Transcript AMGEN overheads - IWCC Training In Communications

Tips & Techniques
for Writing Meeting
Minutes
To move forward, backward or to a specific slide, move your cursor over the hidden arrows/menu in the bottom left corner of each
slide and make a selection. You can also use your space bar (forward); or your Page Up/Page Dn keys (backward/forward).
Table of Contents
Orientation
Before the Meeting
During the Meeting
After the Meeting
Click on any colored bullet found on the Content pages to jump to a specific section.
www.iwcctraining.com
Orientation
This material was developed to help you improve your meeting Minutes.
As you work through the slides, you will gain tips and techniques to help
you take and write Minutes confidently and effectively.
Consider the Value of Good Meeting Minutes
Avoid 8 Common Mistakes
Help Your Reader
Return to main Table of Contents
www.iwcctraining.com
Consider the Value
of Good Meeting Minutes
Minutes are a vital component of successful meetings. When written
clearly and concisely, they help the team work productively. Whether
used as a formal or informal source of reference, they:
•
•
•
•
•
Act as an official record of what took place.
Document decisions made and responsibilities assigned.
Remind attendees of commitments, actions and due dates.
Inform people who were absent from the meeting.
Act as review document for the next meeting.
In short, good minute taking is a critically
important task.
Orientation
www.iwcctraining.com
Avoid 8 Common Mistakes
To improve your meeting Minutes, avoid the eight most common
mistakes minute writers make:
1. Incomplete/inaccurate information recorded.
2. Decisions not clearly stated.
3. Responsibilities/due dates not documented.
4. Agenda items not addressed.
5. Writer focused (not reader focused).
6. Complicated writing style.
7. Typos and poor grammar.
8. Unorganized in a poor layout.
Orientation
www.iwcctraining.com
Help Your Reader
Use these eight tips to help your reader:
1. Think about what your reader needs to know
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Orientation
– not what you want to say.
Address each agenda item separately.
Include decisions made or agreed to.
State who is responsible for what action by when.
Provide just the right amount of information to answer your
readers’ questions.
Organize the information so your message is easy to skim.
Write sentences that readers can read quickly.
Edit your message to eliminate typos and poor grammar.
www.iwcctraining.com
Before the Meeting
In this section, you will explore your role. You will discover six
steps that you can take before a meeting to help simplify your
minute-taking task.
Your Role as Minute-Taker
Preparing for Success
Return to main Table of Contents
www.iwcctraining.com
Your Role as Minute-Taker
Taking Minutes is not a menial task. As a minute-taker, you fulfill a
critically important role – you become the group memory. You
are responsible for documenting an official record of what was
accomplished and decided during a meeting.
You can demonstrate your communication ability by taking and
writing concise, coherent Minutes. By taking Minutes, you can also
learn to focus on what is important. You develop a better
understanding of your team and your organization.
.
Before the Meeting
www.iwcctraining.com
Preparing for Success
Good minute-takers prepare for success. They understand the key
issues faced by their team and their organization. They plan ahead.
Here are six steps that will help you prepare for success before your
next meeting:
1. Talk to the meeting leader to clarify your role.
2. Gather Minutes from previous meeting and
any supporting material you will need.
3. Review agenda items and read up on topics
you are not familiar with.
Before the Meeting
www.iwcctraining.com
4.
Use the agenda to prepare a template* with pre-designated
columns to capture notes. Fill in what you can before the
meeting and make sure it works.
5.
Prepare a list of expected attendees (check off names as
attendees arrive or use as sign-in sheet).
6.
Decide, gather and prepare the tools and equipment you
will use.
If you need to take formal or corporate Minutes, you will need
to do some homework! The rules are rigid around motions
and resolutions.
* See sample templates on next two slides
Before the Meeting
www.iwcctraining.com
Sample A: Meeting Minutes Template
Capturing Information for Meeting Minutes
Meeting Purpose:
Meeting Leader:
Date & Time:
Attendees:
Regrets:
Agenda Item
& Leader
Before the Meeting
Team or Department:
Location:
Minute -Taker:
Discussion
Decisions
& Outcomes
Action Items
(who, what, when)
www.iwcctraining.com
Sample B: Meeting Minutes Template
Capturing information for Meeting Minutes
Objective:
Leader:
Date:
Topic &
Leader
Objective
Before the Meeting
Highlights/
Decisions/
Agreements
Actions &
Next Steps
By
when?
