Agenda (meeting)

An agenda is a list of meeting activities in the order in which they are to be taken up,
beginning with the call to order and ending with adjournment. It usually includes one or
more specific items of business to be considered. It may, but is not required to, include
specific times for one or more activities. An agenda may also be called a docket.

Originally agenda was a plural word, a Latin term for "things [needing] to be done".
What is now known as an agenda is a list of individual items, each of which was
originally referred to as an agendum. In modern English, however, it is equally
acceptable, and more common, to refer to the list as a whole as the agenda for the
meeting. This modern English word is singular, and has a plural of agendas.

In business meetings of deliberative bodies, the agenda may also be known as the orders
of the day. The agenda is usually distributed to a meeting's participants prior to the
meeting, so that they will be aware of the subjects to be discussed, and are able to prepare
for the meeting accordingly.

In parliamentary procedure, an agenda is not binding upon an assembly unless its own
rules make it so, or unless it has been adopted as the agenda for the meeting by majority
vote at the start of the meeting. Otherwise, it is merely for the guidance of the chair.

If an agenda is binding upon an assembly, and a specific time is listed for an item, that
item cannot be taken up before that time, and must be taken up when that time arrives
even if other business is pending. If it is desired to do otherwise, the rules can be
suspended for that purpose.

Form of agenda
The agenda is usually headed with the date, time and location of the meeting, followed by
a series of points outlining the order of the meeting.

Points on a typical agenda may include:

• Welcome/open meeting
• Support for absence
• Approve minutes of the previous meeting
• Matters arising from the previous meeting
• A list of specific points to be discussed — this section is where the bulk of the
discussion as well as decisions in the meeting usually takes place
• Any other business (AOB) — allowing a participant to raise another point for
discussion.
• Arrange/announce details of next meeting
 • Tea and biscuits
• Close meeting

[
The goal of an agenda is to facilitate the decision-making process among group members.
This may be for a technology upgrade or a budget discussion. The agenda helps to keep
meeting attendees focused on the final decision. Agendas also make it easier to evaluate
the success of the meeting by providing a checklist for follow up and accountability.
Formats
The first line of the agenda should state the goal and purpose of the meeting. Some
agenda formats prefer to state the goal along with sub-goals after each agenda item. Both
formats establish a framework for discussion. Agendas can vary from simple to complex.
They can include attachments and reading material or the agenda from the previous
meeting. The type of format used is generally established by the formality and length of
the meeting. A good rule of thumb is that the format should match the dress of the
meeting participants; that is, a meeting full of sandals and shorts can get by with an
informal agenda while a room full of suits may require a formal agenda.
Informal vs. Formal
The short or informal meeting can be subsumed into an email or a meeting reminder. It
might contain one line for the goal of the meeting and then 3 to 5 short discussion points.
The long agenda is usually a full page, which includes a title, meeting location, date and
time, goal(s) and topics or points of discussion. Long meetings should also include times
for each discussion topic and the name of the presenter. Both agenda formats should end
with a section for "Next Steps" for follow up. These "Next Steps" will become the basis
for agenda topics at the next meeting.

MINUTES

.
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 notes taken, and the 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.

[edit] Public minutes

Most public meetings and governmental hearings follow prescribed rules. Often speakers'
words are recorded verbatim, or with only minor paraphrasing, so that every speaker's
comments are included. This is generally required at public hearings that are called to
address a particular issue, as distinct from other types of public meetings, which may not
strictly required verbatim records of all comments made.
[edit] Format
Generally, minutes begin with the name of the body (eg a committee) 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 (or ignores) 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 might note merely that a particular motion was "moved by Ann and
passed unanimously." It is not necessary to include the name of the person who seconds a
motion. Where a tally is included, it is sufficient to record the number of people voting
for and against a motion (or abstaining), but requests by participants to note their votes by
name may be allowed. 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 (e.g. a minute might
read "After voting, the Committee agreed to...").
It is also often common for adherents to the "less is more" approach to include certain
facts: for example, that financial reports were presented, or that a legal issue (such as a
potential conflict of interest) was discussed, or that a particular aspect of an issue was
duly considered, or that a person arrived late (or left early) at a particular time. The
minutes may end with a note of the time that the meeting was adjourned.
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
(often the Secretary - not the typist, even if the typist actually drafted the document!) at a
subsequent meeting for review. The traditional closing phrase is "Respectfully
submitted," (although that phrase is slowly falling out of use) followed by the officer's
signature, his or her typed (or printed) 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" or e.g. "subject to adding Amanda Schroder's name to the list of attendees". 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
(but not always) 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.
[
Taking Meeting Minutes
An Important Skill

At some point your boss may ask you to take minutes at a meeting. This task isn't reserved
for secretaries only. Any person who attends a meeting may be asked to do this. Since the
minutes will serve as an official record of what took place during the meeting, you must be
very accurate. Here are some pointers to help you master this skill.

