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Free Minute Taking Course: An Introduction for Boards
Our free minute taking course provides essential guidance for anyone interested in learning the basics of minute taking for boards, from legal compliance to effective note-taking strategies.
Master the art of minute taking—an essential governance skill.
Free Minute Taking Course: An Introduction for Boards
Minute taking is more than just a task—it’s a critical component of good governance that ensures your board remains compliant, accountable, and effective. By mastering this essential skill, you can become an invaluable resource to your board or organisation.
Best of all, you can get started for free with our minute-taking course.
Are You Ready to Become an Indispensable Asset to Your Board?
Our course is designed to help you quickly grasp the fundamentals of minute taking, giving you the confidence to deliver accurate, high-quality minutes that reflect your board’s decisions and discussions with clarity.
Why Is This Course Free?
We believe that effective minute taking is crucial for all organisations, regardless of size or budget. Every organisation deserves to have well-documented meetings that capture key decisions, actions, and outcomes. By offering this course for free, we aim to equip as many boards and organisations as possible with the tools and skills needed to improve governance, transparency, and decision-making.
Our aim is to ensure that no organisation is left behind when it comes to producing professional and compliant minutes, which are vital to the success and legal integrity of every boardroom.
Who Is This Course For?
- Board Members and Secretaries: Looking to enhance their minute-taking skills for legal compliance and transparency.
- Senior Executives: CEOs, CFOs, and other executives needing to improve their governance records.
- Consultants: Governance consultants seeking practical tools to support their clients.
Over 1,000 Participants and Growing Every Day
Join the thousands of professionals who have taken this course and experienced immediate improvements in their minute-taking skills.
Our free minute-taking course is considered by many participants to be better than many paid courses and several participants employers have made it a mandatory requirement to take this course if their role includes any minute taking.
What Will You Learn?
- The Critical Role of Minutes: Discover why minutes are more than just notes—they’re the legal and strategic backbone of every board meeting.
- What to Include in Minutes (and What to Leave Out): Learn the art of summarising key discussions, capturing decisions, and avoiding unnecessary details.
- Who Should Take Minutes: Whether you’re the secretary or another board member, knowing who is responsible and how to execute this responsibility is key.
- How to Write Clear, Concise, and Effective Minutes: Get expert tips on how to format your minutes, structure your content, and ensure you’re capturing the right details.
- Where and How to Store Minutes Securely: Understand the legal and practical aspects of storing minutes securely to ensure accessibility and compliance.
The Benefits of Enrolling in This Course
- Comprehensive Yet Concise: Our 5-day course delivers essential skills with no fluff—just what you need to excel.
- Better Than Many Paid Courses: Participants consistently say our free course outshines many paid alternatives.
- Immediate Application: Learn actionable strategies you can apply in your next board meeting.
- Over 1,000 Learners and Counting: Join a growing community of professionals committed to improving board governance.
- Free and Accessible: No cost, no barriers—just effective learning.
Ready to Start? Here’s How You Can Register
This course is completely free, and within just five days, you’ll be equipped with the knowledge and confidence to start taking minutes that are clear, concise, and compliant with legal standards. Imagine going into your next meeting fully prepared, knowing you have the skills to deliver high-quality minutes that will impress your board and contribute to better decision-making.
Every day you delay is an opportunity missed. Register today and start improving your board’s efficiency, transparency, and governance.
Register Now:
Enrolling in the course is simple and takes less than a minute. Once registered, you’ll receive your first lesson within an hour and continue to receive daily lessons packed with valuable insights for five consecutive days.
Additional Resources to Support Your Learning
Below, you’ll find a curated list of additional resources that will help you expand your minute taking knowledge:
How long does it take to learn minute taking?
You can learn the fundamental principles of minute taking within just a few hours. However, becoming proficient at it requires real-world practice across multiple meetings. Minute taking involves condensing detailed discussions into a concise record of decisions, actions, and outcomes. This process can take years to fully master, but by enrolling in our free minute taking course, you'll gain a strong foundation that will set you up for future success. Minute taking is a skill that improves over time, as you learn to discern what details matter most and how to capture them in an effective, concise manner.
How do you become a minute taker?
There are several ways to become proficient at minute taking:
- Enrol in a free minute taking course: Start with our course to understand the basics and build a solid foundation.
- Practice in real meetings: Volunteering to take minutes in real board or committee meetings will give you valuable hands-on experience.
- Take an advanced paid course: Consider further refining your skills with advanced training that delves deeper into complex meeting scenarios and techniques.
- Read and research: Read books, articles, and guides that discuss minute taking best practices to continue improving your skills.
Becoming a successful minute taker requires practice and continuous learning, but it begins with understanding the core principles.
Is there an app for taking minutes?
While there are several apps and tools available to assist with minute taking (including board portals), you don't need an app to learn the essentials. Often, the most effective tools are the simplest ones: pen and paper or a word processor like Microsoft Word. The key is to ensure that you accurately capture the decisions, actions, and outcomes of the meeting, which can be done with or without an app. Many apps are geared towards improving workflow and may help streamline your minute taking, but mastering the basics of the craft should come first.
What should be included in minutes?
Minutes should be concise yet comprehensive. Focus on capturing the key elements of the meeting:
- Meeting details: Date, time, location, and attendees.
- Agenda items: Summarise the discussions, decisions made, and actions agreed upon.
- Decisions and outcomes: Record any motions passed, votes taken, and the final outcome.
- Action points: Include what tasks have been assigned, to whom, and by when.
Avoid recording every word spoken. Instead, summarise discussions and capture only the most relevant information.
How do you store minutes securely?
Minutes are often legal documents and must be stored securely to ensure they are accessible when needed while protecting sensitive information. Here are some tips:
- Digital storage: Use a secure cloud storage solution or a board portal designed for document management to keep minutes safe and easily accessible.
- Physical storage: If using paper, store the minutes in a locked, fireproof cabinet.
- Backups: Always maintain backups, whether digital or physical, to ensure minutes are preserved in the event of loss or damage.
- Access control: Ensure that only authorised individuals can view or access the minutes.
Your organisation’s policies should guide the way minutes are stored and handled to ensure legal compliance.
What are the legal implications of minute taking?
Minutes are often treated as legal records and can be used as evidence in litigation, so they must be accurate, clear, and compliant with relevant regulations. In Australia, for example, the Corporations Act 2001 mandates that minutes are taken and stored as a legal requirement. Failing to capture key decisions or inaccurately reflecting meeting outcomes can expose the organisation and its board members to legal risks. That's why minute takers must approach the task with a keen understanding of its importance and ensure that every meeting is properly documented.
This course is your first step toward becoming a minute-taking expert for boards. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to elevate your skills and help your organisation operate more effectively and transparently. Register now and start your journey toward better governance.