Writing Effective Minutes

Do you ever cringe when asked to take minutes at a meeting? Have you ever written furiously during a discussion and then found yourself struggling to make sense of your notes after the meeting? If you’re nodding along, you’re not alone. Many individuals face challenges when it comes to writing minutes. Often, it’s a result of never having had the opportunity to learn the tools and techniques that make minute writing easier.

This workshop will teach you how to turn your minutes into clear, useful documents that improve workplace efficiency and productivity. Through practical exercises and real-life examples, you’ll learn to write clear and concise meeting minutes. 

You’ll be guided through an effective process so you know what to listen for in meetings and how to take notes efficiently. We’ll show you how to develop an easy-to-read set of minutes that contains all the relevant information captured from the meeting. You’ll also receive feedback and guidance to address common challenges and pitfalls. 

Learning objectives

• Prepare for minute-taking by setting objectives, identifying key information, and using active listening and note-taking techniques. 
• Capture and summarize discussions accurately and concisely, ensuring essential points, decisions, and action items are clearly communicated. 
• Structure and format minutes for clarity, accessibility, and usability, using templates to enhance readability. 
• Write clear, concise, and unbiased minutes that accurately reflect meeting discussions and decisions. 
• Engage with the meeting chair and participants to keep discussions on track and ensure clarity of information. 
• Use different minute-taking techniques for various meeting types. 
• Review and finalize minutes, ensuring they are accurate and complete. 

Who should attend

This session is designed for anyone who takes meeting minutes or is looking to improve their documentation of key points. It is well-suited for those in administrative, executive support, project coordination, or leadership roles where accurate, timely records are critical. 

You should attend if you: 

• Regularly take minutes in meetings and want to improve efficiency and accuracy 
• Struggle to capture key points, decisions, and action items effectively 
• Find it challenging to organize and summarize meeting discussions concisely 
• Want to ensure your minutes are clear, professional, and easy to reference 
• Are new to minute-taking and need a structured approach to get started

Facilitator

Susan Portelance

Instructor, Eclectic Communications

Susan is an instructor, instructional designer and writing coach for Eclectic Communications. After many years in the corporate world, Susan has turned her love of language into a career as a writer, editor and trainer. As an editor, Susan works with her clients to craft effective communications – from newsletters and blogs to eBooks and proposals. Susan brings to the classroom over 20 years of training experience and four years of Toastmasters participation where she has honed her public speaking and leadership skills. Susan has completed training in adult education, presentation skills and coaching skills. She is certified to deliver presentations, workshops and one-on-one sessions using the EQ-i 2.0 Emotional Intelligence instrument. Susan is also a Certified Training and Development Professional (CTDP).

Fees

• QNET Members: $259.00 + GST  | QNET member list
• Event Partners (see list below): $259.00 + GST
• Non-Members: $299.00 + GST | Join QNET

Please review event Terms & Conditions

Cancellations (by the attendee) must be received in writing no later than 8 days prior to the course start. 

Course Credits

• An optional course (3.5 credit hours) in the 70 credit hour QNET Certificate in Management Development (CMD). 

Funding provided by The Manitoba government.

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