Before the Meeting

• Choose your tool: Decide how you will take notes, i.e. pen and paper, laptop
computer, or tape recorder.
• Make sure your tool of choice is in working order and have a backup just in case.
• Use the meeting agenda to formulate an outline.

During the Meeting

• Pass around an attendance sheet.

• Get a list of committee members and make sure you know who is who.
• Note the time the meeting begins.
• Don't try to write down every single comment -- just the main ideas.
• Write down motions, who made them, and the results of votes, if any; no need to
write down who seconded a motion.
• Make note of any motions to be voted on at future meetings.
• Note the ending time of the meeting.

After the Meeting

• Type up the minutes as soon as possible after the meeting, while everything is still
fresh in your mind.
• Include the name of organization, name of committee, type of meeting (daily, weekly,
monthly, annual, or special), and purpose of meeting.
• Include the time the meeting began and ended.
• Proofread the minutes before submitting them.

Your . Find a
Guide Topic
• Description of Minutes (a sample report of minutes is •
included later in this document)
The following sample agenda represents typical format and
content of a board meeting minutes report. This sample should Search Our Site

be customized to the particular culture and purpose of the • Broa

organization. Note that board meeting minutes are very d
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practitioner's meeting next year. The organization should
generate revenues where possible from the materials, too.
- Swanson mentioned that staff member, Sheila Anderson's
husband is ill and in the hospital. MOTION to send a gift to
Anderson's husband, expressing the organization's sympathy
and support; seconded and passed.

· Finance Committee report provided by Chair, Elizabeth

Drucker:
- Drucker explained that consultant, Susan Johns, reviewed the
organization's bookkeeping procedures and found them to be
satisfactory, in preparation for the upcoming yearly financial
audit. Funds recommends that our company ensure the auditor
provides a management letter along with the audit financial
report.
· - Drucker reviewed highlights, trends and issues from the
balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statement.
Issues include that high accounts receivables require Finance
Committee attention to policies and procedures to ensure our
organization receives more payments on time. After brief
discussion of the issues and suggestions about how to ensure
receiving payments on time, MOTION to accept financial
statements; seconded and passed.

· Board Development Committee's report provided by Chair,

Douglas Carver:
- Carver reminded the Board of the scheduled retreat coming
up in three months, and provided a drafted retreat schedule for
board review. MOTION to accept the retreat agenda; seconded
and passed.
- Carver presented members with a draft of the reworded By-
laws paragraph that would allow members to conduct actions
over electronic mail. Carver suggested review and a resolution
to change the By-laws accordingly. Kyumoto suggested that
Swanson first seek legal counsel to verify if the proposed
change is consistent with state statute. Swanson agreed to
accept this action and notify members of the outcome in the
next Board meeting.

· Other business:
- Porter noted that he was working with staff member, Jacob
Smith, to help develop an information management systems
plan, and that two weeks ago he (Porter) had mailed members
three resumes from consultants to help with the plan. In the
mailing, Porter asked members for their opinions to help select
a consultant. Porter asked members for their opinions. (NOTE:
Zevon noted that she was also a computer consultant and was
concerned about conflict of interest in her Board role regarding
this selection, and asked to be ABSTAINED from this
selection. Members agreed.) The majority of members agreed
on Lease-or-Buy Consultants. MOTION to use Lease-or-Buy
Consultants; seconded and passed.
- Swanson announced that she had recently hired a new
secretary, Karla Writewell.

· Assessment of the Meeting:

- Kyumoto noted that the past three meetings have run over the
intended two-hour time slot by half an hour. He asked
members to be more mindful and focused during discussions,
and suggested that the Board Development Chair take an
action to identify solutions to this issue. Chair, Carver, agreed.

· Meeting adjourned at 9:30 p.m.

· Minutes submitted by Secretary, Bhata Bhatacharia.

Return to Conducting Effective Board Meetings

.
Note Taking P
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Business Communications - sample pages

Taking notes
1. Notes are a compressed and accurate record of information.

2. Select only the most important points from the original.

3. Make a clear distinction between central issues and illustrative examples.

4. Do not make a full reproduction of the source materials.

Clarity

5. Listen, read, or watch closely, thinking carefully about the content.

6. Decide which parts will be most useful for your purpose.

7. Convert the original material into your own words.

8. This will strengthen your memory traces at a later date.

Materials

9. Always use loose-leaf A4 size paper.

10. This is the standard for business materials and publications.

11. Your notes should fit easily alongside other materials.

12. Avoid using small reporter's notepads (unless you are on a site visit).

13. Use a new set of pages for each new subject.

Layout
14. Write as clearly as possible, and follow the guidelines for good page layout.

