Contents

Before you begin vii

Topic 1: Make meeting arrangements 1

1A Identify different meeting types and their purpose 2
1B Identify and comply with legal and ethical requirements 7
1C Identify the meeting requirements and participants 9
1D Make meeting arrangements 16
1E Advise of meeting details 22
Summary 23
Learning checkpoint 1: Make meeting arrangements 24

Topic 2: Prepare meeting documentation 31

2A Prepare meeting notices, agendas and papers 32
2B Check meeting documentation for accuracy and errors 35
2C Distribute documents to participants 37
2D Prepare spare sets of documents 40
Summary 41
Learning checkpoint 2: Prepare meeting documentation 42

Topic 3: Record and produce meeting minutes 47

3A Take notes that accurately record the meeting 48
3B Produce true and accurate minutes 52
3C Check meeting minutes and submit for approval 56
3D Dispatch copies of minutes 58
Summary 59
Learning checkpoint 3: Record and produce meeting minutes 60

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Topic 1
Make meeting arrangements
Effective meetings provide a means of communicating with others to achieve an outcome
and help attend to the organisation’s business in a systematic way. The primary purpose
of any meeting is to communicate with others. A meeting is a time, place and location
(including a virtual one) where this can occur, outside of normal business activity.
There are different types of meetings that can be used for different circumstances,
depending on the needs of the organisation at the time. Most organisations make use of a
wide variety of meetings, each of which facilitates the communication process in different
scenarios.
Some meetings require minimal organisation, while others require a lot of time and effort to
ensure they run smoothly and meet their objectives. For example, in many work situations,
designated people are responsible for organising formal meetings, while in other workplaces,
formal meetings never occur. Similarly, in some organisations, meeting organisers are
expected to take minutes, while in other organisations this responsibility is rare.
In this topic you will learn how to:
1A Identify different meetings types and their purpose
1B Identify and comply with legal and ethical requirements
1C Identify the meeting requirements and participants
1D Make meeting arrangements
1E Advise of meeting details

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Other types and styles of meetings

Here are further examples of styles and types of meetings conducted by an organisation.

Meetings with other organisations

These meetings between different organisations are commonplace and are

usually arranged for a number of purposes. For example, for forming a business
alliance or promoting goods or services. These sorts of meetings will need to be
held at a mutually convenient venue for all parties, so careful thought needs to
be given to location. It is important to plan carefully for these sorts of meetings
and ensure that all attendees are well prepared and the meeting is arranged,
recorded and followed up in a timely and efficient manner.

Committee meetings

A committee is a group of people elected or appointed from a larger body to

investigate, report or act in special cases. Like a project team, a committee
may form for a specific period of time or may be a permanent fixture within an
organisation. Often, committees are a group of people who work in different
areas of an organisation but have a common interest or goal to achieve.
Committee meetings can be small and informal or much larger and more formal,
depending on the size of the organisation, committee and the outcomes to be
achieved.

Teleconferences or videoconferences

These meetings are tools that organisations can make use of to enhance
communication among colleagues. These technologies enable you to talk face
to face to an expert who works in London from your office in Sydney; for sharing
and debating the issues raised in an industry report with your team members
located across the globe or for chatting to interstate colleagues about new
developments at your workplace.

Annual general meetings

All companies, except proprietary companies, are required to hold an annual

general meeting (AGM), at least once every calendar year and no later than five
months after the financial year ends. For listed public companies, at least 28
days’ notice must be given for a meeting of a listed company’s members. This
notice period applies despite anything in the company’s constitution.

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Treasurer

The treasurer is the person responsible for reporting the financial business of an
organisation.

Agenda

The agenda is a plan for the stages of a meeting, which includes the
opening, acceptance of previous minutes, business arising from the minutes,
correspondence, general business and close.

Minutes

Minutes are an official record of what took place at a meeting.

Proxy

A proxy is where a member who is unable to attend a meeting nominates someone

else (a proxy) to attend, and/or to vote in their place.

Quorum

Quorum is the minimum number of people who must be in attendance before a

meeting is official and business can be transacted.

Standing orders

Standing orders are an outline of the rules for meeting procedures.

Motion

A motion is a proposal that is officially put before a meeting and that goes through
several stages before it is accepted or defeated. A motion is always carefully
worded and recorded verbatim in the minutes. The person who suggests the
proposal moves the motion. A person who supports the motion seconds the motion.

