The Art of Minute Taking
Posted on 22nd May 2023 at 14:55
Minute taking is about much more than writing notes at a meeting. There’s a surprising amount of skill and experience needed to capture an accurate and balanced picture of the proceedings.
Minutes are an official record for decision-making boards and bodies to ensure they are carrying out their responsibilities and legal requirements. The Companies Act 2006 states that board meetings must be minuted and kept for at least 10 years, and failure to comply is a criminal offence for the directors.
Given the importance of the task, it’s vital that the minute taker has the right experience for the job, whether that’s the Company Secretary or another designated person. Not only have you got to record a lot of information quickly, but you also need to know who is speaking at any one time. And when meetings get going, especially when there are lots of participants and lively debate, you’ve got to be super focused to record what’s being said.
Having worked in corporate governance for many years, and in my work with charitable bodies, I know how important it is to get this right. And as a part-qualified company secretary with a diploma in company secretarial practice, I have a strong understanding of minute-taking techniques and best practice. I regularly take minutes for a number of charity committees and am often called upon by corporate boards to provide minute-taking expertise.
In my experience, there are a number of key skills required for minute-taking.
Firstly, you need to be a good listener and able to focus for long periods of time. If you’re inclined to daydream during meetings, then minute-taking probably isn’t for you!
Professional confidence is vital. While you want to avoid interrupting the flow of the meeting if possible, you also need to be able to speak up and ask for clarification on key points if needed.
Understanding the context of the meeting is key before you start. Each organisation will have its own governance structures and standards, and minute takers need to be acutely aware of the different requirements.
Discussing expectations and format with the chairperson in advance means you can build a relationship and have critical insight into the meeting before it starts.
Preparation is crucial. As well as discussing requirements with the chair, it’s important to find out the names of attendees and any apologies in advance, so you’re not struggling to capture names during the meeting. I add initials to a simple sketch of the seating plan so it’s much easier to remember who is who.
Capturing the minutes in a balanced and impartial manner means using appropriate terminology. There’s a whole language surrounding minute taking with words such as ‘expressed concern’, ‘shared their frustration’,
to describe not only what is being said, but the tone of key points.
Being able to write succinct and legible notes is crucial. I’ve been let down by technology in meetings in the past, so I use a good old-fashioned notebook and pen and a tried and tested note-taking approach that works for me.
The job is far from over when the meeting ends. In fact, it’s really only just begun. As well as typing up the notes, you need to apply a sense check to what you have written. Do the notes match the right names?
Does it capture not just what was said, but how it was communicated (if relevant)? Is it easy to read and understand for an internal or external audience? Are the key actions clear etc?
The format needs to be as concise as possible while highlighting the main points and decisions. And once prepared, the draft minutes need to be circulated, amended if necessary, and approved. The process after the meeting can take much longer than the meeting itself.
So, minute-taking is much more involved than most people first realise. Thankfully, my experience means I can provide flexible support when companies and charities don’t have the relevant resources or expertise available – even if that means getting up to speed in double-quick time to cover absence or lack of availability.
If you run any kind of board meetings and would like to discuss some options, please get in touch.
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