(by whom)
www.iwcctraining.com
During the Meeting
In this section, you will gain tips and techniques to help you capture
the information you need to write good Minutes.
Three Levels of Listening
Taking Notes
Preparing for Success
Return to main Table of Contents
www.iwcctraining.com
Three Levels of Listening
Effective listening is an essential skill for taking good notes. It is a
complex, multidimensional skill. People listen at three levels:
Level 1: I’m not hearing you.
Level 2: I’m hearing you...but you’re wrong!
Level 3: Here’s what I’m hearing you say
and this is how I sense you’re feeling
about the issue.
At Levels 1 and 2 the intention is to protect, defend or be right. At
Level 3, the intention is to learn, build trust and reach understanding.
During the Meeting
www.iwcctraining.com
People who write good meeting Minutes listen at Level 3 during a
meeting. Here are some tips to help you develop your Level 3
listening skills:
•
•
•
•
•
•
During the Meeting
Listen and stay alert
Identify and overcome barriers
Read non-verbal cues
Listen objectively
Assess what you hear
Ask questions/paraphrase
www.iwcctraining.com
Taking Notes
Whether you lead meetings, lead topics or simply attend
meetings, at some point you will be assigned the task of taking
notes for Minutes. To take notes adequately, you need to know:
WHAT to record
WHEN to record
HOW to record
During the Meeting
www.iwcctraining.com
WHAT to record
Record themes and key points that will enable you to write accurate
Minutes following the meeting.
On the next three slides, you will find the logistics and
key outcomes typically included in Minutes.
During the Meeting
www.iwcctraining.com
Logistics
• Time and place
• Meeting leader
• Start and end times
• Attendees (present and absent) and
guests
•
Names of topic leaders
During the Meeting
www.iwcctraining.com
Outcomes
• Highlights of topics discussed
• Decisions made
• Unresolved issues
• Agreed upon actions and deadlines
• Person responsible for each action
• Date of next meeting
During the Meeting
www.iwcctraining.com
More formal meetings will also include these outcomes:
• Reading of the last Minutes
• Motions – who made them and voting results
• Motions to be voted on at future meetings
During the Meeting
www.iwcctraining.com
WHEN to record
When productive ideas are flowing or constructive problem solving is
in progress, you should capture as much as possible.
However, if a group is frustrated or feeling blocked, they
may need to vent their feelings before they can move on.
Stop recording and simply let the conversation run free
for a while.
Also, if highly confidential or sensitive information
is being shared, stop recording – unless the group
agrees to a written record and you agree on a plan
for keeping flip charts or written notes secure.
During the Meeting
www.iwcctraining.com
HOW to record.
Below are some key things to consider when choosing your media
and recording the discussion.
Choosing your media:
• Pen & paper: If taking notes by hand, you can capture them
on a pad of paper or in a meeting template. List out the agenda
items and leave plenty of white space to capture key outcomes. Also
bring backup supplies.
• Laptop or notebook: If you type faster than you write, you may
choose to use a laptop or notebook. Pre-planning is vital. List the
agenda items in a blank document or meeting template. Charge the
battery and bring the AC adapter.
During the Meeting
www.iwcctraining.com
• Audio recorder: This is a great back up tool for your notes. You
can refer to the recording if your notes are unclear or missing key
outcomes. However, check with the meeting leader before you
use a recording device during a meeting.
Keeping up with the discussion:
Speed up your note taking by using abbreviations:
• Commonly-used abbreviations: For a list, consult
a recent dictionary; ex. department = dept, at = @
• Consonants only: Write only the consonants – leave
out the vowels; ex. manager = mngr, key point = ky pnt
• Cut out the middle: For small words with just one syllable,
try writing just the first and last letter; ex. desk = dk, heart = ht
During the Meeting
www.iwcctraining.com
Preparing for Success
Here are eight steps that will help you prepare for success during
your next meeting:
1. Make a seating map with everyone’s name as they sit around
the table to help you quickly identify who says what.
