How to Take Meeting Notes Effectively
In a one-on-1 meeting with a client, or a conference call involving several people, good note-taking skills are essential to keep track of all the information that’s being discussed. It is difficult to remember details or keep track of meetings if you’re unable to take notes effectively. The suggestions in this article will aid you in improving your note-taking skills, so you’re able to take more efficient, well-organized meetings in the future.
Choose a method to take notes that suits you. There are several common methods you can try for note-taking, including the Cornell method, which divides notes into two columns, one on the left, and the other on the right. The idea is that the smaller column focuses on the most important ideas of the meeting while the larger column goes into the finer details of each. You can then make a summary of the meeting at the end of the sheet to connect the various ideas.
Keep your notes simple. You are likely to get caught in the minutiae when making notes. However, you must focus on what is most important to ensure that your notes are useful to people who will read them later. Do not copy and paste your notes verbatim and instead, use a shorthand or symbols that will be easily identifiable when you go back to your notes later on.
Ideally, your team will share their meeting agenda in advance to allow you to create an outline prior to the start of the meeting. This will spare you the hassle of logging key points in the meeting and help you stay focused throughout the discussion.
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