Mover

The mover is the person who moves that a meeting accept a decision, such as the
contents of the minutes of the previous meeting or a motion raised.

Resolution

Resolution is the name given to a motion once it has been agreed to by a meeting.

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1B Identify and comply with legal

and ethical requirements
For board meetings, general meetings, extraordinary
meetings and annual general meetings, there are a
number of legal and ethical requirements that need
to be considered before you make any arrangements.
Further information can be obtained by referring to
the Company Law Review Act 1998 (Cth), the
constitution of the organisation and the relevant
codes of practice relating to the industry in which
you work.
You can access the Company Law Review Act 1998
(Cth) at the Australasian Legal Information Institute
website, which can be found at: www.austlii.edu.au.

Legal requirements
Legal requirements of holding a meeting include compliance with work health and safety
regulations and the provision of public liability insurance. For example, a public meeting
at which food will be served needs to comply with safety standards and safe food-handling
practices. Those holding the meeting must be aware of insurance needs.

Ethical requirements
Ethical requirements cover meeting protocol and the behavioural expectations of those
attending a meeting.
A meeting’s code of conduct may include:
• honesty • confidentiality
• integrity • essential disclosure
• respect • lawful compliance.
• accountability

Identify and comply with legal and ethical requirements

When arranging a meeting, you need to be aware of the requirements relevant to that
meeting. The company’s constitution normally outlines the voting rights and procedures
for a company. Where no provision is made, each member will be deemed to have one vote
on a show of hands and one vote per share on a poll; that is, for every share they hold in a
company, they are entitled to one vote. Where the company does not have share capital,
each member has one vote.

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1C Identify the meeting requirements

and participants
For any kind of meeting, you need to clarify how many people are expected to attend so
you can determine their requirements, the size of the venue and quantity of materials that
will be needed. The following examples demonstrate why this is important for all types of
meetings, regardless of how formal or informal they are and the number of attendees.

A board meeting

└ In addition to a list of board members, there may be additional participants,

such as senior staff members or external people, who have been invited to
attend for part of the meeting for some reason.

Informal lunch meetings with team members

└ You will need to know how many people are invited and whether everyone can
make it so that you can book a table at a local venue.

Annual general meetings

└ You will need to obtain a list of all directors, shareholders or company

members. In very large corporations that have private and institutional
investors that number in the thousands, external consultants usually handle
the complex task of arranging all or part of the annual general meeting, and
will maintain databases of shareholder information on behalf of the company.

Formal meetings

└ These will require attendees to undertake reading beforehand and

documentation will need to be distributed at the meeting, so it is important
that the number of both invited participants and actual attendees is known
in advance. Even people who are unable to attend will most likely still need
to have documentation provided to them for their information or so that they
can lodge a proxy vote.

Staff meetings

└ You will need to ensure that the space you have booked will fit the number
of attendees comfortably, and that adequate seating is available so at least
some attendees can sit down during the meeting. You will also need to make
sure that you have enough handouts and/or that any presentation material
can be viewed by all staff members.

Meeting with an external organisation

└ You will need to know who is attending (their names as well as their titles) and
ensure that all attendees are clear on the location of the meeting as well as
who is chairing or running it.

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Structure of the meeting

Some meetings are highly structured and, by law, have to include certain components and
steps. Others are more of an opportunity for people to have an unstructured chat about
certain issues or simply catch up with colleagues they don’t often get to talk to.
More formal styles of meetings (such as AGMs or
board meetings) will require more preparation in
terms of ensuring the meeting runs smoothly and is
structured well, so advance planning and knowledge
will be essential in these situations.
Ensure that you are aware of what structure the
meeting you are organising will take. Find out how it
will run, who will be in charge of proceedings, what
topics will be discussed and in what order and any
other information you will need.
Much of this information will be available from the
person who has called the meeting or you may be
able to adapt or work from agendas and meeting
papers from similar meetings that have previously
been held.

Voting protocols and procedures

It is vital to know whether your meeting is to have a session where issues are voted on. If this
is the case, ensure you are completely aware of the processes and rules that apply for the vote
to be held legally and for a true record to be held of the outcome of any decisions put to the
meeting’s attendees.

