Skip to content

Note Taking and Summarising Skills for Busy Professionals

Professionals across African workplaces sit through meetings, briefings and site visits, yet often struggle to capture what matters and turn it into something useful. This course teaches practical note taking and summarising methods that save time and improve recall. Delegates practise condensing long discussions and documents into clear, accurate summaries that colleagues and managers can act on quickly.

What you will be able to do

  • Select a note taking method that suits meetings, reading and fieldwork.
  • Capture key points, decisions and actions without recording everything.
  • Organise notes so they remain useful days and weeks later.
  • Summarise long documents and discussions into concise briefings.
  • Distinguish essential information from supporting detail.
  • Convert rough notes into a clear written summary for others.

Course outline

  1. 01Why Good Notes Save Time and Reduce Errors
  2. 02Note Taking Methods for Different Settings
  3. 03Listening and Capturing Key Points
  4. 04Organising Notes for Later Use
  5. 05Summarising Long Documents Accurately
  6. 06Separating the Essential from the Optional
  7. 07Turning Notes into Shareable Summaries

Who should attend

This course benefits officers, assistants, analysts and managers who attend many meetings or process large amounts of information and need to summarise it clearly.

Dates, venues and fees

DatesVenueDaysFeeCalendar
17 to 18 Aug 2026Kampala2US$1,100
24 to 25 Aug 2026Dar es Salaam2US$1,100
31 Aug to 1 Sep 2026Pretoria2R10,000
7 to 8 Sep 2026Cape Town2R10,000
21 to 22 Sep 2026Online2US$900
28 to 29 Sep 2026Mozambique2US$1,100
5 to 6 Oct 2026Cairo2US$1,100
12 to 13 Oct 2026Accra2US$1,100
19 to 20 Oct 2026Lusaka2US$1,100
26 to 27 Oct 2026Kigali2US$1,100
2 to 3 Nov 2026Nairobi2US$1,100
9 to 10 Nov 2026Durban2R10,000
16 to 17 Nov 2026Johannesburg2R10,000
30 Nov to 1 Dec 2026Mauritius2US$1,100
7 to 8 Dec 2026Dubai2US$1,100
14 to 15 Dec 2026Lagos2US$1,100
21 to 22 Dec 2026Harare2US$1,100

Fees are per delegate. South African venues are priced in rand; other locations and online in US dollars. Fees exclude 15% VAT where applicable. Group bookings of three or more delegates from the same organisation qualify for a reduced rate; contact us for a quotation.

Related courses in Business Communication and Report Writing

Business Communication and Report Writing

Report Writing for Technical and Operational Teams

Most operational reports die in an inbox because the finding is buried on page four. This course rebuilds the way engineers, inspectors and...

Next session
7 to 11 Sep 2026
Venue
Online
5 day programme
FromUS$900
Business Communication and Report Writing

Persuasive Business Writing and Email Discipline

Write the email that gets a decision instead of three rounds of clarification. Delegates work through tone, structure and the small choices...

Next session
31 Aug to 2 Sep 2026
Venue
Dar es Salaam
3 day programme
FromUS$900
Business Communication and Report Writing

Minute Taking and Meeting Records

A committee resolution is challenged six months later and the only record is a set of notes nobody can follow. Minute takers learn to...

Next session
31 Aug to 1 Sep 2026
Venue
Lagos
2 day programme
FromUS$900
See all Business Communication and Report Writing courses