Socrates was worried that note taking was a crutch that would make people intellectually lazy. Just about everyone else thinks it’s a good idea. Join the Wily Manager guys this week, as they talk about how to take good notes. It will help you look smarter, too.
Monday’s Tip: Be Brief. Copy down only the most salient points. There are no awards for volume – and you risk writer’s cramp.
Tuesday’s Tip: Use symbols. Actions, decisions, follow up items for you, important points, etc., can all be noted by symbols of your choosing. This makes your notes much more useable afterwards.
Wednesday’s Tip: Listen for actions and decisions. The most important things to be noted at any meeting are the actions and decision that result. It is easy to get lost in the detail, and forget to write down these most important outcomes of the meeting.
Thursday’s Tip: Don’t note every detail. Less is often more. You want highlights, not a transcript.
Friday’s Tip: Consider transcription services. In the event you do want a transcript of a meeting, it is much easier to make an audio recording, and then send it to a service to be converted to a transcript.