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How to Take Minutes
- Take interest: Take a real interest in the work of the committee or project group. You cannot minute effectively what you do not follow or understand.
- Get into the meeting room early and, having set out papers, glasses, water carafe and stationery, etc., be sure to note who is present and who sent apologies for absence.
- Names to faces: Make sure you can put the name (correctly spelled of course) to each face, so that you know instantly who is speaking. Use the initials of members in the margin to the left-hand side of your notes to save time. You can then use the right-hand margin to make particularly important notes.
- Avoid the waffle: If you are using shorthand to take your notes of the meeting, generally avoid trying to take a verbatim transcript. A good deal of “waffle†or verbiage is uttered at most meetings and producing a full transcript of the meeting is a waste of time and effort. Good chair-people usually sum up towards the end of each item of business before a consensus decision is made or a vote taken. This is an important moment for the minute-taker as it will provide the salient points for noting. If in doubt, ask the chairperson before the meeting if there is any item for which a full transcription would prove useful.
- Decision makers: Get to know who are the senior decision-makers and influencers. This is not to imply “switching off†when other members speak, but to suggest paying special attention when senior members join the debate.
- Double-line spacing: Set down your notes in double-line spacing so that you can go back and insert a word or phrase easily if you need to.
- Key words: Seek to pick up key words and phrases to act as triggers when you transcribe the notes.
- Use abbreviations and symbols – like arrows or brackets – if they help to communicate data easily and quickly, but only if you are sure you will remember what they stand for at a later date.
- Next meeting: Make sure you note the date of the next meeting and always take your diary – and your manager's if need be – to meetings, so as to ensure that the dates fixed are suitable.
- Confidentiality: Most meetings include confidential items, so clear tables of any papers members leave behind and shred if necessary.
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