COMMUNICATION SKILLS

WRITING MINUTES OF A MEETING

LIEUTENANT(S) CS UBEYSEKERA KDU/BSC/B/5/29 LECTURER : CAPT JPWK ABEYWICKRAMA MISS HBDN INDRARATHNA

BACHELER OF SCIENCE (DEFENCE STUDIES) DEGREE IN MANAGEMENT PREFACE The objective of this exercise is to enhance knowledge of writing minutes in a meeting in a meeting. Minutes are recorded briefs of an activity took place with people whom are interested in achieving common goal. It always gives clear cut directive of what and when to do a particular task. This is a legitimate document where indicate responsibilities of an individual and can be sued when fail to perform it. For writing minutes preparation is very much required before meeting starts, during a meeting and soon after the meeting. Like in every other there are advantages and disadvantages of writing minutes. But when considering the purpose there is no other way to give records of meeting other than writing a minute

TABLE OF CONTENTS a. b. c. d. e. f. Introduction What are minutes of the meeting The purpose/importance of writing minutes of the meeting How to take Minutes of the meeting Advantages and Disadvantages Conclusion

Annexures a. b. Formats Examples

INTRODUCTION Minutes are considered legal documents by the auditors, Inland Revenue Department and courts, and they represent the actions of the board. Many assert that if it's not in the minutes, it didn't happen. There is no standardized level of content and format for board minutes. In courts, as important as what you did is that you were reasonable when you did it. Therefore, sufficient information should be included to describe how board members reasonably came to reasonable decisions. Minutes concise with name of the organization, date and time of meeting, who called it to order, who attended and if there a quorum, all motions made, any conflicts of interest or abstainments from voting, when the meeting ended and who developed the minutes. The secretary of the board usually takes minutes during meetings. Written minutes are distributed to board members before each meeting for member's review. Minutes for the previous meeting should be reviewed right away in the next meeting. Any changes should be amended to the minutes and a new version submitted before the next meeting where the new version is reviewed to be accepted. Minutes should be retained in a manual and shared with all board members.

DEFINITION An official written record of the proceedings of a meeting. Minutes normally record points for action, and indicate who is responsible for implementing decisions. Good practice requires that the minutes of a meeting be circulated well in advance of the next meeting, and that those attending that meeting read the minutes in advance. Registered companies are required to keep minutes of meetings and make them available at their registered offices for inspection by company members and shareholders.

WHAT ARE MINUTES OF THE MEETING Minutes, also known as protocols, are the instant written record of a meeting or hearing. They often give an overview of the structure of the meeting, starting with a list of those present, a statement of the various issues before the participants, and each of their responses thereto. They are often created at the moment of the hearing by a typist or court recorder at the meeting, who may record the meeting in shorthand, and then prepare the minutes and issue them to the participants afterwards. Alternatively, the meeting may be audio recorded or a group's appointed or informally assigned Secretary may take notes, with minutes prepared later. However it is often important for the minutes to be brief and concentrate on material issues rather than being a verbatim report, so the minute-taker should have sufficient understanding of the subject matter to achieve this. The minutes of certain entities, such as a corporate board of directors, must be kept and are important legal documents.

PURPOSES AND IMPORTANCE OF WRITING MINUTES Form of reference of an activity took place This is often assumed to be the only purpose of minutes. It is the most obvious one, but in practice is not invariably the most important. Often minutes are not much used by the Committee itself directly in their raw form, but when you, or others presenting business, need to quote them in re-introducing or developing the topic further. Committee's contribution to a wider solution If Committee is considering an item of business early in its progress through the committee system, it may be more important to record more of the discussion than if there have been debates of previous bodies minuted in detail, which the Committee has to some extent repeated. The records with clear directives The priority in this case is to ensure that the decision is minuted in a sufficiently precise way to indicate the action needed for implementation. Evidence used in review and audit processes The minutes are likely to form part of any external or internal review or audit process taking place within the next few years. Restricted Minutes If the topic is sensitive, is it necessary to give a security classification such as Restricted or some thing more than that depending on the nature of the subject.

