to include a list from the previous meeting to check through what has been completed from the last meeting.

If there is anything I have learned over 30 years of writing minutes, it is communication is key to ensuring all actions/resolutions are followed up promptly.

What actions can you undertake to improve the timeliness of information reaching assigned personnel in your workplace?

Recording Minutes of a Meeting

Some people may ask why recording notes (minutes) of a meeting are important. The recording of decisions made provides a written record that can be referred to in the future, provide approval for actions to be implemented, and is kept as a historical reference.

The ability of the person to take minutes should be recognized. The ability to write or type notes while being immersed in the discussion, requires the minute taker to be prepared, well-organized, and multitasking.

Accurately recording all decisions made, ensures a documented reference for the group or organization of actions to be undertaken and completed.

The person taking minutes should record in a way that is not biased and provides enough information to show why the decision was made yet be concise. The ability to listen well and type/write quickly is essential.  If the meeting is over several days, or there are numerous items to be discussed and resolved, having a second person take notes is helpful. The notes can then be collated into one document post-meeting.

Writing/typing more information than you will include in the final set of minutes helps the minute taker to ensure they have captured all essential information.  It is much easier to reduce what is noted in minutes than to try and remember what is missing.

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Some suggestions that may be helpful to those assigned to take down minutes:

• Ensure distractions (mobile phone, apps, etc) are turned off or silenced.
• Save your work regularly if typing. I cannot stress the importance of this! If you have typed hours' worth of information but have forgotten to save the file and lose all you have worked on, it is frustrating and embarrassing.
• Be prepared - have all essential tools on hand and ready.
• Listen carefully.
• If unsure about the wording of a proposed resolution or minute to be noted, ask. Refer to the Chairperson for clarification.  Ensure you have accurately recorded both the person moving motion and the person seconding the motion.
• Take more notes than you will require.  It's easier to delete than remember.
• Have final draft completed as soon as practical post-meeting and send to Chairperson/assigned person for approval.

These suggestions are simply learned from many years of experience in undertaking such roles.

An accomplished minute-taker ensures that important decisions are accurately recorded. I encourage you to not be overwhelmed when minute-taking.  It is a valuable skill to learn and accomplish.