Minutes: taking and writing effective minutes

Effective minute-taking is vital to the efficient organisation and a good minute-taker can transform the effectiveness of a team. This one-day Minute-taking course is a sound introduction to minute-taking and equips you with the knowledge and skills you need to write professional minutes with confidence.

This is a hands-on course with practical exercises throughout the day to help you capture the essential information accurately.

Want us to deliver this course at your organisation? Contact us for a bespoke quote.

Minute-Taking Courses in London

Over the day's training you will cover:

• the purpose and use of minutes
• preparation for taking minutes and meetings
• the special rules of grammar and language for minutes
• some useful terminology and how to use it
• minuting presentations and information briefings
• the difference between informal and formal minutes
• what minutes should include and what should be left out
• the tasks of the effective minute taker
• the role of the chair and how to work with your chair
• effective listening
• tips and tricks for note-taking
• practical exercises including real life opportunities to practice taking minutes
• minutes and The Freedom of Information Act
• a year of free support from your trainer

To help you develop your skills further and remind you of what you learnt on the day, you will receive a published book to take away with you.

This course is CPD accredited and worth 5 CPD points.

“When I used to take minutes my boss would then review them and make a lot of amendments before passing them to the actuary and then to the chair. After attending the course, not only did my managers comment on how quick the turnaround was, they all commented on how little they changed. As a result the minutes were circulated to the Trustees much quicker than usual and even they have commented that all looks good (probably because it was quick enough for them all to remember the meeting!)” SB, RSPB

This course takes place at the Centre's central London training suite with easy access to mainline rail, tube and bus links.

This one-day Minutes course is useful to anyone who has to take minutes as part of their work, whether you are asked to minute the occasional team meeting or are responsible for minuting formal Board meetings. This course is suitable for those who have never taken minutes before as well as those who want a refresher and clarification of minute-taking.

The Centre works with people from all sectors including the public sector, voluntary sector, corporate sector and private sector.

This course provides you with an opportunity to practice and review your minute-taking so you leave knowing how to take effective and clear minutes. The skills you learn will make minute-taking simpler and make you feel more confident.

You will understand the key skills involved in minute-taking, both in terms of format and layout, and the crucial thing about what to put in and what to leave out.