Effective Minutes Writing – Notes, Notations, Nuances
Too long, too short. Too detailed, too brief. Common frustration from chairpersons and bosses who wonder why their minute-taker just can’t seem to scribe the nice and nuanced touch. This is particular so in the sensitive environment of an organisation where sensitivities and interests of stakeholders are a demanding additional dimension to consider.
DR SUNNY GOH – note-taker, staff secretary, meeting member and board chairman – has been on both the giving and receiving end of such complaints and compliments in minutes-writing. He has witnessed long meetings where discussions could have filled pages of meaningless minutes, as well as brief meetings where critical comments were discarded. It takes just a day and a minute for this compressed workshop to show you how to write with confidence and clarity; yet not missing a beat in proficiency and professionalism.
Confusion over past and present tenses, reported speech and attribution and a host of meeting madness will be dealt with using real examples and samples. Minutes need not be boring even if meetings are! And because you come from a sizeable agency, the needs to prepare a meeting well; understand the atmospherics at a meeting; and follow-up duties after the discussion become a key concern for many note takers. This workshop will address all of these issues and provide useful ‘hacks’ to short-cut the tedious process.
Objectives
At the end of the one-day workshop, participants will be able to:
- Appreciate The Concerns Of Chairpersons And Members
- Avoid Common Errors And Blind Spots
- Write Minutes That Are Clear And Concise
The Qualities Of A Minutes Taker
- Before the meeting
- During the meeting
- After the meeting
The Qualities Of Minutes
- Resolution notetaking
- Action notetaking
- Narrative notetaking
The Qualities Of The Systems Approach
- Practice with Content
- Practice with Structure
- Practice with Format
- Practice with Language
Testimonials
“Sunny demonstrated the energy and drive during the course. I dare say that the whole class was very engaged during the 2-day class. Was very insightful. Thanks!”
– Pamela Tan, Policy and Governance, Synapxe (Sept, 2023)
Who should attend
All counter, frontline and staff officers who need to communicate messages or act as minute-writers, secretaries or note-takers must attend as a basic course in communication and correspondence.
Trainers
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Charles TeeCharles is an enigmatic, energetic trainer-coach who inspires with his life experiences and candour. He has over 34 years of varied, success-proven experience in the hospitality and service industries covering online travel, corporate travel management, hotels and resorts, leisure and tourism, destination management and event marketing. He specialises on training in sales, marketing, operations and strategic management covering South East Asia and other areas of Asia Pacific. Passionate in coaching and education, Charles is engaged in corporate training for hospitality/tourism clients in Singapore and internationally.
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Chrisashley TokChris specialises in personal development suites, from motivational workshops to psychological wellness programmes. She has curated many of the firm’s programmes on facilitation, mentoring, coaching and interpersonal communication. Her positive demeanour and easy-going personality endear her to her participants, especially undergrads and students. She is currently pursuing a Masters in Psychology under the firm’s scholarship.
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Dr. Sunny GohDr Sunny Goh has served in both the public and private sectors in his illustrious career, and is now a trainer-entrepreneur. He currently sits on the Board of Directors of six international firms across USA, Europe and South-east Asia, with businesses from leadership to IT. He has sat on both SAF Scholars Selection Board in Mindef and SPH Recruitment/Disciplinary Board in The Straits Times. He has trained cub reporters at the prestigious School of Journalism (later, Editorial Support Unit). He was previously a Council Member of the Singapore Red Cross and a mediator with the Ministry of Law.
As a certified trainer, he specialises in conducting writing, personal development and leadership programmes. He has a PhD in Education and obtained certification in Educational Psychology conducted by the National Institute of Education, and several training in virtual learning modules under Quality Matters.
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Germaine NgGermaine is a committed and dedicated trainer with a proven ability to teach, motivate and encourage participants from diverse cultural backgrounds and across the age and ability range. She possess 22 years of experience teaching English as a Foreign Language and seven years of counselling experience. She has a good understanding of learning behaviour and a warm passion for helping people grow. She is a psychology major and is TESOL-certified.