MINUTES OF A MEETING Generally, minutes begin with the name of the body holding the meeting, place, date, list of people present, and the time that the chair called the meeting to order. The minutes then record what was actually said at the meeting, either in the order that it was actually said or in a more coherent order, regardless of whether the meeting follows any written agenda. A less often used format may record the events in the order they occur on the written agenda, regardless of the actual chronology. Since the primary function of minutes is to record the decisions made, any and all official decisions must be included. If a formal motion is proposed, seconded, passed, or not, then this is recorded. The voting tally may also be included. The part of the minutes dealing with a routine motion If a decision is made by roll call vote, then all of the individual votes are often recorded by name. If it is made by general consent without a formal vote, then this fact may be recorded. Tallies may be omitted in some cases Minutes in businesses and other private organizations are sometimes submitted by and over the name of the officer of the organization or committee who is responsible for them at a subsequent meeting for review. The traditional closing phrase is "Respectfully submitted," followed by the officer's signature, his or her typed name, and his or her title. If the members of the committee or group then agree that the written minutes reflect what happened at the meeting, then they are approved, and the fact of their approval is recorded in the minutes of the current meeting. If there are major errors or omissions, then the minutes will be redrafted and submitted again at a later date. However minor changes may be made immediately, and the amended minutes may be approved "as amended" .It is normally appropriate to send a draft copy of the minutes to all the members in advance of the meeting so that the meeting need not be delayed while everyone reads and corrects the draft. It is also unwise to approve minutes which one has not read. Business and other meetings commonly assign tasks to individuals (or bodies). Usually this is someone who is attending the meeting. This is known as "placing an action". The assignment of a task to an individual is an important decision by the meeting and so all actions must be accurately recorded in the minutes. Reviewing past actions often takes a prominent place in the agenda.

HOW TO TAKE MINUTES OF THE MEETING a. Remember that meeting minutes are for future and outside readers as much as they are for the people present. Make sure whatever you write down will be clear to people coming into the process at a later time. b. Typing meeting minutes on a laptop can make the process quicker and easier; however, a pen and paper work well, too, and might keep you from writing down too much information. c. d. Make a note of who is present. If necessary, pass around a sign-in sheet. Use the meeting agenda as an outline for the minutes.

e. Details do not belong in meeting minutes. Do write down any motions and decisions made and the key findings of any committee reports. f. Use bullet points to make the minutes easier to read. Each bullet statement should represent a different finding, discussion, or decision. Use nested bullets (bulleted statements within a bullet) if appropriate. g. Make a note of issues that were tabled until future meetings; this will serve as an important reminder to the board of things that still need to be done. h. Transcribe or review minutes as soon as possible after the meeting, while your Minutery of what happened is still fresh. i. Before you submit the meeting minutes, proof read for typos and omissions.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF WRITING MINUTES OF A MEETING Advantages a. b. c. Disadvantages When you take this as a process its time consuming and lot of preparation required Concise record Prevent ambiguities Saves time

SPECIAL LANGUAGE FEATURES IN MINUTE WRITING

Minute writing is something of an art form. A minute is not a. A Minute is a short, to the point communication conveying your thoughts, reactions or opinion on something. A Minute can call people to action or broadcast a bit of timely news. With Minute writing, shorter is better. Writing business Minutes in different styles is vital in business communication today.

As with all writing, Minute writing needs a structure. Because they are short, rambling meanderings will soon destroy the Minutes effectiveness and become a waste of productive time to those that read it and to the person who wrote it.

Before writing, consider Who will read the Minute, Why the Minute is being written, The tone and language, Certain words convey the tone of a Minute.

If you have something longer than a page, its better to send it as an attachment or a document that follows the Minute used as a cover letter. Never make a Minute too long. If someone takes a glance at a Minute that appears to be too long, theres a good chance it will be set aside for a time when they arent busy. This can defeat your Minutes purpose which is timely communication.

CONCLUSION Taking minutes at a meeting is not always a popular activity, but it is an important one. The meeting minutes serve as a record of what action the board of directors has taken. In the eyes of the Inland Revenue, courts, and auditors board meeting minutes are legal documents. Nonetheless, there is no single format to take minutes. You can do what makes sense for you and your group. However, following these tips can help make writing meeting minutes easier: