1. No category

Common Business Unit
21990A
> Organise meetings (BSBADM405B)
All terms mentioned in this text that are known to be trademarks or service marks have been appropriately
capitalised. Use of a term in this text should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or
service mark.
© Innovation and Business Industry Skills Council Ltd
Published under license by Open Colleges Pty Ltd, 2011
Content developed and owned by IBSA, contextualised by Open Colleges (2011) for client needs.
All rights reserved. No part of the material protected by this copyright may be reproduced or utilised in any
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information
storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
Requests for permission to make copies of any part of the work should be mailed to Copyright Permissions,
Open Colleges, PO Box 1568, Strawberry Hills NSW 2012.
Printed in Australia
CONTENTS
Contents
Introduction
1
3
What skills will you need?
4
Types of meetings
5
Legal or ethical requirements
7
Meeting and participant requirements
9
10
Advising participants of meeting details
13
Topic summary
13
Topic 2 – Prepare Meeting Documentation
15
16
Meeting documents
16
Accuracy of documentation
20
Distributing documents
21
Topic summary
21
TOPIC 3
What skills will you need?
Topic 3 – Produce Meeting Minutes
TOPIC 2
Making meeting arrangements
TOPIC 1
Topic 1 – Make Meeting Arrangements
23
What skills will you need?
24
Taking notes
24
Producing minutes
29
Approval of meeting minutes
30
Distribution of meeting minutes
31
Topic summary
31
Glossary
32
Appendices
33
iii
T O PI C 1 | Make Meeting Arrangements
iv
Make Meeting Arrangements | T O PI C 1
C ON T EN T S
Introduction
About this unit
> Topic 1 Make meeting arrangements
> Topic 2 Prepare meeting documentation
TOPIC 1
This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to organise
meetings including:
> Topic 3 Produce meeting minutes
TOPIC 2
It applies to individuals that are employed in a range of work environments that organise a
variety of meetings. They may provide administrative support within an enterprise or have
responsibility for these tasks in the context of a particular team, workgroup, or project.
Recommended reading
> Burns, R. 2002, Making Meetings Happen, Allen & Unwin, Australia.
TOPIC 3
Some recommended reading for this unit includes:
> Leigh, J. 2002, Organising and Participating in Meetings, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
> Puregger, M. 1998, The Australian Guide to Chairing Meetings, University of Queensland
Press, Queensland.
Walsh, F. 1995, The Meetings Manual, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra
1
T O PI C 1 | Make Meeting Arrangements
2
Make Meeting Arrangements | T O PI C 1
C ON T EN T S
TOPIC 1
TOPIC 2
TOPIC 3
Topic 1 – Make Meeting
Arrangements
This topic is about making the necessary arrangements for a meeting to occur. It covers
types of meetings, any legal and ethical requirements, arranging the meeting and inviting
participants.
Scenario: ‘Computers to You’
Belinda is employed as an Administration Assistant, to the Marketing Manager at ‘Computers
to You’. She has been asked to organise a meeting for all of the department managers to brief
them on new computer hardware and software product the company is going to launch next
month.
The information that Belinda currently has is as follows:
She knows that there are 14 department managers in the business but she is unsure who else is
required to attend the meeting.
She knows that the Marketing Manager is busy and has limited time, so she prepares a list of
all the information she requires and then asks the Marketing Manager if she can meet with her
briefly to obtain all the information she needs to arrange the meeting.
3
T O PI C 1 | Make Meeting Arrangements
She has identified that she requires the following information:
> date
> time
> duration
> meeting host
> meeting speakers
> agenda
> internal attendees – additional to the 14 department managers
> external attendees
> location preferences
> seating arrangements – theatre style, table and chairs
> pre-reading materials for attendees
> documentation requirements for the meeting
> equipment required for the meeting (e.g. data projector, microphone)
> catering.
Belinda meets with the Marketing Manager and is happy that she has all of the information she
needs to arrange the meeting. The Marketing Manager is impressed by Belinda’s planning and
organising skills, as she had thought about all the details on Belinda’s list and was pleased
Belinda had brought them to her attention.
What skills will you need?
In order to work effectively as an Administration Assistant, you must be able to:
> identify the type of meeting and its purpose
> identify and comply with any legal or ethical requirements
> identify requirements of the meeting and participants
> make meeting arrangements in accordance with the requirements of the meeting
> advise participants of meeting details.
4
Make Meeting Arrangements | T O PI C 1
When you are asked to arrange a meeting one of the first things that you need to do is identify
what type of meeting it is and how the meeting is to be conducted.