Special needs of the participants

Ensure you find out participants’ requirements when you are planning the meeting because
they could impact your time lines or be easily overlooked and have to be completed in a
rush at the last minute.
Here are examples of other needs that a participant in a meeting environment may have.

Special needs of the participants

Equipment
Participants who are presenting reports at a meeting may
have particular equipment needs; for example, to play a
DVD, deliver an electronic presentation using Microsoft
PowerPoint, use a data projector or to demonstrate how a
computer system works. Knowing in advance what these
requirements are is essential because you may need to
hire, set up and help operate the equipment.

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Parking facilities
Attendees may not be familiar with the meeting venue,
so it is a good idea to include parking instructions for
attendees so they know where they can safely leave their
cars. If they need to pay for parking then ensure they are
aware of this as well as any other costs involved.

Special dietary requirements

Some people are allergic to wheat-based products, so
arranging a plate of sandwiches to share for lunch will
not be suitable for them; pregnant women are unable to
safely eat certain foods; others will simply prefer not to eat
certain foods so ensure you are familiar with the dietary
requirements of the attendees.

Meeting times
Be aware that meeting times need to be carefully planned
in order to maximise the effectiveness of the meeting, as
well as to avoid any issues arising because the meeting
falls on a culturally or religiously sensitive day or time
(such as on certain days during Ramadan, Easter or during
Chinese New Year). For meetings involving participants
from different time zones, the selection of a suitable
meeting time can be problematic, so ensure you take this
into consideration.

Resources that are required

Once you have determined the meeting method that best suits the circumstances, you need
to find out any special resources and equipment that is needed.
Although items such as pens or having water available can seem trivial, making sure that
all the items attendees could possibly require are on hand will result in a meeting that is
more effective and runs smoothly. If attendees have all the necessary tools and comforts on
hand, they will be less distracted because they aren’t thinking about how much they want to
get a drink, that their pen has run out or that their presentation won’t work because a data
projector isn’t on hand.

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… continued

Equipment ordered:
• Electronic whiteboard
• Overhead projector
• Video player
• Television monitor
• Flip chart
• (add others)
Catering organised:
• Morning tea
• Lunch
• Drinks
• Special dietary needs
• Serving/break times agreed
• (add others)
Travel and accommodation requirements:
• Hotel bookings
• Air travel
• Car hire
• Taxi vouchers etc.
• (add others)
Video or teleconference organised
Other arrangements
Comments

Practice task 3
Identify five meeting requirements.

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Here are examples of physical characteristics that may need to be considered.

Physical characteristics of meeting venues

• Lighting (natural or artificial, room with or without windows)

• Ventilation and room temperature
• External distractions such as movement and noise
• Furniture layout and comfort
• Equipment availability and placement
• Proximity to participants’ work areas
• Availability of space for workshops
• Location of toilets
• Parking facilities
• Wheelchair access
• Signposting the location for easy access

Organise catering
Whether the meeting is held internally or externally, catering may be required. If so, the
following questions need to be considered:
• Do you have a budget allowance for catering?
• What type of catering is required; for example, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea?
• What level of catering is required; for example, do you offer biscuits or cakes with
morning tea?
• Are there any special requirements; for example, vegetarian or kosher meals?
• What is the timing for the catering; for example, tea and coffee on arrival, morning tea
at 10.30 am, lunch at 1 pm?
• Is there to be a meal break or is perhaps a working lunch planned?
• Will you require catering staff?

Organise accommodation and transport

As soon as you have established a participant’s availability for the meeting, you should
determine their accommodation and transport requirements and, if necessary, make these
arrangements for them immediately.
Your organisation’s policies and procedures may indicate the level of accommodation and
travel participants are entitled to. Transport arrangements may include air, rail or road
travel. Participants may need a taxi from the airport or a hire car.

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Web conferencing and other tools

There are a many web conference tools available. Most have the ability to share the screen,
and to connect via webcam and microphone and most also allow for some degree of file-
sharing. It’s important to bear in mind that these tools tend not to be compatible with one
another, so you can’t use Skype to connect to an Adobe Connect session, for example. ITS
Research Services have provided this useful round-up of a variety of web-conferencing tools.
Here are descriptions of three particular tools.