2. Record what was done, rather than what was said.
3. Think in terms of major issues discussed, major points raised
and decisions agreed upon.
4. Use bullet points to capture responsibilities assigned during
the meeting.
5. Identify who is responsible for what and by when.
During the Meeting
www.iwcctraining.com
6.
Use a prepared template to capture the information. If using a
tape recorder, turn it on!
7.
Listen actively. If unsure about a key statement or decision,
ask for clarification.
8.
Collect documents you will need to attach to the Minutes.
(e.g. reports, estimates).
Don't record every single comment. Concentrate
on the gist of the discussion and take enough notes
to summarize it later.
During the Meeting
www.iwcctraining.com
After the Meeting
In this section, you will learn how to plan and organize your
Minutes, and to write in a style that is clear and easy to understand.
Preparing & Organizing Your Minutes
Write in High Impact Style
Refine Your Minutes
Preparing for Success
Return to main Table of Contents
www.iwcctraining.com
Preparing & Organizing
Your Minutes
The best time to write your Minutes is immediately following the
meeting when the discussions are fresh in your memory. Prepare
and organize your Minutes by:
• Using the agenda to help organize your Minutes (list the agenda
items in order and identify the topic leader).
• Writing the highlights of the discussion for each item or topic.
• Summing up each agenda item with decisions made, actions
and responsibilities assigned, deadlines and key players.
• Writing and distributing the Minutes within 48 hours.
On the next slide, you will find an Action Minutes Template that will
help you to prepare and organize your Minutes.
After the Meeting
www.iwcctraining.com
Sample: Action Minutes Template
[Meeting Name]
Meeting Date:
Attendees:
REVIEW OF LAST MEETING’S ACTION ITEMS:
TOPIC
1:
TOPIC LEADER:
Highlights:
Decisions:
Issues Unresolved:
ACTION ITEMS: [by when/by whom]
TOPIC
2:
TOPIC LEADER:
Highlights:
Decisions:
Issues Unresolved:
ACTION ITEMS: [by when/by whom]
After the Meeting
www.iwcctraining.com
Use the Reader Questions
Technique
Rather than asking yourself, “What do I want to tell the readers?”,
give your readers the specific information they need. Use the
Reader Questions Technique to determine what information to
include in your Minutes by asking:
“What information do my readers need to know to do
what they need to do OR know what they need to know?”
Hint: Brainstorm the questions your readers will need answered and put
them in the order they will want the information.
After the Meeting
www.iwcctraining.com
High Impact Style
Good business writers write in a High Impact Style. To make your
written messages understandable, use the High Impact Writing
Strategies below:
1. High Impact Sentence Techniques
2. Packaging & Labeling Techniques
After the Meeting
www.iwcctraining.com
Two Styles of Writing
The characteristics of both low and high impact styles are compared
below. Only one of these two styles meets the needs of the business
reader – High Impact. Which style do you prefer?
Low Impact
High Impact
vague
muddy
bureaucratic
difficult
concise
to-the-point
clear
easy
After the Meeting
www.iwcctraining.com
High Impact Sentence
Techniques
The first step to writing in a High Impact Style is to use High Impact
Sentence Techniques. When you craft High Impact sentences, you
write messages that are clear and easy to understand.
Let’s look at the two High Impact Sentence Techniques that will help
you to write High Impact sentences.
#1. Picture Nouns
#2. Active/Linking Verbs
After the Meeting
www.iwcctraining.com
#1: Picture Nouns
By using picture nouns in your writing, you will write sentences that
are clear and easy for the reader to read.
The next few slides will provide you with examples
of helpful and less helpful nouns and pronouns.
After the Meeting
www.iwcctraining.com
Helpful Nouns
High Impact picture nouns and pronouns create pictures in the mind
of your reader.
Picture Nouns
management
department
procedure
I, we, you
equipment
After the Meeting
policy
money
computer
he, she, they
software
www.iwcctraining.com
Less Helpful Nouns
Low Impact nouns and pronouns force your reader to analyze an
abstract concept or idea.
Vague Nouns
involvement
viability
optimization
development
modification
After the Meeting
this, it
aspect
probability
renewal
illustration
www.iwcctraining.com
Vague Pronouns
When you use a vague pronoun as the subject of your sentence,
you completely confuse your reader. As well, vague pronouns can
make you sound old-fashioned or pompous.