C ON T EN T S
Types of meetings
There different types of meetings that you could be asked to arrange. These include:
> Staff team meetings – are usually held weekly to discuss topics that are relevant to
team members. It is also an opportunity to discuss project progress and any concerns
that team members are experiencing.
> Annual General Meeting (AGM) – is a meeting that is held by an organisation on an
annual basis, to inform staff members, shareholders and the public of previous and
future activities.
TOPIC 3
> Vendor meetings – are usually held between management and a company that is
supplying goods or service.
TOPIC 2
> Client meetings – are usually held between a representative of the company and the
client. They are held to get information from the customer about improvements that
the company can make. In addition, to let the client know that they are respected and
their needs are being attended.
TOPIC 1
> general meetings:
> Board meetings – are held with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and the board of
directors to discuss the future direction of a company.
> conferences – are meetings that are held on a large scale. Conferences bring together
many people to discuss a particular subject.
> public meetings - are conducted if there is a specific purpose that needs open discussion
and information sharing.
Meetings can be conducted:
> face-to-face
> by teleconference
> by video conference
> online.
Typically the larger the meeting the more formal it is likely to be.
5
T O PI C 1 | Make Meeting Arrangements
L E A R N I NG AC T I V I T I E S
AC T I V I T Y 1
List below some of the meetings that you have attended and how the meeting was
conducted.
Meeting type
How was the meeting conducted?
How did the style and format of these meetings differ from one another?
6
Make Meeting Arrangements | T O PI C 1
C ON T EN T S
L E A R N I NG AC T I V I T I E S
AC T I V I T Y 2
1.
What kind of meeting do you think this is?
TOPIC 1
Watch the video ‘BSBADM405B: Austrade export awards’ on IBSA’s YouTube channel at
http://www.youtube.com/ibsachannel.
TOPIC 2
TOPIC 3
2. What needs to be organised for this kind of meeting to be successful?
Legal or ethical requirements
Depending on the type of organisation and the type of meeting there may be legal or ethical
requirements that need to be considered.
Codes of practice
Codes of practice are developed by an organisation and they detail the meeting procedures for
that organisation. For example, frequency of meetings, attendance requirements and standards
of behaviour.
They also include any legislative or regulative requirements applicable to that particular
organisation.
7
T O PI C 1 | Make Meeting Arrangements
Legislation
Legislation relating to companies or associations can stipulate some meeting requirements.
Company meetings are regulated by the various Companies Acts and by the company’s Articles
of Association (a company-specific document developed in agreement with shareholders which
includes meeting procedures).
This legislation regulates the way in which public meetings are conducted, including how
shareholders are notified of the meeting and what will be covered. Companies that are subject
to this legislation must ensure that the relevant staff are aware of the company’s obligations.
Other examples of legislation that governs the way in which meetings are conducted are:
Workplace Legislation
> Anti-discrimination
> Equal Opportunity
> Harassment
> Occupational Health and Safety
> industrial legislation
The above must be considered when arranging meetings.
Even if a meeting is being conducted outside of normal working hours and not
on company premises, workplace legislation still applies.
Government Acts and
Regulations
> the Local Government Act 1993 and
> the Local Government General Regulation 2005
These detail the requirements of local government bodies, such as councils,
with regard to meetings.
Requirements for public meetings
Public meetings are conducted if there is a specific purpose that needs open discussion and
information shared. For example if the local council wants to build a new kindergarten within
your local area, the council will hold a meeting asking the local community to attend and share
any ideas or concerns.
If you are going to organise a public meeting, you need to ensure the following:
> The meeting is properly noticed, i.e. the public is advised of the meeting in accordance
with requirements of any legislation. This may include placing a notice in the newspaper a
set number of days before the meeting.
> The meeting is open to the public, i.e. no member of the public is excluded from
attending, either directly (e.g. particular groups or individuals are told they cannot
attend) or indirectly (e.g. the meeting location is inaccessible for particular individuals
such as people in a wheelchair).
> Thorough minutes are taken at the meeting and are made available to the public
afterwards.
8
Make Meeting Arrangements | T O PI C 1
C ON T EN T S
L E A R N I NG AC T I V I T I E S
AC T I V I T Y 3
TOPIC 1
Use the Internet search ‘codes of meeting practice’ and choose one example. Read the
code of practice and write a short summary of what is covered.
TOPIC 2
TOPIC 3
Meeting and participant requirements
Identifying meeting requirements
When you are responsible for organising meetings, it is important that you fully understand the
meeting requirements. The information that you need to know includes:
> date
> time
> duration
> meeting structure (e.g. formal or informal)
> meeting purpose
> meeting host
> meeting speakers
> agenda
> number of participants (internal and external)
> participant names (internal and external)
> participant contact details (internal and external)
> special needs of participants
> location preferences
> seating arrangements (e.g. theatre style, table and chairs)
> pre-reading materials for attendees
> documentation requirements for the meeting
9
T O PI C 1 | Make Meeting Arrangements
> equipment required for the meeting (e.g. video/data projector, microphone, whiteboard)
> teleconferencing or videoconferencing requirements and equipment
> catering.
