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Description

Administrative Support: Taking Notes, Structuring and Writing Meeting Minutes

Capture what matters during a meeting and produce minutes that are genuinely useful, within a short turnaround

  • 2 days — 14 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • Foundation
  • Up to 6 participants

Note-taking in meetings often swings between writing everything down and retaining nothing. Minutes are circulated several days later as a full transcript that nobody reads. Decisions and commitments are buried in the account of the discussion and are therefore never followed up.

Two days to change method: preparing how you listen before the meeting, taking notes within a structure chosen in advance, separating debate from decision, then writing minutes suited to how the document will be used. The different formats of minutes are practised on filmed meetings and on real cases brought by participants.

Learning objectives

  • Prepare your note-taking from the agenda and the issues at stake
  • Take notes within a structure that separates debate from decisions
  • Select the information worth keeping while the discussion unfolds
  • Choose the format of minutes suited to its purpose and its readers
  • Write and circulate minutes within a short turnaround

What makes this programme different

Note-taking is practised on filmed meetings at the real pace of discussion
The minutes produced are reviewed and corrected by the group
Two formats of minutes are produced from the same meeting to compare their effect

Programme

1Preparing how you listen

The quality of your notes is decided before the meeting

  • Making use of the agenda and the preparatory documents
  • Identifying sensitive topics and the decision points expected
  • Choosing your note-taking template according to the type of meeting
  • Setting up the practical conditions for effective listening

2Taking notes during the meeting

Write less in order to retain more

  • Selecting useful information as the discussion progresses
  • Using abbreviations and symbols without compromising readability
  • Distinguishing arguments from decisions and commitments
  • Recording the owner and the deadline for each action
  • Flagging what you did not understand so it can be clarified

3Choosing the format of the minutes

Each purpose calls for a different format

  • Distinguishing a record of decisions from summary or analytical minutes
  • Identifying the readers and the intended use of the document
  • Deciding how much of the discussion to report
  • Handling sensitive remarks and disagreements expressed in the room

4Writing and circulating

A document that is read because it can be used

  • Structuring the document and ranking information by importance
  • Writing in reported speech with short sentences
  • Keeping wording neutral and staying factual
  • Obtaining approval and circulating within a short turnaround

Who is it for

Administrative assistants and secretaries responsible for taking notes in meetings and writing the minutes.

Prerequisites

No prerequisites

Dates & locations

36 scheduled dates between November 2026 and December 2027. Seats are confirmed in the order enquiries are received.

November 2026

December 2026

January 2027

February 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

June 2027

September 2027

October 2027

November 2027

December 2027

None of these dates suit you? We open additional sessions on request, and any programme can be run privately for your team.

Practical details

Before the programme
Online positioning questionnaire. Your development objectives are shared with the trainer, who tailors the practical case studies to your context.
Teaching methods
Theoretical input, workshops and practical case studies. Digital course materials and method sheets provided.
Assessment
Multiple-choice tests and role-play exercises. Assessment of learning at the start and end of the programme, with immediate and 60-day follow-up evaluations.
After the programme
One year of access to the e-learning platform. Self-assessment of the skills acquired and a 30-day follow-up session with your trainer.
How to register
Registration online or on the basis of a quotation.
Lead time
11 working days after confirmation of registration.
Accessibility
Accessible to people of determination. Contact our accessibility coordinator to design a suitable solution: contact@mpf-academy.ae
Start dates
Rolling intake: in addition to the scheduled sessions, this programme can start on request.