| A hallmark of good meeting minutes is the right | | | | This is why many professional minute takers have |
| balance between in-depth coverage of complex | | | | a background in journalism, research or other |
| topics, and concise summary and paraphrase of | | | | types of professional writing. Organisations often |
| repetition. | | | | delegate the task of taking minutes to secretarial |
| Yes, a certain amount of physical note taking | | | | or junior members of staff. Sometimes this |
| speed is necessary for taking good minutes. | | | | works well, but sometimes it is a mistake. The |
| Whether typing on a laptop or writing on a | | | | skills that make a highly efficient administrator or |
| notepad, minute takers need to be able to move | | | | a very promising junior staff member are very |
| fast enough to keep up with complex and | | | | rarely the skills of a good minute taker. |
| fast-moving discussions. This is particularly | | | | The amount of information that is included in the |
| important when recording names, numbers, and | | | | meeting minutes - what Ubiqus calls the "depth of |
| action points, which may be critical to the content | | | | coverage" - should vary according to the purpose |
| of the meeting. | | | | to which the minutes will be put. Are the minutes |
| However, a fast typist or a fast writer is not | | | | going to be circulated very rapidly after the end |
| necessarily going to be good at taking minutes. A | | | | of the meeting in order to inform the next stage |
| skill that is just as important for minute takers is | | | | of action? Then very concise minutes, with lots of |
| a strong sense of what is more important and | | | | pruning, may be the most appropriate. Are the |
| what is less important to include in the meeting | | | | minutes designed to provide a legal record of a |
| minutes. That is, a good minute taker knows | | | | sensitive interview or hearing? Then more |
| when not to type or write. In these moments, | | | | extensive minutes, even to the point of a |
| the minute taker will probably be pausing, listening, | | | | word-for-word transcript, may be called for. The |
| rephrasing and mentally summarising. It's also | | | | amount of information to be included should |
| important that the minute taker can express the | | | | always be agreed between the minute taker and |
| information clearly. | | | | the organisation in advance. |