The use of a questionnaire can be one way to help you in determining these requirements.
When you are asked to organise a meeting you can use this questionnaire to identify what
information you have and what information you need to find out in order to organise the
meeting.
You will need to obtain this information from the person who has requested that you organise
this meeting, you could do this by speaking with them in person or on the telephone, or by
emailing them and asking them for the missing information.
L E A R N I NG AC T I V I T I E S
AC T I V I T Y 4
Using the bullet points above, prepare a questionnaire to gather information on meeting
requirements.
Post your questionnaire to the student discussion form and ask fellow students to
check that you have all of the information required to organise the meeting then post
a response with suggestions to improve your questionnaire. Read two other students’
students’ questionnaires, review, and post your suggestions and comments.
Useful tips for identifying meeting requirements
Meeting Requirements
Develop a meeting requirements questionnaire that details all of
the points above; when you are asked to organise a meeting you
can provide the questionnaire to the person making the request
and ask them to complete it.
Where to store the questionnaire
If your organisation has an intranet, you could have the
questionnaire stored there with instructions.
If people need a meeting organised they can complete the
questionnaire and send it to you or to the person responsible for
organising the meeting.
Making meeting arrangements
It is important that once you have identified all of the meeting requirements that you arrange
the meeting according to these requirements. If one of the requirements cannot be met you
must advise the person who requested the meeting as soon as possible to identify alternative
arrangements for that particular requirement. For example, if the requested room cannot be
booked, but another room is available then you must contact the person that has requested the
meeting, advise them of the situation, and confirm the alternative room is acceptable.
10
Make Meeting Arrangements | T O PI C 1
Scheduling smaller meetings, for example with five to ten people who must attend, can be
quite challenging because you need to work within multiple schedules to find a date and time
that will work for everyone. You may often need to negotiate with attendees or their assistants
to find a suitable date and time for a meeting.
When booking a venue for a meeting it is important that you are sure the venue provides for
all of the meeting requirements. It is often good practice to visit the venue before booking to
ensure it meets your requirements.
TOPIC 3
Most venues will provide you with documentation confirming the arrangements. You
need to ensure that you read this document thoroughly and that it accurately details your
requirements.
TOPIC 2
Venue
TOPIC 1
The type of meeting and the number of required attendees usually determines the complexity
of the scheduling of the date and time for the meeting. When scheduling large conferences
the date and time is usually more determined by the availability of the venue rather than the
participants.
C ON T EN T S
Scheduling the date and time
AC T I V I T Y 5
L E A R N I NG AC T I V I T I E S
Use the Internet, search for two venues that have meeting and conference room
facilities. What information can you obtain about these facilities through their websites
that you believe would be useful when organising meetings?
Venue 1:
Venue 2:
11
T O PI C 1 | Make Meeting Arrangements
Catering
When making catering arrangements for a meeting you must:
> Consider the amount of time allocated to the break. For example, if the agenda provides
for a 15-minute morning tea break then a simple snack of tea and coffee and biscuits or
slice is appropriate, as participants will have enough time to consume this in the time
allowed.
> Determine any participant dietary requirements for example:
> peanut allergies
> Coeliac disease (gluten-free)
> vegetarian.
You must ensure that when you send out invitations to meetings where meals are required you
request that participants advise of any special dietary requirements.
> Know your budget. You need to ensure that you have determined how much money you
have to spend on catering before you make arrangements. Catering is often an area where
budgets are over-spent.
> Obtain documentation from your catering provider and check that the details are correct.
Details you should be looking for are:
> the correct number of people are being catered for
> all dietary requirements have been recorded and catered for the date and times for the
food to be delivered and served are correct
> the price is within the allocated budget.
Equipment
Once you have determined the equipment requirements for the meeting you need to ensure
that this equipment is ready and working at the time of the meeting.
You should organise someone to set up and test the equipment before the meeting starts.
When booking equipment for meetings you should be very mindful of the cost of this
equipment. You need to make sure you have factored these costs into your budget.
L E A R N I NG AC T I V I T I E S
AC T I V I T Y 6
What could be some of the problems you might encounter if you did not organise for
equipment to be set up and checked it is operating? Post your suggested problems to
the discussion forum and compare your list of problems against other student postings.
12
Make Meeting Arrangements | T O PI C 1
Depending on the type of meeting, you may be required to prepare documentation. This
requirement will vary depending on the type of meeting.