15. Leave spaces between each topic.

16. Use a system of tabulation, with numbered points.

17. This helps to identify and keep one point distinct from another.

18. Don't write continuous prose or string points together.

19. Write on one side of page only.

Brevity

20. You can write in grammatically incomplete sentences.

21. These are notes, not finished prose writing.

22. Miss out any words which are not important.

23. Use abbreviations wherever possible.

24. You can also use mathematical symbols such as

< & >

25. Use diagrams, graphs, or pictures, to preserve an account of the materials.

26. Some people devise their own personal code of abbreviations and signs.

Structure

27. Create logical order and memorable structure.

28. Use headings and sub-headings for separate sections.

29. Use letters, numbers, or indents to identify individual items.

30. Keep the items visually separate: this makes them easier to use again.

31. Many people have good visual memory. Clear layout helps recall of details.
 Sources

32. Always make a full note of your sources.

Author—Title—Publisher—Date—Page

33. Record the full catalogue number of library books.

34. All this could save you a lot of time later.

Storage

35. Keep notes in a loose-leaf binder or a pocket file.

36. Use coloured dividers to keep sections distinct.

37. The loose-leaf method allows you to add new notes without disruption.

38. You can also re-write pages, and add diagrams or pictures.

39. Keep things separate, with clear labels to facilitate easy recall.

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People seem to be as divided on note taking as on any hot-

button political issue. One group will give you all the reasons why
they don't take notes:

• I'd rather focus on listening.

• I don't know what to write.

• Note taking never worked for me in school.

While the note taking enthusiasts will counter with:

• Taking notes keeps me focused.

 • I can always refer to my notes - I don't have to
rely on my memory.

• Taking notes works for me.

While this article may not make the die-hard non-note takers
convert, it will give them some tools to try. And even the most
avid note takers will get some new ideas to add to their
approach.

Most of us use note taking techniques we learned or developed

while in school. At that time our goal was the acquisition of
knowledge with the purpose of reciting it back on a test or
examination. As adults our purpose for note taking is typically
quite different. We are taking notes on:

• A group meeting

• A phone call

• An interview or other face-to-face meeting

• A workshop or seminar

• A book, article, newsletter or podcast

In all of these cases, while we want to acquire knowledge or

information, the end goal of our note taking isn't a test, but
application of what we've learned. As with most anything in life,
when we change the goal we may want to re-examine and
change the techniques we use to get there.

Here are seven ways to make your note taking more useful and
valuable to you:

Start with the end in mind.

Start by understanding why you are taking the notes. Don't take
them because you are "supposed to," take them because you
know what or how you might use them. Having this picture in
your mind will help you take the right notes without being lulled
into writing down everything.

Lose the linearity.

Most people take notes that are very linear in nature. Not all
lectures, conversation or meetings follow a strict 1, 2, 3 or outline
pattern. Allow yourself to take notes without a strict linear format.
There will be times to write a list, but there will also be occasion
for more free more comments and thoughts.

Capture ideas.
While you are in the workshop or conversation new ideas will
spring up. They may be connected to the situation, or they may
not - either way you want to capture the idea while you have it!
Give yourself permission to write down your ideas with your
notes.

Capture actions.
The thing you are discussing or learning about (and therefore
taking notes on) may suggest specific action steps you need to
take. If you are taking notes in a meeting or face-to-face
conversation this might seem obvious. But again, as you are
engaged in taking notes you may think of a new action step or
task. Make sure you write these down and don't lose them.

Develop shortcuts.
You will find that if you use abbreviations, or develop other
shorthand that works for you, it will make your note taking easier
and faster. Since you won't likely be sharing your notes with
anyone, the nature of your shorthand can be very personal. This
technique will help you speed up your note taking.

Have a format.
Perhaps you will find that developing a common format will make
your note taking easier, or even more enjoyable. I divide a note
taking page in to two columns. In the right column I take my
normal notes. In the left column I draw a light bulb at the top -
under it I place the ideas I have during the note taking situation.
About half way down the left column I place a check mark inside
of a small box. This is my icon for actions. I write the actions I
think of or are generated while I am taking notes in this area of
each page. I share my format as a example, you are welcome to
use it or come up with your own!

Review and summarize.

Perhaps the most valuable thing you can do comes after you are
done. Take a few minutes to review your notes - adding any
words or phrases that will make them clearer. The review
process will help you remember and make the notes more useful.
Once you have reviewed them, take a couple of minutes to note
the most important points again. This summarization will serve as
a great way to "lock in" the learning you gained from the
situation.

Each of these seven things can help you improve the value of
your notes. If you take notes regularly, try one or more of these
approaches. And if you aren't a note taker, consider these ideas
as a way to try a new approach to note taking - one that might
provide you value without the barriers you have encountered in
the past.

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