Vital agendas and topics are discussed in business meetings. Meeting transcription is an integral part of business. Secretarial activity at important business meetings can be divided in two areas:

1. Taking minutes of business meetings:

Depending upon objectives and circumstances of a company, a business meeting can be of formal or informal nature. Normally, taking minutes of meeting proceedings is the responsibility of a secretarial executive who is expected to be skilled and experienced in this field. He/she can effectively take the minutes by adhering to the following steps:

a)Come to the meeting room before time; ensure proper seating and other arrangements for the convenience of meeting participants.

b)Get the meeting agenda as well as minutes of the last meeting.

c)Use of tape recorder is recommended to ensure accurate coverage of meeting proceeding.

d)Date, time and venue of the meeting should be clearly recorded.

e)Note down the names of participants who come late or leave early. This will help in briefing them later about the points discussed.

f)Write down the points discussed in the meeting. Make a note of different motions made in the meeting along with names of persons who originated them.

g)Actions taken by the group on each motion need to be recorded. Details of each discussion should be avoided.

h)Only relevant topics should be recorded. Taking minutes is different from taking dictation. It need not be verbatim.

2.Transcribing the minutes of business meetings:

After successfully taking down the minutes it is equally important to transcribe it quickly and effectively. It requires a real skill. Relevant information should be carefully retained without making it too lengthy.

The best way to transcribe meeting minutes is to do it while it is fresh in your mind. If the points are clear in mind, you can transcribe it much faster. Delay in transcription may create difficulty in remembering the salient points discussed in the meeting.

When transcribing minutes you should be selective in what to be included and what to be ignored. This makes the transcription process faster. Sometimes, harsh words are used in the meetings or some heated discussions take place. Later on, no one would remember such things and such portion need not be transcribed. Transcript should convey the normal tone and discussion without hurting somebody’s feelings and emotions. An efficient secretary knows how to reframe lengthy discussions to make the minutes precise and to the point.

Minutes serve the purpose of written records. A realistic and reliable transcript which conveys the important points in most simple and meaningful manner is the best that is expected of a skilled transcriber.