Best practice minute-taking, e-mail, writing and memorandum skills, principles, process, criteria and guidelines

1. ADVANCED MINUTE-TAKING
SKILLS
CHARLES COTTER
AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH COUNCIL, PRETORIA
27-28 OCTOBER 2016
www.slideshare.net/CharlesCotter

2. TRAINING PROGRAMME OVERVIEW
• Introduction
• Effective meetings management and practice
• 20, Best Practice Writing Principles
• Minute-taking: Best Practice Principles, Criteria, Guidelines and
Process (theory)
• Application of minute-taking skills (practical role play exercise)
• E-mail communication: Best Practice Principles and Etiquette
• Memorandums: Format and Best Practice Principles

3. DOES THIS LOOK FAMILIAR WHEN
TAKING AND WRITING MINUTES?

5. INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY
• Individual activity:
• Complete the following statement by inserting one
word only. In order to be an effective minute-taker, I
need to/to be………………………………………………
• Jot this word down and find other learners who have
written down the same word. Write this word down on
the flip-chart.
• Each learner will have the opportunity to explain their
choice of word.

6. COMMUNICATION CYCLE/PROCESS

7. DEFINING EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION
• Communication is more than merely imparting meaning – it must also be
understood.
• Effective communication occurs when the reader of a written document
understands the message as the writer meant it to be understood.
Therefore, effective communication is when the intended message of the
sender is correctly interpreted, understood and acted upon by the
recipient/listener.
• Communication is the lifeblood of teams. No team or organization can
exist without communication i.e. the transference of meaning among its
team members.
• It is only through transmitting meaning from one person to another that
information and ideas can be conveyed.
• Implications of poor communication – for the writer and reader

10. WHY UNPRODUCTIVE MEETINGS?
• Meetings can fail to be useful for any number of
reasons:
Lack of purpose
Lack of direction
Failure to stick to topic
Absence of topic
Hidden agendas
Attendees not prepared
No record of decisions made
• This is avoidable – through effective meetings
management.

11. CRITERIA FOR EFFECTIVE MEETINGS
• Effective meetings really boil down to three
things:
They achieve the meeting's objective
They take up a minimum amount of time
They leave participants feeling that a sensible
process has been followed
• If you structure your meeting planning,
preparation, execution and follow up around
these three basic criteria, the result will be an
effective meeting.

12. OBJECTIVES OF MEETINGS
• A meeting is only a success if it achieves the objectives set
for that meeting.
• As a meeting Secretary, you should be clear about
Why any meeting is called
Who should attend
How the numbers of people can be reduced, (or how people can
come for the part of a meeting which affects them etc.)
What is long-winded waffle, irrelevant, frustrating, boring and
irritating - and not leading to any results - and how to limit this
What is actually achieved in the meeting
What preparation you, your chairman and the meeting
participants need to do (and how to get them to do it)

14. MEETING OBJECTIVES
Do you want a decision?
Do you want to generate ideas?
Are you getting status reports?
Are you communicating something?
Are you making plans?
• As a meeting secretary, before you do any meeting
planning, you need to focus your objective.

15. USING TIME WISELY
• To ensure you cover only what needs to be covered and you
stick to relevant activities, you need to create an agenda.
• To prepare an agenda, consider the following factors:
Priorities – what absolutely must be covered?
Results – what do need to accomplish at the meeting?
Participants – who needs to attend the meeting for it to be
successful?
Sequence – in what order will you cover the topics?
Timing – how much time will spend on each topic?
Date and Time – when will the meeting take place?
Place – where will the meeting take place?

16. USING TIME WISELY
• The meeting secretary can then look at the information that
should be prepared beforehand. What do the participants need to
know in order to make the most of the meeting time?
• What role are they expected to perform in the meeting, so that
they can do the right preparation?
• If it's a meeting to solve a problem, ask the participants to come
prepared with a viable solution. If you are discussing an on-going
project, have each participant summarize his or her progress to
date and circulate the reports amongst members.
• Assigning a particular topic of discussion to various people is
another great way to increase involvement and interest. On the
agenda, indicate who will lead the discussion or presentation of
each item.

