Meeting Notes and Minutes Archives

Turning Desire Into Action: Writing Great Meeting Notes

In a Meeting Notes Made Easy course online, one of the participants wowed me with the extra effort she has put into taking successful meeting notes in a foreign language: English. To get her meeting notes down correctly and to write well in her new… continue reading

Words That Guarantee Better Meetings

In a communications class this week, I worked with some managers and directors who recognized their many meetings were not as productive as they should be. Part of the problem was that their meetings did not have a stated purpose with specific outcomes. Sure, they knew… continue reading

Choose the Right Verbs for Shorter Meeting Notes

The other day when I led the online course Meeting Notes Made Easy, an attendee I'll call Sheila asked how to avoid going into too much detail. Sheila worried that she usually writes a transcript, when what people need from meeting minutes are key points,… continue reading

Be Kind to Your Note Taker

Last week I led a writing class for a group of administrative assistants who wanted help writing meeting notes and minutes. We began by talking about the challenges they face as note takers. Here's their list of challenges: Getting the information down when speakers talk… continue reading

Verb Tenses for Meeting Minutes

Peter wrote recently to ask about the appropriate verb tenses to use in meeting minutes. Read these sentence pairs he asked about and decide which sentences sound better for meeting notes and minutes. A. John said the next meeting will be on October 1. B.… continue reading

Take Initiative: Take Notes

Today in a writing class called Effective Writing in IT, an attendee offered this valuable advice: At a meeting, make sure someone is acting as the official note taker. The individual who made the suggestion explained that at the meetings she attends, everyone takes notes–but… continue reading