Transcript Document
Essential Meeting Skills Chair Training & Minute Taking Lorna Reavley : Representation & Volunteering Manager Mihaela Spirova: Executive Administrator Aims and Objectives •Understand the role and importance of the chair person and role of the minute taker •Understand the key tasks and challenges of the roles •Identify potential strategies and solutions to common problems •Enable participants to become more efficient and confident in these roles •Enable participants to present minutes in a clear and understandable format Exercise Work in small groups to discuss and decide on what you believe the role of the chair and the role of the minute taker is Role of the Chair The role of the Chair is to ensure all participants in a meeting can contribute to a structured discussion which leads to a clear decision at the end of the meeting. The Role of the Minute Taker To present an accurate and concise written snapshot of a meeting To identify and capture key points To determine the appropriate language To keep a record of minutes for future reference Key Skills Chair • • • • • • • Impartial Assertive Control Listening Awareness Summarising Timing Minute Taker • Accuracy • Listening • Ability to identify key points and actions • Spelling • Can read own writing • Objective A Good Chair helps the meeting to run smoothly and efficiently. They will make sure that: •all the business is discussed •everyone’s views are heard •clear decisions are reached •keeps order •the meeting starts and finishes on time. •Will be thinking about the meeting overall, not just the topic under discussion •always aims to draw a balance between hearing everyone’s views and getting through the business. •never uses their position as chair as an opportunity to put forward their views to the exclusion of others, or to dominate the meeting. Exercise Watch the video and identify the issues or problems Think about what it might feel like to be a part of the meeting What might it feel like to be the chair Is this how you would like to chair meetings? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQW1fEwY ZVA Key Tasks of a Chair: Before the meeting: Agenda list of things you want to discuss Helps you plan and cover everything Map of the meeting! Helps you time things appropriately Prepare Know what the meeting is about and what you need to get from it Key Tasks ( cont.) At the start of the meeting •Welcoming everyone and Introductions •Ensure people know what the meeting is about •Meeting rules Examples of meeting rules Ask people to speak ‘through the chair’. Don’t interrupt other people. Stick to the item on the agenda. Don’t talk amongst yourselves. Respect other people’s views Keep contributions short and to the point. Start and finish the meeting on time. Key Tasks ( cont.) In the meeting Getting through the business on time Involving everyone Reaching decisions Dealing with difficult people Exercise Flip charts with all key tasks in the meeting In groups go around and write some ideas of how to make sure this happens Key Tasks ( cont.) At the End of the Meeting •Summarise decisions taken and action points to be followed up e.g. who's responsible, by when. •Agree a date for the next meeting - it is usually best to set dates for the year's meetings well in advance. •Agree what special items will be put on the agenda of the next meeting •Ensure that the minutes are written up , checked by the Chair and sent out in good time. Purpose and Use of Minutes • What minutes are Minutes are a written representation of the discussions had and decisions made in a meeting • Why minutes are important Minutes enable an organisation to meet its obligation to conduct business in a transparent and accountable manner. They keep the organisation’s membership, stakeholders, or the general public informed on the progress of decisions that affect them. They also allow teams to check on progress against required actions. Formats and Styles •Formal •Informal •Action Key Tasks of a Minute Taker: Before the meeting: •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 •Ensure that all of the essential elements are noted Key Tasks of a Minute Taker: In the meeting •Focus, focus, focus •Do not write down every single comment unless those comments affect the decision made •Try to record key issues, major points raised and decisions made •If taking minutes for the first time, make sure you take enough notes to be able to summarise them later on Key Tasks (cont): After the meeting •Type up / edit the minutes as soon as possible, preferably within 48 hours •Double check for grammatical and spelling errors •Make sure you have the minutes approved by the Chair before distributing them The Challenges of the Minute Taker •When hearing/understanding is difficult •Long debates •Spelling mistakes •Being asked to amend or to not include something in the minutes Exercise Watch the video Practise taking the minutes http://www.youtube.com/watc h?v=HS4KmZaIEE0&feature=BF a&list=PL5F836BD4752DF22D Key questions When and where was the meeting? Title/purpose? Who attended? (including the name of the minute taker) Who did not attend? What topics were discussed? What was decided? What actions were agreed upon? Who is to complete the actions, by when? Were materials distributed at the meeting? If so, are copies or a link available? Is a follow-up meeting scheduled? If so, when? where? why? Questions.... ?