You need to ensure you understand if the documentation is to be distributed in hard or soft
copy, and if the documentation is to be distributed before, or at, the meeting.
Once you have determined all of the meeting requirements and arranged for the meeting to
occur you need to advise the participants of the details of the meeting.
TOPIC 3
Often participants are advised of the meeting details through a meeting invitation sent through
Microsoft Outlook or similar program. Participants can also be advised by sending a formal
notice of meeting, the meeting agenda, and other supporting materials. In the next topic, we
will be covering these meeting documents.
TOPIC 2
Advising participants of meeting details
TOPIC 1
For example, large conferences often require substantial amounts of documentation to be
produced and distributed to participants. Smaller meetings may require only minimal, if any,
documentation.
C ON T EN T S
Meeting documentation
Topic summary
You should now understand how to arrange meetings ensuring that all the meeting
requirements have been met. This includes identifying and booking venues, arranging for
catering, equipment, and documentation.
Further reading
> Leigh, J. 2002, Organising, and Participating in Meetings, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
> Puregger, M. 1998, The Australian Guide to Chairing Meetings, University of Queensland
Press, Queensland.
Topic checklist
Before you proceed to the next topic, make sure that you are able to:
> identify the type of meeting and its purpose
> identify and comply with any legal or ethical requirements
> identify requirements of meeting and participants
> make meeting arrangements in accordance with requirements of meeting
> advise participants of meeting details.
13
T O PI C 1 | Make Meeting Arrangements
14
Prepare Meeting Documentation | T O PI C 2
C ON T EN T S
TOPIC 1
TOPIC 2
TOPIC 3
Topic 2 – Prepare Meeting
Documentation
This Topic is about the different types of meeting documents and how to prepare those
documents.
Scenario: Computers to You Annual Sales Conference
Belinda has now been asked to organise the ‘Computers to You’ Annual Sales Managers’
Meeting. ‘Computers to You’ are a retail company that sells computer hardware and software
products to customers through retail stores.
The annual sales managers’ meeting provides all store managers with information about the
next 12 months’ sales plan and products.
Belinda has been asked to prepare the following documents for the conference:
> notice of meeting
> agenda
> meeting documents including:
> CEO’s report
> product information sheets for each new product
> the company sales plan.
15
T O PI C 2 | Prepare Meeting Documentation
Belinda knows that producing all of this documentation will require a lot of effort and good
planning and organising skills. She will need to contact numerous people to obtain the
information that she needs, and then obtain approval from the Sales Director regarding the
final copy of the documents before organising printing and distribution.
Belinda develops a plan for herself that details all the information she requires and a timeline to
ensure she has all the documents prepared and ready for distribution on time.
What skills will you need?
In order to work effectively as an Administration Assistant, you must be able to:
> prepare notice of meeting, agenda and meeting papers in accordance with meeting
requirements
> check documentation for accuracy and correct any errors
> distribute documentation to participants within designated timelines
> prepare spare sets of documents.
Meeting documents
There are different documents that are required for the various types of meetings.
Invitations or notice of meetings
All meeting participants should receive an invitation to a meeting. The invitation should include:
> start time
> end time
> date
> location
> RSVP date if applicable
> who is attending
> purpose of meeting
> agenda
> pre-reading requirements
> teleconference details if applicable.
You need to ensure that you have all those details before sending out an invitation.
Please see below for an example of a meeting invitation using Microsoft Outlook.
16
Prepare Meeting Documentation | T O PI C 2
C ON T EN T S
TOPIC 1
TOPIC 2
TOPIC 3
L E A R N I NG AC T I V I T I E S
AC T I V I T Y 7
Using Outlook, send a meeting invitation to three friends or colleagues for the following
meeting.
> start time – 9 am
> end time – 10 am
> date – two weeks from today
> location – Meeting Room 7, Level 20 150 Swanston Street, Melbourne
> RSVP date – one week from today
> who is attending – three friends or colleagues
> purpose of meeting – to discuss new telephone procedure for answering the phone
> agenda – for the purpose of this activity no agenda is required
> pre-reading requirements – draft version of new telephone procedure, current
telephone procedure.
17
T O PI C 2 | Prepare Meeting Documentation
Agenda
The agenda lists the details of the meeting, including the items to be discussed, the order in
which they will be discussed, who is responsible for facilitating the discussion of that point, and
how much time has been allocated to the discussion as a whole.
Agenda items can either be set by the person conducting the meeting or from contributions
made by those attending. You should aim to circulate the agenda at least one week before the
meeting.