Skype

Skype is undoubtedly the most well-known and most popular web-conferencing

tool currently available. Even if you haven’t used it in a professional setting,
you’ve probably used it to contact friends and family. Signing up for an account
is free and very easy: just enter your details and download the software, which is
available for Windows, Mac and Linux.

Adobe Connect

Adobe Connect gives you the option to share your whole desktop with the
meeting or just one application and it is also possible for the attendees to view
the application you are sharing in full screen while you’re doing something else
on your desktop. Unlike Skype, Adobe Connect does not require your attendees
to have an account; you just share the URL of your session.

Big Blue Button

As with other web-conferencing tools, you can share documents and

presentations and participants can also make use of extended whiteboard
capabilities, such as a pointer, zoom controls and drawing functions. You can
record and playback sessions and it is compatible with Windows, Mac OS and
Linux. Initial set-up as host is a little fiddly but there is a range of supporting
video tutorials on the Big Blue Button website at: http://bigbluebutton.org.

Understand costs and operate within a budget

The costs of meetings can vary considerably, so you need to establish whether a budget exists
for the meeting you have been asked to organise. Depending on the size and frequency of
the meetings, there may be a separate budget for each item or one all-inclusive budget.
It is important that you keep records of actual expenses and compare these with the budget
as you make your meeting preparations.
Set up a spreadsheet to keep track of quotes, actual costs and budgeted amounts as you go,
so costs can easily be reviewed and kept on top of. Doing this also makes it easier when you
need to authorise the payment of invoices or submit expense claims after the event.

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 Topic 2
Prepare meeting documentation

When preparing agenda items, make sure that you include:

• the purpose of the meeting
• the date, time and location of the meeting
• a welcome to participants
• a notice of apologies received
• the minutes of the previous meeting
• matters (or business) arising from these minutes
• appropriate correspondence and reports
• major agenda items
• any general (or other) business
• the date of next meeting.

Prepare papers and documentation

In addition to the agenda, most business meetings require the preparation and/or
coordination of meeting papers or documents for particular agenda items.
Here are several examples of papers and documents that may be prepared in coordination of
a meeting.

Meeting papers and documentation

Minutes of the previous meeting assist attendees to recall what was

discussed at the last meeting, as well as providing talking points.

Correspondence is material addressed to the group such as the board of

directors, chairperson or that received by meeting attendees.

Financial reports include profit and loss statements, cashflow statements,

forecasts or projections and earnings statements.

Chairperson’s, CEO’s or Managing Director’s reports are high-level reports

relating to the industry and operations of the organisation.

Research reports relate to new areas the organisation may be moving into,
or initiatives that could facilitate growth or cost savings.

Reports from individuals could include slides or more detailed notes, or a

formal report in hard copy to accompany the verbal presentation.

Once you have drafted an agenda, send it out to participants and ask for their feedback.
Make sure you clearly state when they need to reply by. This provides participants with
an opportunity to check the program and to add any other items before a final agenda is
prepared. Once you have received any additional items, you can complete and send out the
final agenda.

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2B Check meeting documentation

for accuracy and errors
It is important that documents provided to meeting participants are error free and accurate.
When checking documents, ensure that they:
• reflect the agenda and its order
• are consistent in their format and style and match the corporate style
• are consistent from meeting to meeting
• are free of typing errors, spelling errors or other mistakes, whether superficial or not
• are accurate and up to date.

Check meeting documentation

In organising the coordination and distribution
of meeting papers, you need to liaise with the staff
responsible for preparing them to ensure they are
ready by the set date.
Because they will probably have been prepared by a
number of different people, you will need to check
the formatting of these documents for consistency
and make or suggest alterations as necessary. It is
likely that your organisation will have a standard
format or template to be used. If not, you should
develop one and notify others of the standard so they
can prepare their documents accordingly.
Do not rely on others for accuracy. If documents are forwarded to you electronically, run
your spell-check through each one, then read it again and make any necessary corrections.
Sometimes it is easier to do this by printing the document out and reading it through on hard
copy; a lot of people find it difficult to proofread documents on a computer screen.
Remember also that it is not always wise to rely solely on your computer’s spell-check
function. However, do not make any changes to the content, even if you believe it to be
incorrect, without first checking with the author of the document.