Rather than: It has been noted...
Try:
We have noticed… I have seen… We reported…
Rather than: There is only one reason why the policy will not be accepted.
Try:
Management will not accept the policy because…
Rather than: The side effects are minimal. This means patients will not suffer.
Try:
Patients will not suffer because the side effects are minimal.
Or:
The side effects are minimal; therefore patients will not suffer.
After the Meeting
www.iwcctraining.com
Verb Nouns
Some nouns are really verbs masquerading as nouns. High Impact
writers take care to replace the verb noun with a picture noun and
use the verb noun as – guess what – a verb!
The following examples show you how you can transform verb nouns
back to the verbs they were derived from.
Rather than: The introduction of the speaker will be made by the Chairman.
Try:
The Chairman will introduce the speaker.
Rather than: The utilization of the new financial reporting process is
mandatory for everyone.
Try:
Everyone must use the new financial reporting process.
After the Meeting
www.iwcctraining.com
Describer Nouns
Some nouns are really adjectives masquerading as nouns. High
Impact writers take care to replace a describer noun with a picture
noun and use the describer noun as an adjective.
The following examples show you how you can transform describer
nouns back to the adjectives they were derived from.
Rather than: The effectiveness of the testing was an area of doubt for the
manager.
Try:
The manager doubted that the testing was effective.
Rather than: The viability of the procedure’s timely completion is
questionable.
Try:
We are not sure if the procedure’s completion date is viable.
After the Meeting
www.iwcctraining.com
#2: Active/Linking Verbs
Some verbs work harder than others; that is, they give the reader
information in the natural order of: Actor » Action » Acted-Upon.
By using active/linking verbs and the Actor » Action » Acted-Upon
format in your writing, you will write sentences that will help your
reader grasp the message easily and quickly.
The next few slides provide you with examples
of active/passive/linking verbs while introducing
you to the Actor » Action » Acted-Upon format.
After the Meeting
www.iwcctraining.com
Active Verbs
Use active verbs when the subject or actor in the sentence is
taking/going to take/or took action. Sentences with active verbs have
High Impact because the actor comes before the verb.
Actor
Action
(Subject)
(Active Verb)
Acted-Upon
(Object)
The manager
is writing
the report.
The controller
will prepare
the statements. (future tense)
The doctor
prescribed
the drug.
After the Meeting
(present tense)
(past tense)
www.iwcctraining.com
Passive Verbs
When you use passive verbs to show an action is being/will be/has
been done to the subject of a sentence, you make the sentence more
difficult to read. Sentences with passive verbs have less impact
because they stray from the natural order of Actor » Action » ActedUpon…and sometimes the Actor is completely absent.
Acted-Upon
Action
(Subject)
(Verb)
Actor
The project
is being carried out by the consultant. (present tense)
The report
will be completed
The project
has been approved.
by the manager.
(future tense)
(past tense)
(Studies show that people read sentences with passive verbs 14-17% more slowly than they read sentences with active verbs.)
After the Meeting
www.iwcctraining.com
Linking Verbs
Use linking verbs in a sentence where no action is taking place. They
are called linking verbs because they simply link the Actor (Subject)
and the Acted-Upon (Completer).
Actor
Action
Acted-Upon
(Subject)
(Linking Verb)
(Completer)
The report
is
long.
Management
seems to be
satisfied.
After the Meeting
www.iwcctraining.com
Summing up
High Impact Sentences
To write High Impact sentences that are clear and easy for your
reader to understand:
Use Actor, Action, Acted-Upon format.
Use PICTURE nouns.
Use ACTIVE/LINKING verbs.
After the Meeting
www.iwcctraining.com
Packaging & Labeling
Techniques
The second step to writing in a High Impact Style is to use the two
Packaging & Labeling Techniques. When you apply these techniques,
you present information in a way that helps the reader grasp the key
points quickly and easily, and you lower the possibility of
miscommunication.
#1. Label sentences
#2. Bullet points
After the Meeting
www.iwcctraining.com
#1. Label Sentences
The human brain likes to receive information in
chunks. By using Label Sentences, you will easily
organize information into coherent paragraphs
or packages of related information.