A typical agenda includes the following:
> list attendees
> list date/time venue
> apologies for absence
> minutes of previous meeting
> matters brought forward from previous meeting
> list each subject/topic to be discussed as new business
> against each topic list, any resources attendees will need to bring (e.g. reports, memos)
> you might include suggested times for each topic
> general business – consider asking participants in advance what they would like to include
and how long they will need.
Note: when completing an agenda for an all-day meeting or conference you should also include
break times.
Refer to Appendix 1 for a copy of a meeting agenda.
L E A R N I NG AC T I V I T I E S
AC T I V I T Y 8
Use the Internet to research the benefits of Meeting Agendas. Based on this research
you are to create an agenda that is to be used for the meeting that you are hosting in
two weeks. You can use the agenda provided in Appendix 1 as a guide.
18
Prepare Meeting Documentation | T O PI C 2
C ON T EN T S
Meeting papers
Meting papers may include:
> copies of presentations
> minutes of previous meetings
TOPIC 1
> financial reports
> company or committee reports
> documents for review and/or discussion
TOPIC 2
> workbooks
> questionnaires/surveys
> statistics
> proposals
TOPIC 3
> press releases
> charts
> marketing or sales plans.
When organising meetings you are also responsible for preparing meeting documentation. You
should ensure that you allow for plenty of time to prepare documents.
L E A R N I NG AC T I V I T I E S
AC T I V I T Y 9
1. What are some examples of meeting documents that you have either prepared
or seen in the workplace? If you have not been exposed to meeting papers in the
workplace, use the Internet to search for ‘meeting papers’ to find some examples.
2.
What sort of information was contained in these documents?
19
T O PI C 2 | Prepare Meeting Documentation
Accuracy of documentation
It is essential that the information contained in the meeting documentation is accurate.
Incorrect information could result in:
> attendees arriving for the meeting at the wrong time, date or location
> attendees preparing for a discussion at the meeting with the wrong information. For
example, if the wrong financial report has been included in the pre-reading information
for attendees’ review before the discussion at the meeting, the meeting will be a waste of
time as attendees will not have had the opportunity to prepare for the meeting with the
correct information.
As the person responsible for organising the meeting, you are responsible for ensuring that the
information provided to attendees is accurate.
L E A R N I NG AC T I V I T I E S
AC T I V I T Y 10
What strategies have you used in the past to ensure the accuracy of information?
Examples could be from the workplace, study or in your personal life.
Many words sound alike but have different meanings and spelling. Below is a list of
common misspelled words; you are required to define the difference between each
word and when you would use it. Refer to Appendix 2 to see if you were correct.
1. Their/There
2. Accept/Except
3. Affect/Effect
4. Were/where
20
Prepare Meeting Documentation | T O PI C 2
Proofread all documents carefully. This means reading all documents carefully to identify errors.
C ON T EN T S
Useful tips for confirming the accuracy of information
Complete a spell check of all documents.
Ask someone else to proofread your work.
Send final drafts to the document owners for checking and confirmation of final version of information.
TOPIC 1
Do not print or distribute any documentation without final approval of the person who is conducting the
meeting.
Distributing documents
> distribute as hard (printed) copies at the meeting
> send as hard (printed) copies prior to the meeting
TOPIC 2
There are many ways that you can distribute meeting documents. You could:
> send as soft (email attachment) copies prior to the meeting
> send with the agenda to only those who have accepted the invitation.
During the planning phase, when you are identifying the requirements of the meeting, you need
to find out how the meeting owner would like the meeting documents distributed.
TOPIC 3
> send with the invitation
If you are required to distribute hard copies of documents, you should always make sure you
have extra copies in case an attendee misplaces their copy or an unexpected attendee arrives
for the meeting.
L E A R N I NG AC T I V I T I E S
AC T I V I T Y 11
Prepare an email to all of the people you invited to a meeting in learning activity
6. You should attach a copy of the agenda that you created in learning activity
7. Print a copy of the email for your records.
You have also been asked to provide three hard copies of the agenda to allow for any
extra attendees to your meeting.
Topic summary
You should now understand how to prepare meeting documents, including the invitation,
agenda, and papers. You should also understand the importance of ensuring the accuracy
of these documents, and the different ways that you can distribute these documents to
attendees.
21
T O PI C 2 | Prepare Meeting Documentation
Further reading
> Burns, R. 2002, Making Meetings Happen, Allen & Unwin, Australia.
> Walsh, F. 1995, The Meetings Manual, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.
Topic checklist
Before you proceed to the next topic, make sure that you are able to:
> prepare notice of meeting, agenda and meeting papers in accordance with meeting
requirements
> check documentation for accuracy and correct any errors
> distribute documentation to participants within designated timelines
> prepare spare sets of documents.