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… continued

Felicia Trimble – Managing director

Tony Medina – Finance director

Stacey Yong – Sales and marketing director

Gordon Yannis – Operations director

Morgan Cook – HR and admin director

Practice task 8
List five tips for distributing documents correctly.

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3A Take notes that accurately record the meeting

The role of the minute taker is an extremely important one. They must listen carefully to the
meeting proceedings and note down the crucial aspects of each item discussed, discussion
points and the action decided upon.
In fact, the ability to listen well is perhaps the most important skill a minute taker can
possess. In a busy or noisy meeting, it can be very hard to really listen to what’s going on
and write a clear record of what’s happening. It is a skill that might take you a while to
develop, so you may need some practice to ensure that you are as prepared as you can be to
write the minutes up.
People who take notes at meetings often use
shorthand (either their own system or a recognised
system such as Pitman shorthand). This is faster than
normal handwriting and is useful when there is a lot
of information being discussed. Some people like to
record meetings on a digital device such as an iPhone
or speech recognition software, take minimal notes
as a backup and then transcribe the audio file later,
checking their notes for anything they were unable to
decipher in the file.
You need to weigh up the advantage of knowing
that you have recorded every word that was said,
against the time it takes to transcribe an audio file
(this process is often longer than the time the actual
meeting took).

Note details during the meeting

It is important that the notes taken during a meeting are comprehensive and reflect what
actually happened. As well as an official record of what happened, minutes should also
reconstruct the meeting for people who were absent.
Here are some things to consider when raising issues at a scheduled workplace meeting.

Raising important issues

A summary of what the issue, point or suggestion was (often used as a heading)

Who raised the issue

What was said – a brief overview is enough, but you may also need to attach a
document to the meeting minutes if a document was tabled at the meeting

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Other things that need to be recorded

Here are more examples of things that need to be recorded during a meeting and added to
the minutes accordingly.

Issues raised at the meeting

It is particularly important to record issues raised because they often reflect

problems or opportunities for improvement that meeting participants have
identified. As with other points and suggestions that are raised, it is vital to
accurately record who originally brought up the issue, as well as the ensuing
discussion or debate, and who raised supporting or conflicting facts and
opinions.

Decisions taken at the meeting

The minutes of a meeting act as a formal record of decisions and give authority
to a person to take action; for example, who will complete a task and when.
Some minutes record only the proposals and decisions of the meeting, others
contain a summary of discussion followed by the motion and decision.
Decisions may arise as a result of a suggestion, issue or point that was raised.
A decision may also be made after a long period of evaluation or after a series
of recommendations have been presented to and considered by meeting
participants. Record the lead up to the decision as well as what was resolved
and by whom.

Action items

Action items are things that the group of participants discusses and then
decides to take action on. As well as an overview of what the item is, and some
background, it is important the person who is going to undertake the action is
clearly recorded as well as a time frame within which they need to accomplish it.

Formal motions

Some organisations have a more formal meeting format and use protocols
such as motions, which are essentially recommendations for a course of action.
Motions are usually seconded or supported by another attendee and, if there
are no objections, they are then passed.
If your organisation uses such protocols, or the meeting you are taking notes for
is particularly formal in nature, then it is important to record what the motion is,
who raised it, who seconded it, whether any objections were raised and whether
it was ultimately passed.

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3B Produce true and accurate minutes

The minutes you produce from your notes must reflect a true and accurate record of the
meeting. It is wise to finalise the minutes of a meeting within 24 hours of the meeting’s
completion, while it is all still fresh in your mind. The format of the minutes you produce
will depend on the degree of formality of the particular meeting for which you have taken
notes. Generally, your organisation will have its own desired format for its minutes.

Example: produce true minutes

Jane is the personal assistant to the manager of a regional local government council, which has 45
employees. She is responsible for taking the minutes at each monthly staff meeting, finalising them
by the end of the day and distributing them to the staff via email.
As usual, Jane attends the August meeting and takes notes. Generally, she only
includes major points and expands on them later by recalling what has taken
place. However, after the meeting, three extremely urgent tasks take priority
over the minutes. Jane does not panic because she knows she can complete
the minutes quickly. But then, a serious matter arises that she has to devote the
rest of the day to and the minutes are neglected again.
By the time Jane is back on track, she has forgotten some of the points she
needed to make. Her habit of relying on her memory when producing the

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minutes proves to be a very risky strategy this time.

