4.2 Keeping Track

A. Obtaining Feedback About Your Project | B. Recording Meetings

B. Recording Meetings

Why Should You Record Meetings?

Trying to remember all of the important points that were raised during a lengthy meeting can make the already challenging job of promoting mental health even more difficult. That’s why it’s good to get in the habit of recording your meetings, so that later, you’ll be able to review the notes and follow up on what was said.

This section will focus on the benefits of recording meetings - to help your initiative move forward and solve problems effectively.

What Are The Advantages Of Recording Meetings?

• Recording a meeting lets people know that they’ve been listened to and heard;

• It provides a historical record that can be used at future meetings for verification of decisions, and evaluation and serves as a reminder of past events and outcomes;

• It can provide important information to people who weren’t able to attend;

• It helps to keep everyone on track. If everything is written down, people are more likely to stick to the agenda, or get back to the agenda when they’ve strayed. It’s quite easy to note that things are getting off-track when the recorder is no longer writing things down, or if they’re writing things unrelated to the day’s agenda.

And for visible recording, on a flip chart or board, there are several other advantages:

• It provides a visible running record - everyone can see what has happened, and what is happening, as you go along;

• During brainstorming activities, having the group’s ideas in front of everyone can help the group stay focused. People are also less likely to repeat themselves.

• It demonstrates that people’s contributions were heard and acknowledged.

• It can increase people’s attention to, and interest in, the meeting.

Although your meeting notes can be an invaluable resource, it’s a good idea to ensure that everyone knows in advance that the meeting will be recorded, and agrees upon the intended use of the material that is recorded. Is it just for the use of the group, or will it be made public? In order for everyone to feel at ease, these issues should be decided collectively at the outset.

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How Do You Record Meetings?

Let’s look at the different methods of recording that you are most likely to consider using:

Written notes

Written notes are most commonly used if the meeting is a regular or routine meeting of the group, with no major decisions or actions on the agenda

Visible recording (flip charts)

Visible recording is most appropriate when:

• the group is engaging in problem-solving, decision-making or brainstorming;
• there are several options for solution or decision;
• the problem or discussion topic is complex, controversial, new or unfamiliar to the group;
• the decision to be made is important;
• group members do not know each other well;
• there is low trust among the members of the group, and/or a history of conflict

Tape recording

Tape recording is most appropriately used when:

• the discussion moves too fast for a person to keep up with;
• it’s important to capture the exact language used;
• it’s important to listen to vocal tone, as well as verbal content;
• other group members, who will be making decisions on the topic, cannot be physically present at the meeting.

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Who Should Record Meetings?

There is an art to recording meetings, so when your group is choosing a recorder, try to make it a person who has some experience, who knows the group well, who has clear handwriting, and who works well with the facilitator.

If possible, it’s preferable not to combine the roles of facilitating and recording a meeting. Your meetings will probably be more productive and successful if the facilitator can concentrate on facilitating, and someone else does the recording.

Tips For Recording Meetings Effectively

• having the proper tools;
• working effectively with the group;
• choosing what to record;
• recording effectively.

Now we’ll look at each of these points in more detail.

Having The Proper Tools

For visible recording, the best (and cheapest) tools include pads of large newsprint, or flip chart paper, mounted on a portable easel, and magic markers that write clearly. Once a sheet of paper is filled, the recorder can tape it to a wall so that it is still visible to the group.

Arrange the room before the meeting begins, so that everyone will be able to see what’s being recorded. You might try testing out your writing, to make sure that everyone will be able to read it from the most distant chair.

If you choose to tape record your meeting, it’s important to make sure that the equipment is working before you begin. Try doing a few tests and playing them back, so that you’ll know if the machine is picking up your voice, or if you need to change its position or raise the recording level. Be sure to have extra blank tapes so that you can capture the whole meeting.

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Working Effectively With The Group

listen actively

The role of the recorder may be quiet, but it is anything but passive. The recorder needs to listen hard at all times, to make sure that quiet comments don’t go unheard, and that points briefly made don’t go unnoticed or unrecorded.

remain neutral

Generally, the recorder doesn’t interject his or her own opinions into the conversation. Like the facilitator, the recorder draws out the opinions of the others in the group.

communicate with the group

It’s important for the recorder to interject. however, if the group is going too fast to write everything down, or if people are speaking too quietly. If the recorder is unclear about what someone has said, he or she could step in and ask for repetition of the point.

If the recorder didn’t understand something, or didn’t have a chance to write it down, there’s a good chance that other members of the group would benefit from slowing the pace down a little as well.

accept corrections gracefully

The recorder may have heard something wrong, or made a spelling mistake that someone feels compelled to point out. The recorder should simply thank the person for pointing it out, correct it, and move on.

work with the facilitator

The facilitator can repeat or check the speaker’s statement before the recorder writes it down. It will clarify what has been said for the recorder as well as for the rest of the group.

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Choosing What To Record

In general, the recorder will write down what is often called the "group memory", or what it will be important to remember from this meeting. Each meeting is different, but the points that are recorded will often include:

• questions:
• answers;
• feedback;
• concerns;
• ideas from brainstorming sessions;
• decisions.

How do you decide if a comment or question is important enough to write down?

Record a comment if it:

• is a specific suggestion made by a member of the group;
• is stated several times;
• introduces a new idea, or gives new information;
• is a decision made by the group;
• describes any action to be taken by the group;
• states who will be doing the action.
• If in doubt, it’s fine to ask the group to help you to decide what to record.

Recording Effectively

The following tips can make the job of recording easier:

• Don’t try to write every word - you’ll never keep up. Paraphrase what’s been said. If you have changed the speaker’s words, check to make sure you have captured the idea correctly.
• Use high-energy words, such as active verbs (e.g. contact, organize);
• Write large, legibly, and fast;
• Don’t worry about spelling - you’ll get the point across;
• Label and number your sheets. This will make it a lot easier to write up the notes later;
• Use colour, symbols and underlining to highlight your points. Separate thoughts and topics with symbols, such as stars. Save numbers for larger items, such as agenda items, or for ordering pages.

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What To Do With What You've Recorded

You will probably want to type up what has been written and add it to your files, and possibly distribute them to all the members of your group. These notes are an important part of the recording process, and will help you to keep track of the different activities of your project for the process evaluation. The notes generally follow and parallel the items on the meeting agenda and generally include:

• the name of your group;
• the date;
• the time and place;
• the names of those present and absent;
• the key points made for each agenda item;
• specific decisions that were made. You might want to underline, or highlight these in a different way, so that they stand out.

The meeting report is then distributed to all those present at the meeting (as well as those group members who were unable to attend), along with an agenda for the next meeting. The preparation and timely distribution of accurate reports can add to the effectiveness of your group, provide a historical record, lead to better decisions, as well as more effective follow-up to those decisions.

Your group should adopt its own policy regarding reports. Not every group needs detailed reports, and not every meeting may need written reports at all. You can adapt these tips to the situation in your project. The most important thing is that action is taken on the basis of the decisions made at meetings. Distributing meeting reports serves as a reminder for group members to follow through on what they agreed to do.

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4.3 Dealing With The Unexpected >