22
Produce Meeting Minutes | T O PI C 3
C ON T EN T S
TOPIC 1
TOPIC 2
TOPIC 3
Topic 3 – Produce Meeting
Minutes
This topic is about the skills required to record and produce meeting minutes. Meeting minutes
provide a record of what was discussed and agreed at a meeting for people to refer to after
the meeting. They are particularly useful for recording actions that are to be taken after the
meeting and who is responsible for those actions. They are also useful for people who could not
attend to understand what occurred at the meeting.
Scenario: ‘Computers to You’ Annual Sales Managers’
Meeting minutes
As Belinda is the administrations assistant, she is required to take the minutes of the
‘Computers to You’ Annual Sales Managers’ Meeting.
She knows that she needs to capture exactly what occurs during the meeting and has decided
that the best approach for her is to create a table to record:
> The attendees of the meeting
> The people that were absent
> The speakers of the meeting
> The main points that the speaker made
23
T O PI C 3 | Produce Meeting Minutes
> The discussion that occurred
> The suggestions that were made
> The initials of the people that have to take action
Belinda is also going to take extra paper and pens to write down any other action items that
come up during the meeting so that she does not miss any of the main points discussed.
At the end of the meeting, Belinda is going to type up the minutes and sends a copy to all of the
attendees.
What skills will you need?
In order to work effectively as an Administration Assistant, you must be able to:
> take notes with the required speed and accuracy to ensure an accurate record of the
meeting
> produce minutes that reflect a true and accurate account of the meeting
> check minutes for accuracy and submit for approval to the nominated person
> despatch copies of minutes within designated timelines.
Taking notes
It is very difficult to take notes whilst listening to several people speak at once. As the minutetaker, your responsibility is to capture information, and therefore you should ensure that you
spend most of your time listening to what is being said and taking notes intermittently to
summarise.
One of the biggest challenges of note-taking is working out what information is important and
should be recorded, and what information is not important and therefore does not need to be
recorded.
When taking notes you are typically recording:
> action items
> decisions taken at the meeting
> formal motions
> future action
> issues raised at the meeting
> points discussed at the meeting
> record of participants who were present at or absent from the meeting (attendees and
apologies)
> suggestions made at the meeting
> arrangements for next meeting
24
Produce Meeting Minutes | T O PI C 3
Before the meeting, ensure that you have prepared for your task of taking meeting minutes. You
should:
C ON T EN T S
Preparation
> Take a pen – It is a good idea to take a spare pen just in case your pen runs out of ink.
Initials of
speakers
Notes
Extra space for arrows, extra
notes, etc.
TOPIC 1
> Prepare a notebook or paper to record your notes – It can be useful to use a table style
sheet, see example below.
Initials of action
takers
TOPIC 2
> Use bullet points, not sentences – It is much easier to capture information quickly when
you summarise the information in a point rather than write a full sentence. This will also
make it much easier to interpret later when you are using these notes to prepare the
formal meeting minutes.
TOPIC 3
When taking notes you should consider the following:
> Use abbreviations where possible – Don’t try to write full words when you can use an
abbreviation instead.
25
T O PI C 3 | Produce Meeting Minutes
L E A R N I NG AC T I V I T I E S
AC T I V I T Y 12
Using the words on the left hand side, write down what you think the abbreviation of it
might be,
Word
Abbreviation
Abbreviation
Accept
Building
Certificate
Early
Form
History
Language
Memo
Original
Proposal
Reduce
Size
Refer to Appendix 3 for the suggested abbreviations.
Using recording devices
Digital voice recorders are a good way of recording the entire meeting so that you can replay
the meeting back, pause and rewind when you are writing your minutes. There are benefits to
the use of recording devices, however, you should be aware of some of the difficulties when
using these devices.
26
Produce Meeting Minutes | T O PI C 3
> Difficulty in recognising voices and therefore you could assign the wrong person to a
comment or action.
> Machine may fail to record, and then you have no record of the discussion at all.
> Some participants are uncomfortable with being recorded.
TOPIC 1
> Because the background noise is also recorded, it may be difficult to hear what has been
said.
C ON T EN T S
These include:
> It takes a lot of time to translate to minutes after the meeting.
A laptop can be useful, as you can often type much faster than you write and you don’t have to
worry about not being able to read your writing after the meeting. It is also beneficial because
your notes are recorded directly on the computer, which avoids your having to type them later.
> The noise of typing can be off-putting and distracting to those participating in the
meeting.
TOPIC 3
There are some disadvantages to using a laptop.
TOPIC 2
Using a laptop
> It is difficult to use arrows to link information or draw flowcharts etc that assist with recall
> It can be difficult to quickly go back to a previous section to add a point.
