EF Business English Book 1 24 A Read the article about taking minutes. Who takes minutes in a meeting? You may think that minute-taking is a skill you will never need to learn. But it is not just secretaries and PAs who take minutes at meetings. The task could be assigned to any one of the participants. The appointed person becomes the ‘minute-taker’ and it is their responsibility to make notes during the meeting. They need to focus on the key points of what is being discussed, which may include issues from the previous meeting and any future business. Afterwards, the minute-taker must write up the notes as part of a formal record. The minutes are important both for the people who went to the meeting and the people who were absent. They should include the date, place and time of the meeting, the names of people who attended the meeting, the main points which were made, and details about the next meeting. Decisions in meetings are often made by taking a vote—proposals are ‘motioned’ and participants can vote for or against them (or abstain). It is important that the results of any motions are also recorded in the minutes. Decisions are often made during meetings about action to be taken in the future and the people to carry out each action. An action plan is a list of these future actions. It may also contain an overall objective as well as other information such as the estimated cost and duration time of each action, the resources available, and any time or budget constraints. The action plan may be included as part of the minutes. People can refer to it as a record of future plans and tasks assigned. es. 1 Rupert to his notes from the conference in Madrid. 2 The committee agreed that Mrs Smith should be as the new Chair. 3 All employees in the Sales department are to a meeting. 4 Sarah the task of sorting company mail to the new employee. 5 Michael is to the task of updating the website. 6 Minutes are a of what was discussed and agreed during a meeting. 7 Kate is for ordering office supplies and equipment. 8 Fred moved that we increase the number of external security cameras. The was seconded and passed. 9 Minute-takers cannot record everything said during a meeting; instead they focus on the points. B Use the words in the box to complete the sentenc- key attend write up responsible motion assigned record (noun) appointed carry out © Signum International S.à.r.l. Luxembourg, Luzern Branch, Luzern, 2012 www.ef.com Minutes & Action Plans 08 Unit Find this unit in the following modules: • Business Correspondence • Meetings Business Grammar: • Infinitives of purpose • Infinitives in notes Effective Communication Grammar Focus • Infinitives of purpose • Infinitives in notes