18. USING TIME WISELY
• Use your agenda as your time guide. When you notice that
time is running out for a particular item, consider hurrying
the discussion, pushing to a decision, deferring discussion
until another time, or assigning it for discussion by a
subcommittee.
• An important aspect of running effective meetings is
insisting that everyone respects the time allotted. Start the
meeting on time, do not spend time recapping for
latecomers, and, when you can, finish on time.
• Whatever can be done outside the meeting time should
be. This includes circulating reports for people to read
beforehand, and assigning smaller group meetings to
discuss issues relevant to only certain people.

19. SATISFYING PARTICIPANTS THAT A SENSIBLE
PROCESS HAS BEEN FOLLOWED
• Running a meeting is not a dictatorial role: You have to be
participative right from the start.
 If certain people are dominating the conversation, make a point of
asking others for their ideas.
 At the end of each agenda item, quickly summarize what was said, and
ask people to confirm that that's a fair summary. Then make notes
regarding follow-up.
 Note items that require further discussion.
 Watch body language and make adjustments as necessary. Maybe you
need a break, or you need to stop someone from speaking too much.
 Ensure the meeting stays on topic.
 List all tasks that are generated at the meeting. Make a note of who is
assigned to do what, and by when.
• At the close of the meeting, quickly summarize next steps and
inform everyone that you will be sending out a meeting summary.

20. SATISFYING PARTICIPANTS THAT A SENSIBLE
PROCESS HAS BEEN FOLLOWED
• After the meeting is over, take some time to debrief, and determine what
went well and what could have been done better.
• Evaluate the meeting's effectiveness based on how well you met the
objective. This will help you continue to improve your process of running
effective meetings.
• You may even want to get the participants' feedback as well.
• Finally, prepare the meeting summary. It is a record of what was
accomplished and who is responsible for what as the team moves
forward.
• This is a very crucial part of effective meetings that often gets overlooked.
You need a written record of what transpired, along with a list of actions
that named individuals have agreed to perform. Make sure someone is
assigned to take notes during the meeting if you think you will be too
busy to do so yourself.

21. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF
MEETING PARTICIPANTS

22. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF
MEETING PARTICIPANTS
• Chairperson/Facilitator (refer to pages 16-17 in the
Learner Manual)
• Participants/Attendees (refer to pages 17-18 in the
Learner Manual)
• Secretary/Scribe:
Take notes and document decisions
At end of meeting, recap and validate decisions made
Read Action Items to attendees to confirm correctness
Publish final notes to pre-approved distribution list

26. LEARNING ACTIVITY 1
• Identify the most critical
challenges/constraints to effective meetings
at ARC. For each of these constraints,
recommend an improvement strategy.

28. NOTICES AND AGENDA’S
• All formal meetings require three primary documents:
 A notice
 An agenda
 Minutes
• The notice of a meeting is sent out about a proposed meeting, long
before the meeting to inform the members about the date, time
and place.
• The agenda is to facilitate the procedure of the meeting and to
ensure that no important discussions are overlooked.
• Refer to the examples of notices and agendas (pages 21-25 in the
Learner Manual)

29. GENERIC AGENDA FORMAT
• Opening and Welcome
• Attendance register
• Apologies
• Personalia
• Approval of Minutes of the previous meeting
• Matters arising (from previous meeting):
• Points of discussion (new matters):
• General (AOB):
• Date of subsequent meeting
• Closing

30. NOTICES AND AGENDA’S: BEST
PRACTICE GUIDELINES
• Notices and agenda’s are written on the letterhead of the club or organization.
• The notice must contain the following information: what and type of meeting,
who must attend the meeting, where the meeting will be held, when - the day,
date time at which the meeting will be held.
• Each type of meeting will have a specific format and content for the agenda.
• The notice and agenda can appear on the same page.
• It must be signed by the secretary and must be dated.
• The notice for the Annual General Meeting must be sent out at least 21 days
before the meeting.
• The notice for the monthly general meeting must be sent out 14 days before the
meeting.

31. LEARNING ACTIVITY 2
• Compile a notice and agenda for a monthly
general or operational meeting at ARC.
Choose general, discussion topics that you
would like to address.