Use the agenda
When taking notes during a meeting, it is a good idea to use the agenda to organise your notes.
Whatever numbering and headings appear on the agenda must also appear in the minutes.
For example, if there are five items on the agenda for discussion then you should have five
headings in your notes. When an item is discussed that is not on the agenda, you can add a
section at the bottom of the minutes called ‘Other business’.
See below for an example of organising your notes as per the agenda.
Meeting Agenda
Meeting Minutes
No. Item
No. Item
1. Update General Manager
1. Update General Manager
GM provided update on company results.
2. New purchasing procedure
2. New purchasing procedure New procedure voted on and
approved by all.
3. Sales update
3. Sales update
Sales on track to plan.
4. Finance update
4. Finance update
Financials on track to plan.
5. General business
5. General business
New company car policy currently in draft.
27
T O PI C 3 | Produce Meeting Minutes
Confirming details
If throughout the meeting you are unsure about a particular point, you should politely interrupt
the meeting to ask for clarification.
You can also confirm any points you are unsure about with participants during the breaks or
after the meeting.
Useful tips for taking notes during a meeting.
Eye contact improves your
hearing
It is easier to hear what someone is saying if you are watching as well as
listening.
Eye contact reminds speakers If you catch eye contact with speakers, they are reminded of your
of your presence
presence and are more likely to include you in their ‘audience’, which
again makes it easier to hear.
Achieving eye contact
Although you need to look at what you are writing, when you hear
the voice change, glance up and look properly at the new speaker, if
possible catching his or her eye to demonstrate that you are listening.
If you recognise you have already noted a point, stop, look and listen, if
necessary nodding encouragingly (a small movement).
L E A R N I NG AC T I V I T I E S
AC T I V I T Y 13
Draw up a sheet of paper as per the note-taking table above.
Hold a discussion with your colleagues, peers, or a friend to agree on a time and venue
for a future work, study, or social event. Agree on a brief agenda for your discussions,
and then follow the agenda to record your notes from the discussion.
Remember to consider all of the points we have discussed above with regard to notetaking. Upon the completion of the activity, answer the following questions.
1. How did the agenda assist you in taking notes?
2. Were you able to use the eye contact tips while taking notes?
3. Did you find that they helped you to record the discussions accurately?
28
Produce Meeting Minutes | T O PI C 3
The purpose of taking the minutes of meetings is to make an accurate record of what occurred
during the meeting. Meeting minutes typically include the following information:
C ON T EN T S
Producing minutes
> meeting details (for example title, date, time, location)
> names of absent and attending participants
TOPIC 1
> agenda items
> record of acceptance of the previous meeting’s minutes
> matters brought forward from previous meetings
TOPIC 2
> reference to the distribution and discussion of meeting papers such as reports,
correspondence, presentations
> general or other business
> date of next meeting.
Prepare your meeting minutes as soon as you can after the meeting.You will save time because the
information will still be fresh and you will more easily make sense of your notes.
TOPIC 3
Useful tip for preparing meeting minutes
What to include when writing minutes
If you are responsible for preparing meeting minutes, you need to ensure you understand what
is expected.
It is a good idea for you to speak with the chairperson of the meeting to understand what is
expected with regard to format, level of detail, and distribution timelines.
The discussion
For each agenda item you
should include information
regarding:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
recent events
dates and place names
names of people met or interviewed
sums of money or any financial implications
legal necessities
agreements or contracts
policies and procedures of the organisation
documentation (reports, correspondence, with any reference number
or name)
> names of departments or other organisations or persons as required.
The decision
When recording details of
decisions that have been
made you should detail:
> details of the proposal (e.g. proposed to buy new printer)
> who raised the proposal or the motion (e.g. proposal made by Amanda
Flynn)
> voting details (e.g. proposal supported by majority or proposal
approved by management team. In some cases, it may be necessary
to record the names of individuals and their vote of
Agreed actions
To correctly record the
agreed actions you need to
detail the following:
> action required
> name of the person responsible for completing the action
> date by which the action is to be completed.
Note: Please see Appendix 4 for an example of a meeting minutes template.
29
T O PI C 3 | Produce Meeting Minutes
Approval of meeting minutes
Before distributing completed meeting minutes, you need to obtain approval from the
chairperson. The chairperson is ultimately responsible for the meeting and therefore the
meeting minutes.
The chairperson will review the draft meeting minutes and advise you of any changes required.
Once you have made those changes, you should re-submit the minutes for final approval before
distribution.
As discussed in Topic 2 of the your Student Workbook, you are responsible for ensuring the
accuracy of the information, and obtaining approval from the chairperson is one way in which
you meet this responsibility.