Label sentences also help you guide a busy reader to key
information as they skim through a long message or document.
After the Meeting
www.iwcctraining.com
Packaging Information
Think of your document as a series of packages of information; for
example, these moving boxes:
silverware
drinking
glasses
kitchen
appliances
Each package begins with a label that tells the reader what is inside
the package. Then, when you look inside the package you find out
more (ex. cutlery or platters; kitchen or bar glasses; blender or
microwave oven).
You will find an example on the next two slides showing how one writer
planned then wrote a paragraph using this technique.
After the Meeting
www.iwcctraining.com
Example:
The Plan for the Paragraph
Reader’s Question:
How will this type of system benefit my company?
Label Sentence:
By introducing one of these systems, you will see
immediate benefits in three areas.
Supporting Detail:
• improved employee morale
• lower wage costs
• less absenteeism
After the Meeting
www.iwcctraining.com
Example:
The Finished Paragraph
By introducing one of these systems, you will see immediate benefits
in three areas. First, because the job will be easier, job stress will be
reduced and employees will have improved morale. Second, your
employees will be more productive and will take fewer sick days, so
absenteeism will be reduced. Finally, with less absenteeism, you will
see the cost of wages decrease as you will need fewer temporary
employees.
After the Meeting
www.iwcctraining.com
Make Your Point,
Then Support It
Each time you start a new package (paragraph), you need to signal
the reader by using a label sentence which states your main point.
Then, you follow the label sentence with several sentences that
provide the supporting details.
Remember that you can help your readers read more quickly and find
the information they need by:
• Chunking related information into paragraphs.
• Making your point in each paragraph with a label sentence.
• Providing the supporting details.
After the Meeting
www.iwcctraining.com
#2. Bullet Points
You can help your readers by using bullet points to:
•
•
•
•
•
•
List things.
Describe a series of ideas.
Write instructions.
Highlight important points.
Describe short sequences/processes.
Create variety on a page.
Keep in mind that bullet points are not helpful to your readers when
you list more than seven items, or when you are trying to persuade
or build an argument.
After the Meeting
www.iwcctraining.com
Tips for
Effective Bullet Points
When you decide to use bullet points, please use these simple
guidelines:
• Begin each group of points with a descriptive label sentence
or heading.
• Cluster points into groups of seven or fewer.
• Begin each point with the same kind of word (e.g. a verb or
noun).
• Use a number (1, 2, 3) or letter (a, b, c) if you want to show
sequence or refer to a specific point later.
• Use a symbol to differentiate each point in a list that does
not have a specific sequence.
After the Meeting
www.iwcctraining.com
Summing up
Packaging & Labeling
Use these two packaging and labeling techniques to organize your
information into clear and easy to follow packages for the reader:
Make your point in each paragraph with a label
sentence; then support it.
Use bullet points sparingly and purposely.
After the Meeting
www.iwcctraining.com
Refine Your Minutes
The final step is to ensure that your Minutes are complete, accurate
and error free. To ensure that readers find your Minutes useful,
professional and inviting, you need to complete three levels of
review:
Level 1: Edit your Minutes to ensure the content is accurate and
you have answered all your readers’ questions in a High
Impact writing style.
Level 2: Proofread your Minutes:
a) for errors and typos; and
b) for consistency of text standards.
Level 3: Obtain approval from the meeting leader.
After the Meeting
www.iwcctraining.com
Preparing for Success
The following four steps will help you prepare for success after your
next meeting:
1. Write the Minutes while the discussions are fresh in your mind.
2. Note key elements: type of meeting, name of the
department/organization, date and time, location, name of the
meeting leader, main topics and the start and finish times.
3. Write the Minutes in a clear, easy-to-read High Impact style –
include decisions made, actions/responsibilities assigned,
deadlines and key players.
4. Take the time to edit and proofread your Minutes. Have the
meeting leader or chairperson approve the Minutes before
distributing them.
After the Meeting
www.iwcctraining.com
By applying the tips and
techniques you have learned in
this slideshow, you will be well
on your way to:
• Taking and writing Minutes
•
•
confidently and effectively.
Becoming the group
memory.
Demonstrating your
communication ability.