32. BEST PRACTICE WRITING PRINCIPLES

33. 20, BEST PRACTICE BUSINESS WRITING
PRINCIPLES
• #1: A – B – C (ACCURACY – BREVITY – CLARITY) – “BE ON
POINT AND TO THE POINT”
• #2: A – I – D –A (ATTENTION – INTEREST – DESIRE –
ACTION)
• #3: “THINK BEFORE YOU INK” – USE 80 (THINKING)/20
(INKING) PRINCIPLE
• #4: HARMONIZATION OF THE BEST FIT METHODS – FIT
FOR PURPOSE/MESSAGE/READER
• #5: BE STRATEGIC AND SELECTIVE - PROVIDE ONLY VALUE
ADDING AND RELEVANT INFORMATION

34. 20, BEST PRACTICE WRITING
PRINCIPLES
• #6: “LESS IS MORE” – HAVE AN EFFICIENT AND ECONOMICAL WRITING
STYLE
• #7: EMPATHIZE - “CUSTOMIZATION IS KING/QUEEN” – CONDUCT A
READERSHIP ANALYSIS TO ACCOMMODATE THEM AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE
– “SPEAK THE LANGUAGE THAT YOUR READER UNDERSTANDS”
• #8: INTEGRATE RATIONAL (LEFT BRAIN) AND CREATIVE (RIGHT BRAIN)
THOUGHT PROCESSES
• #9: MARRY BEING METICULOUS (“EYE FOR DETAIL”) WITH FINDING
CREATIVE WRITING SPACE (PSYCHOLOGICAL, EMOTIONAL AND
ENVIRONMENTAL)
• #10: USE OF VISUAL STIMULI AND TECHNIQUES TO COMPLEMENT,
SUPPORT AND PROMOTE A HIGHER LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING

35. 20, BEST PRACTICE WRITING
PRINCIPLES
• #11: ENSURE QUALITY ASSURANCE E.G. PROOF-READING; EDITING;
SPELL CHECKING AND VERIFICATION OF INFORMATION
• #12: USE THE PURPOSE AS YOUR WRITING “GPS” – TO
CONCENTRATE/DIRECT FOCUS TO THE ACHIEVEMENT OF
OUTCOMES/OBJECTIVES
• #13: “DON’T WRITE TO IMPRESS, WRITE TO PROMOTE A HIGHER
LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING.” – BE A AGENT OF EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION
• #14: EMPLOY A “COMMUNITY OF WRITERS” APPROACH – THE
VALUE OF CONSULTATION AND ENGAGEMENT
• #15: USE A PROPER STRUCTURE

36. 20, BEST PRACTICE WRITING
PRINCIPLES
• #16: APPLY THE WATERFALL APPROACH – VERTICAL ALIGNMENT
AND SYNERGY BETWEEN THE KEY, MEETING DISCUSSION POINTS
• #17: “TOUR GUIDE” MENTALITY – DIRECT; NAVIGATE; ORIENTATE,
INFORM; ADVISE, ENLIGHTEN AND CAPTIVATE THE READER
• #18: ADOPT A STORY TELLING MODE – LOGICAL AND COHERENT
FLOW OF INFORMATION – NO SURPRISES!
• #19: THE REPORT SHOULD GENERATE BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE –
ENABLING SMART OPERATIONAL AND STRATEGIC DECISION-
MAKING
• #20: ADOPT A STRATEGIC MIND-SET – DEVELOP STRUCTURED,
HOLISTIC AND WELL-PREPARED BUSINESS WRITING HABITS

37. BEST PRACTICE MINUTE-TAKING
(COMPETENCE)
CONTENT
CONTEXTPROCESS

39. MINUTE-TAKING FUNDAMENTALS
• The definition and scope of minutes
• The implications of not recording minutes
• Tips and warnings
• The criteria of effective minutes
• Generic meeting terminology

40. DEFINING MINUTES AND THE SCOPE
THEREOF
• Minutes are a detailed record of a meeting. The minutes record topics of
conversation, actions needed and decisions made.
• Minutes ensure that there is an official record of the meeting, also
documenting who was at a meeting and who was absent. Normally, one
person is elected to keep the minutes, usually a secretary or treasurer.
• Minutes are checked at the next meeting as a true record of the
proceedings and signed by the chairperson. Minutes should cover a
number of basic things:
 Where and when the meeting took place?
 Who was there and who was not?
 Who was the speaker and what did he/she say?
 What has been decided for the group (resolutions)?
 Who has agreed to do what?
 Who is responsible for implementing it?
 When should it be implemented?

