We're all familiar with meetings, part of the regular cycle of working life. Many will have been unfortunate enough to work for an organisation that sees meetings as nothing more than an enforced banality, coming around as regularly as an unwelcome relative whom nobody feels they can turn away. But others will have instead been part of a more positively and proactively managed business, with an emphasis on well-run, efficient and effective meetings, meetings in which important decisions are made, all concerned make a significant contribution, and proposals and issues are able to be raised in the confidence that they will be fairly addressed.

However, even the most effective meeting, rich with intelligent contributions and clear, well-supported decisions, is of little benefit unless the results of the meeting are carried through in the days and weeks to come. It's important that meetings don't only matter for the moment in time that they take up and that those involved can continue to have access to the discussions and developments that arose; after all, the human memory is an imperfect tool. Moreover, referring back to individual contributions in the cold light of a new day might bring a new perspective that would otherwise have been lost.

As such, a well-organised meeting should have a minute taker keeping a record of everything said and done. There's no question that accurate and detailed minutes can benefit any organisation, both in the period between meetings and as an introduction to the next, making all in attendance aware of where they stand. If it falls to you to take these minutes, then you'll need to do so as precisely, clearly and informatively as possible.

Effective minute taking starts before the meeting. It's always worth consulting with the chairperson and establishing a clear understanding of the agenda. A well-organised meeting should have arranged in advance how the meeting will progress and what contributions are expected - you can use this agenda to structure your note-taking, setting out in advance what is intended and making the details clear as the meeting progresses. After all, it will always be more difficult to make a full and exact report of an unpredictable event than one which holds no surprises.

However, preparing yourself for a meeting isn't simply a matter of making sure that you have all the information you might need - you should also look to prepare your own approach. The role requires you first and foremost to listen. The minutes you produce can't simply be a verbatim account of everything that is said; there won't be enough time and the end result would be disjointed and unhelpful. Minutes will be read in search of the key statements and developments, and the more unnecessary detail is included, the harder it will be to find them. Success thus needs a keen ear for those vital points - and it's not a gift that any of us are born with. Practice really does make perfect It can be worthwhile taking every opportunity to listen to discussions and to train your ears and your brain to sift through all you hear to pick out the vital points.

Even if you've gathered together all the important details and decisions, your minutes will still fail to meet their purpose if their meaning isn't quite clear. Successful minutes are economical - just as you need to separate the important from the insubstantial in what you hear, so the report you produce must state each point in clear and concise terms. Consider your audience: choose words that are best suited to the intended readership. Your meeting may involve, and might be be for the benefit of, technical staff, allowing you to keep each statement as short as can be by using jargon and acronyms that readers will understand. On the other hand, minutes may need to be provided for shareholders or members of the public, calling for more detail to explain the point being made.

Finally - yet no less importantly - there are a number of seemingly minor matters you mustn't overlook. How will you be taking the minutes? If you're using a laptop to make notes or a Dictaphone to record the meeting for future reference, be sure to always check your batteries. If you're writing, don't rely on just one pen! As well as the means, you'll need to be confident of your method; regular minute takers will often learn shorthand, but if that's not your position, you'll need to be comfortable with your own note taking system, (for instance, if you're using abbreviations to save time, will you remember what they mean after the event?). Again, practice makes perfect. Don't forget that there are some details which, though small, are critically important - such as the time and date of the meeting, and a list of those in attendance.

Regardless of whether minute taking is a central part of your working life or a one-off occurrence (or anywhere in between), preparation can make all the difference. Practicing, having the best tools, knowing what to expect and how to handle it - if you set yourself up to make the most of the situation, then you'll be in a far better position to do just that. A short training course can also help to ensure that you're as prepared as can be, providing the practice you need, practical examples of how to take minutes successfully and learning to better understand just what will be expected of you. After all, successful meetings can drive a successful business - and no meeting can be judged a success unless all concerned are happy with what has been achieved.