Minute-taking is an art form
ILA Trainer portrait #1: Philip Davis, Effective Minute Taking.

Philip Davis has been teaching ‘Effective Minute Taking’ on behalf of ILA since 2011. We wanted to find out how it came about and why his course has been so successful for almost 15 years. That's why we sat down with Philip after his last course and before his flight back to London.

ILA: Philip, how did you come to teach this course?

Philip Davis: I was asked several times by the Chartered Governance Institute if I would be interested in developing a course on how to be a minute taker. But I just couldn't get to grips with a topic that seemed so dry. Hence, I declined repeatedly. After several attempts, I was almost begged and, finally, agreed. So, I started to delve into the subject and learn what a minute-taker must master.

ILA: What have you learned?

Philip Davis: Minutes are a key aspect of governance, and the minute-taker is a key player in the boardroom. Also, the minutes must reflect any robust decisions that are taken. This means that it is not only important to document what decisions was made, but also why and how this decision was reached. This is particularly required by regulators and might play a significant role in court. Achieving this is a demanding challenge and requires a certain set of skills. It starts with understanding that minute-taking calls for not a reactive, but a proactive and forward-looking approach.

ILA: Please, explain.

Philip Davis: What do you think a minute-taker’s biggest fear is? The fear of what you might have missed. My course is about how to prepare, anticipate and perform to reproduce a disorganised discussion in a logical and understandable way. I provide advice and support on how to achieve this by guiding my class through the various challenges and associated exercises. My aim is to help minute-takers move on from the ‘hear and record’ stage to the ‘listen and evaluate’ stage. There are various methods and techniques for doing this, which I teach during my seven-hour course.

ILA: After your course, participants systematically give us very positive feedback. What’s your secret?

Philip Davis: The key is to understand that a course is a living thing. Therefore, the most important is to engage with all the participants and to make a seemingly dry topic interesting. Participants quickly learn that although they come from different backgrounds and sectors, they face common challenges. They thus understand that they are one community. This makes exchanges livelier and collaboration more fluid.

ILA: Philip, we thank you for the informative conversation.


Philip Davis
Big Pink Bubble Ltd


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