41. THE IMPLICATIONS OF NOT
RECORDING MINUTES
• Without minutes:
Nobody can be exactly sure what has been decided at
meetings
Nobody can be sure about the various actions of
Committee Members
Nobody can be sure who did or did not attend
meetings
The group is at the mercy of more organized bodies
who take the trouble to record decisions very carefully
The group is vulnerable to take-over by any member of
the group who wants to take it over

43. MINUTE-TAKING: TIPS AND
WARNINGS
• You do not need to record topics irrelevant to the business at hand.
Taking minutes is not the same as taking dictation.
• Consult only the chairperson or executive officer, not the attendees, if
you have questions.
• The person taking minutes does not participate in the meeting.
• Write in a concise, accurate manner, taking care not to include any sort
of subjective opinion.
• No matter what type of minutes you take, focus on capturing and
communicating all important actions that took place.
• Make sure all attendees sign the minutes before they are filed to
demonstrate their agreement with the contents of the minutes

44. FORMAT OF GOOD MINUTES

45. EFFECTIVE MINUTE CONTENT

46. CRITERIA FOR GOOD MINUTES
• Be factual and accurate
• Be short and to the point (concise)
• Clearly indicate the meeting proceedings and discussions
• Concentrate on resolutions and decisions taken at the meeting
• Show decisions clearly marked “agreed” by the Committee
Members
• Follow the agenda headings so that they are easily understood

47. CRITERIA FOR GOOD MINUTES
• Be written in full sentences
• Indicate how many members attended the meeting or
list their names
• State the time the meeting was opened and closed
• Be written in the past tense
• Be written in plain, easily understood language
• Be consistent in their format and content

48. GENERIC MEETING TERMINOLOGY
• Amendment
• Consensus
• Motion
• Proposal
• Resolution
• Unanimous
• Ad-hoc

49. LEARNING ACTIVITY 3
• Identify some of the foremost challenges
when taking, transcribing and writing
meeting minutes at ARC.
• For each of these challenges develop a viable
solution/strategy to overcome these
challenges.
• Compile a list of 10 best practice criteria for
good quality minutes.

50. BEST PRACTICE GUIDELINES FOR
MINUTE-TAKERS
• Preparation (pre-meeting)
• Transcribing (during meeting)
• Writing minutes (after the meeting)

51. PREPARATION (PRE-MEETING)
• Obtain the meeting agenda, minutes from the last meeting, and any
background documents to be discussed.
• Prepare an outline based on the agenda ahead of time, and leave plenty
of white space for notes.
• Prepare a list of expected attendees and check off the names as people
enter the room.
• To be sure about who said what, make a map of the seating
arrangement, and make sure to ask for introductions of unfamiliar
people.
• If you are an active participant in the meeting, be prepared.
• Don't be intimidated by the prospect of taking minutes. Concise and
coherent minutes are the mark of a professional.

52. TRANSCRIBING (DURING MEETING)
• Sit beside the chairperson for convenient clarification or
help as the meeting proceeds.
• Ensure that all of the essential elements are noted
• Note who arrives late or leaves early so that these people
can be briefed on what they missed.
• Don't make the mistake of recording every single
comment. Concentrate on getting the gist of the discussion
and taking enough notes to summarize it later.
• Listen for key words or phrases. Try to capture basic ideas
and the essence of what people say.

54. TRANSCRIBING (DURING MEETING)
• Use whatever recording method is comfortable for you
• Write down items in the order in which they are discussed.
• Write as clearly as possible. Abbreviate words, use initials to save time circle key
ideas, statements or decisions. Underline highlights and differentiate important
ideas. Use stars, arrows, numbers.
• Number all sheets. Note ‘Action’ beside motions or decisions requiring specific
tasks. Note who is responsible for the action.
• Speak up (via the Chairperson) when the action is too fast.
• Record the motions made and the names of people who originate them.
• Record whether motions are adopted or rejected, how the vote is taken and
whether the vote is unanimous. For small meetings, write the names of the
attendees who approve, oppose and abstain from each motion.

56. WRITING MINUTES (AFTER THE
MEETING)
• Don't wait too long (procrastinate) to type up the minutes,
especially while your memory is fresh.
• Use the approved format/template of minutes.
• Consider attaching long resolutions, reports or other
supplementary material to the minutes as an annexure/appendix.
• Consult with subject matter experts and/or attendees to verify the
accuracy of recorded minutes.
• Proofread the minutes before submitting them.
• Be sure to have the minutes approved by the chair or facilitator
before distributing them to the attendees.

