(originally published May 31,2012 updated September 5, 2024)
Do you ever struggle to take notes in a meeting? Alternatively, do you take notes sometimes only to later look at them and wonder what they mean. You just can’t make sense of them. And you can’t remember what was said. Unless you take good notes that you can also decipher later, following up from meetings can be frustrating.
It might be even embarrassing, if you need to go back and ask people from the meeting. But you can make it easier for yourself by adopting a system for taking and reviewing notes.
Distracted?
One benefit of taking notes during a meeting is to help you focus on what is going on in the meeting.
It may be challenging when you have ADHD to follow all of the bouncing balls in a meeting. Add in the distraction of Sally tapping her foot, the fly buzzing about loudly, the conversation right outside the room, and it can seem nearly impossible to pay attention at times.
No doubt you will still miss some things. It happens.
- If you miss something because you get distracted, you could ask for clarification in the moment when you refocus.
- Alternatively, if you caught the gist of what was going on, write a question in your notes to ask a trusted (safe) colleague later, like: “Ask Bill what Jane said about Project X.”
Too Fast?
Sometimes meetings just go too fast!
And you may find in your efforts to keep up with what is going on with the meeting you scribble notes that are later barely decipherable. It is just too difficult at times to process the information quickly enough.
If you have a system for taking notes, you will have a better chance of understanding them later when you need them.
Active Listening
The first step is to practice active listening is putting away distractions. To start, put your phone away so you don’t hear it. If you can put away your computer too, that will help.
The next step to active listening is to paraphrase or question where it is appropriate. For example, while you might find it uncomfortable at first, you can practice interrupting with phrases, such as:
- That was a lot of information. I want to be sure I understand everything. Are you saying…?
- I’m not sure if I got all of that. Could you say that again?
You also want to listen for main points that are being discussed. One way to do this is to listen for phrases such as “the thing to remember” or “my main point is.” When you hear these phrases you want to listen more carefully.
Concise Notetaking
As you are taking note you also want to write ideas, not complete sentences. Try writing keywords and phrases. You can fill in more detail later. But try not to get bogged down with too many details. You can leave some space to add details later. Also, try to use abbreviations, like govt.
It will also be useful to use symbols to identify different types of information. (These were created by Michael Hyatt.) Use the amount and types of symbols that make sense to you. For example:
[ ] A square checkbox denotes a to do item
( ) A circle indicates a task to be assigned to someone else
* An asterisk is an important fact
? A question mark goes next to items to research or ask about.
After the meeting you can easily scan your notes and add the note where it belongs
Cornell Method
Taking notes can be a challenge because there is so much information and it comes quickly. Using the Cornell system can help you keep up with this information. It helps you organize your notes into two major columns using a standard 81/2 x 11 page.
Start by drawing a line 4-6 lines from the bottom. Then draw a line about 2 inches from the left side of the page. The left column will be where you review your main points. The right side, which is larger, is where you will write your detailed notes.
Remember again to keep your notes concise. You don’t have to write complete sentences. You want to be able to keep up with the information.
You can substitute where it is written Class/Period withe topic of the meeting.
Follow-up
Of course, if you do not actually review your notes later, taking notes is of little or no use.
So, as soon as possible after each meeting, within a day so, review and take action on your notes. Here are examples of the different types of actions you may take:
- put to dos in your task management system (to do list)
- add scheduled items to your calendar
- email follow questions to the appropriate person
- add factual information to your Evernote page for that project
- if a task is assigned to somebody else and you need to track it, put it in your task list under “waiting for”
Next Step
Find a way to take notes that works well for you. You may need to experiment with a few different methods before you find one you like.
And once you find a structure that works for you make sure you have a system for following up on your notes.