Format of minutes
Typically, organisations use the format of the minutes
of the previous meeting as a guide or template for
how the minutes should look and what they should
contain.
If a new meeting is being held, the style of meeting
minutes could be adapted from another meeting or
created from scratch. Remember to evaluate how
formal the meeting will be, who will be attending, the
level of seniority of the meeting (which isn’t always
an indication of how formal the meeting will be or
the most suitable minutes structure to use) and the
purpose of the meeting in determining how formal
the minutes should be.

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Correspondence
7
If relevant letters, notices or other correspondence have been received since
the last meeting, they can either be read out at the meeting and discussed, or
copied and distributed for inspection.

Agenda items
8
Items on the agenda are discussed and dealt with in order. You should note any
items of relevance and record decisions taken. Take particular note of any action
required and the name of the person who is required to carry out the action.

Reports
9
Some reports may be provided to participants for information only, while others
require discussion and further action. If they are for information only, the
minutes should record them as ‘report noted’ or similar wording.

Other business
10
The chairperson provides members with an opportunity to raise any other
matters of business that might be relevant. At some meetings, because of
time constraints, only new items of business that have been listed with the
chairperson prior to the commencement of the meeting will be dealt with.

Date of next meeting

11
Sometimes meeting dates are set well in advance, particularly for regular formal
meetings, such as board meetings or sales meetings, and all participants should
have them listed in their diaries. In such cases, the date of the next meeting will
merely be a confirmation and/or reminder.

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3C Check meeting minutes and

submit for approval
Meeting minutes, like any other document you produce for your organisation, should be
of the highest quality possible. As well as ensuring they are error free, minutes should be
useful to attendees and representative of what happened during the course of the meeting.
Tips for taking meeting minutes:
• If you use any abbreviations, ensure that you include a table or reference to this in the
minutes so that readers can quickly understand what you mean.
• As you record minutes, have a separate sheet where you can also note any items that are
going to be discussed in greater detail at the next meeting.
• Write up minutes as soon as possible after the meeting.
• Use a template to help you keep good notes and help you remember to record key items.
• Take a copy of the minutes from the last meeting, your diary, a set of meeting papers,
copies of any reports or presentations that are being made and a list of attendees and
apologies with you, as well as your notebook, some pens and a hard-copy blank minutes
template.
• Discuss with the chairperson before the meeting whether any sessions or discussions
will be held where minutes will not be required (these are called ‘in-camera’ sessions).
• Don’t be too brief in the way you note discussions – ensure that anything that is written
is clearly understood and cannot be misunderstood or have several meanings.

Check meeting minutes

Before forwarding your draft minutes to the
chairperson for approval, you may need to have it
checked by someone in your office; for example, your
supervisor, the chief executive officer or the company
secretary. The chairperson may ask you to make
alterations to the draft or they may give approval for
you to dispatch copies to the relevant people.
Before sending out copies of the minutes, check
whether you are required to forward any other
documentation. For example, your minutes may refer
to a document that was discussed at the meeting but
was not available at the time, or someone may have
promised to forward information on a topic with the
minutes.

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3D Dispatch copies of minutes

Your organisation may have a specified time line for dispatching the minutes, which should
always be followed. If not, meeting minutes should always be sent out as soon as possible
after the meeting, as recipients may be required to undertake some follow-up action before
the next meeting.
Your meeting minutes checklist should include a section to indicate when you sent the
minutes and how they were sent. Then you will be able to trace the minutes if a recipient
informs you that they have not arrived.
Here are examples of questions that might need to be posed when dispatching meeting
minutes.

Meeting minute criteria

Did you email them to everyone?

Were they placed on the organisation’s intranet?

Were they sent by post using ordinary mail?

Did you use an express post service?

Did you send the minutes by courier?

Methods of dispatch
On some occasions, more than one of these dispatch methods may be
required, depending on who you are sending the minutes to, and how
urgently they are required. You may need to email a copy and send a
hard copy via your company’s internal mail system, with hard-copy
attachments.
Remember, if you produce a draft of the minutes as soon as possible after
the meeting has ended, you are more likely to meet your deadline. Always
take into account that there may be unforeseen work priorities that
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arise, or the person who has to approve the draft prior to sending out the
minutes may be unavailable.

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