57. LEARNING ACTIVITY 4
• By referring to the best practice list of guidelines for
effectively taking, transcribing and writing meetings
minutes, conduct a 15 minute, mock meeting.
Nominate the roles of Chairperson, Secretary and
Participants.
• The Secretary should record and write-up the
minutes.
• By referring to the best practice checklist (Learning
Activity 3), the other group members will
constructively evaluate these meetings and provide
feedback.

59. E-MAIL COMMUNICATION

60. FUNDAMENTALS OF E-MAIL
COMMUNICATION
• Guidelines to improve e-mail writing skills
• Writing professional e-mails
• Improving your e-mail writing style
• Writing business e-mails
• Golden Rules of Email Etiquette

61. GUIDELINES TO EFFECTIVE E-MAIL
COMMUNICATION

62. GUIDELINES TO IMPROVE E-MAIL
WRITING SKILLS
• When sending an e-mail in the workplace it is key to maintain a level of
professionalism and clarity, regardless of the recipient.
 Use short words rather than long ones and familiar words instead of fancy.
Make your e-mail easy to read.
 Don't let your writing ramble on and on - be specific and avoid repetition.
 Arrange your points in logical form, and reinforce your ideas and message in
a clear and precise way.
 Always check for mistakes.
 Remember that you are writing to busy people. Present the most relevant
information so you don't waste their time. If you have more to say, let the
reader know you are willing to discuss your point further in a later e-mail.

63. WRITING PROFESSIONAL E-MAILS
• Decide who should be included in the email. Include anyone who may be involved
in the project or benefit from the information in the e-mail.
• Write the subject line. This should be informative and direct, as it is the first thing
the recipients will see when sorting through their inbox. To be clear, the subject
line should call to attention the main issue in the e-mail.
• Attach all necessary documents for the e-mail.
• Include a short greeting to the recipients.
• Write the body of the email. It is important to be concise with the information
given, starting with the most important information first. Ask yourself "What do
the recipients need to know?" When writing, be appropriate. Do not include
exclamation points, emoticons or unnecessary capitalization as they all come
across as unprofessional.
• Give your name and contact information for the signature of the e-mail. This will
let people know who you are and where they can reach you if they need more
details.

64. IMPROVING YOUR E-MAIL WRITING
STYLE
• Use full sentences.
• Avoid full caps
• Slow down
• Have a beginning and an end (structure)
• Re-read your email before you send it
• Avoid overusing adverbs, adjectives and long sentences
• Lose the acronyms
• Take advantage of punctuation
• Use spell check

65. • Do not, under any circumstances, forward chain letters
• Respond to group e-mails appropriately
• Use actual English
• Don’t use your company e-mail for private e-mails
• Utilize CC and BCC properly
• Be careful what you say

66. • Lose the attitude
• Don’t be a spammer
• Respect laws and regulations
• Get clarification
• Delete unnecessary content
• Keep signatures simple

67. LEARNING ACTIVITY 5
• Identify some of the common mistakes made
by e-mail senders that cause/create irritation
and frustration on the part of the recipients
at ARC. For each of these common mistakes
identify an improvement strategy.
• Develop a Code of Good Practice: Proper and
Professional e-mail Etiquette (10 principles)
for all e-mail users at your organization.

68. WRITING MEMORANDUM’S
• Purpose of Memo’s
• Written well, business memo’s are an efficient,
effective way to communicate within an
organization.
• Memo Sections
Heading
Opening
Body
Closing

69. MEMORANDUM FORMAT

70. LEARNING ACTIVITY 6
• Develop a set of 10 best practice
criteria/guidelines for effective
Memorandum writing at ARC.

71. CONCLUSION
• SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS
• LEARNING “TAKE-AWAYS"
• QUESTIONS
• TRAINING ADMINISTRATION
• CERTIFICATION
• THANK YOU!

72. CONTACT DETAILS
• Charles Cotter
• (+27) 84 562 9446
• charlescot@polka.co.za
• LinkedIn
• Twitter: @Charles_Cotter
• http://www.slideshare.net/CharlesCotter