You should also ensure that before submitting your draft version of the minutes that you have
completed a thorough review of the minutes yourself and corrected any errors.
L E A R N I NG AC T I V I T I E S
AC T I V I T Y 14
In Learning Activity 13, you arranged a discussion with your colleagues or friends you
are required to type up the minutes/notes taken from that discussion.
When you have typed these notes, post them in the discussion forum for comment by
fellow students and your trainer. Note any comments made by your trainer.
What steps could you take to ensure the accuracy of your prepared meeting minutes
before submitting to the chairperson for approval?
30
Produce Meeting Minutes | T O PI C 3
C ON T EN T S
Distribution of meeting minutes
Meeting minute’s distribution checklist:
Item
Completed
Do you know the expected time line for the distribution of meeting minutes?
TOPIC 1
Have you obtained approval from the Chairperson for the final version of the
meeting minutes?
Are there any additional people who need to be sent a copy of the minutes
(apart from those who were invited to participate in the meeting)?
TOPIC 2
What is the expected method of distribution, hard copy, or soft copy (email)?
Are you required to distribute any support materials, such as copies of
presentations or reports from the meeting with the minutes?
TOPIC 3
Have you included the details of the next meeting on the meeting minutes?
Topic summary
You should now understand how to prepare and produce meeting minutes. You should also be
familiar with tools and tips to assist with completing this task.
Further reading
> Burns, R. 2002, Making Meetings Happen, Allen & Unwin, Australia.
> Gutman, J. 2003, Taking Minutes of Meetings, Kogan Page Australia, Victoria.
> Walsh, F. 1995, The Meetings Manual, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.
Topic checklist
You should now be able to:
> take notes with the required speed and accuracy to ensure an accurate record of the
meeting
> produce minutes that reflect a true and accurate account of the meeting
> check minutes for accuracy and submit for approval by the nominated person
> despatch copies of minutes within designated timelines.
31
T O PI C 3 | Produce Meeting Minutes
Glossary
TERM
32
DEFINITION
Meeting
An arranged gathering of two or more people to discuss important points and to
achieve a common goal through verbal interaction.
Agenda
Points to be discussed at a meeting; sometimes the term ‘agenda’ also refers to the
document that lists the discussion topics.
Venue
The location for the meeting to take place.
Meeting minutes
The instant written record of a meeting.
Produce Meeting Minutes | T O PI C 3
C ON T EN T S
Appendices
Appendix 1: Meeting Agenda
Date, Time
TOPIC 1
Meeting Agenda
Location/Dial in details
Attendees
Purpose of meeting
Minutes of previous meeting
TOPIC 2
Apologies
Business arising
Correspondence
Items on notice (agenda items)
TOPIC 3
Business arising from correspondence
General business (not on notice)
Next meeting – date, time and location
33
T O PI C 3 | Produce Meeting Minutes
Appendix 2: Common spelling errors
> their (possessive form of the word they)
> there (in that place)
> accept (a verb, meaning to receive or to admit to a group)
> except (usually a preposition, meaning but or excluding)
> affect (usually a verb, meaning to influence)
> effect (usually a noun, meaning result or outcome)
> were (form of the verb to be)
> where (related to location or place).
Appendix 3: Abbreviations
34
Word
Abbreviation
Abbreviation
ABRV
Accept
ACPT
Building
BLD
Certificate
CERT
Early
ERLY
Form
FRM
History
HST
Language
LNG
Mem•
MMO
original
ORIG
Proposal
PRPS
Reduce
RED
Size
SZ
Produce Meeting Minutes | T O PI C 3
C ON T EN T S
Appendix 4: Meeting minutes template 1
Meeting Minutes
Meeting type
Meeting date
Location / Dial in
TOPIC 1
Attendees
Meeting time
Apologies
TOPIC 2
Purpose of meeting
Acceptance of minutes of previous meeting
Business arising
Correspondence
Items on notice (agenda items)
Item
Action/Motion
Who
Action/Motion
Who
TOPIC 3
Business arising from correspondence
1
2
3
4
5
General business (not on notice)
Item
1
2
3
4
5
Next meeting – date, time and location
35
T O PI C 3 | Produce Meeting Minutes
Appendix 5: Meeting minutes template 2
MEETING MINUTES
Company Name
Date
Present
(List names of all attendees)
Absent
(List names of all those who could not attend)
Chairperson
Minute-taker
Minutes distribution list other
(Minutes are distributed to these people even
though they are not participants of the meeting)
Acceptance of minutes of previous meeting
Business arising
Correspondence
AGENDA ITEM
1.
2.
3.
4.
Next meeting date:
Next Chairperson:
Next Minute-taker:
36
ACTION & RESPONSIBILITY
DATE ACTION DUE