The necessary skill-set for PAs seems to be expanding all the time. They are now required, generally speaking, to be very au fait with technology whilst also possessing a range of more traditional skills, such as minute writing. Minute writing might be associated with professionals who are perhaps lower down on the corporate ladder, such as office juniors, however you never know when you might be called upon to take minutes at an important meeting.
Why are accurate minutes important? Accurate minute taking is extremely important because they allow a meeting to be reviewed with greater success, for whatever purpose – to flag up any pertinent issues, keep a legal record etc.
Here are three tips for taking minutes:
Firstly you might consider taking an effective writing course. Effective writing training, which focuses on minute taking will be a fast-track to fulfilling this gap in your skill-set. Using traditional teaching methods and practical exercises you will very quickly become a better minute taker.
Minute writing is not just about writing things down. Of course this is a key part of it, however you also need to be a good listener and to have great concentration skills. Again listening skills can be fostered through relevant training sessions.
Whilst minute taking is primarily about writing accurately and quickly, it is key that you have fundamental writing skills in place, i.e. spelling or grammar. Without this in place the nuances in the text can be lost and accuracy therefore compromised.
