Need help with meeting notes

Hi Jason. I have some suggestions that I'm afraid will be lengthy. Most of the time as you said we just need to capture some key bits of data. But there are situations that require gathering all the discussion. Sometimes we need the customer to see us writing down everything they say. Often I'm taking notes from people who are really bad at expressing themselves. As in, I don't understand what they are saying and will need to get back to them and speak directly to decipher what on earth they meant. But if I don't capture it it's as if they never said it. 

To start, standardize your note paper specifically for meetings. I carry a journal for everything else, that I use throughout the day including notes from meetings. But when it's time for decison meetings requiring full capture, such as requirements gathering or any meetings with customers, I use a different notebook for that purpose. (I will reference the meeting and the notes in my journal so there's a link). I have settled on the rhodia flip-up A5 notebooks. When you get to a standard you will be more consistent. There's actual visual memory about what the page should look like. And even muscle memory - my hand starts to write and stops writing at the same places on the page. I leave margins for symbols like arrows for when I must take future action, or "?" as in I have no idea what this means and need to find out later. The physical consistency of the paper will help your brain during and after the meeting. 

I define in advance and code the meta-data in a header section at the top of the page. Write this out before the meeting. Leave room for additions. This organizes the meeting as well as the notes. Each meeting has some specific purpose and outputs (if it doesn't that's a whole separate problem). So if you know the purpose of the meeting you can put a header section on the paper the drives the organization of the output of the notes. Examples - most every meeting has notes on attendees, date and time, follow-up communications. Some of that is brief so I'll write that information right in the header. Other header items will have associated notes in the body of the paper. An SOW meeting has defined outputs (decisons, reason behind decison, risks, concerns). I match the item name in the header to the notes section. If the header has two decisions items - decison X and decision Y - During the meeting mark a new block of notes with the matching header item eg. "decision re X". Skip a line. Start writing. And the header also serves as a checklist. Too often a decison is contingent on some additional info or approval. So I take a moment to go back to the header and next to "decision X" I put not a check-mark, but maybe a "?" or the initial of the person I need to get approval from. This also helps at the end of the meeting when you want to summarize decisions, action items etc before you adjourn.

I never pre-outline the paper or print out a template. The amount of notes never fits neatly into the amount of space you've allowed on the paper. And I find it creates more problems then it solves as discussions meander in unanticipated ways. If I do outline the meeting, following an agenda perhaps, I just write it out at the top and reference it and maybe check off items as I go. You could also print out the agenda for this. But I suggest not splitting notes between notepad and printout.

Leave a buffer space between blocks of notes. As discussions meander the space on the empty page helps you add meta-data when you go back later and connect the disjointed notes (eg "disc about project" vs "future improvements"). Space helps you go also back to sections to add quick notes during the meeting. Or immediately after the meeting you'll read through the notes and will want to add thoughts - so save space as you go in anticipation.

finally, I process the notes asap. For every single meeting I have, even a 15 min phone convo, I block off time as soon after the meeting as I can to process my notes. I think this is critical. I use colored pencils to highlight because it's clean and subtle. I do the same think in my journal so there's a consistency (red means my boss, or urgent etc). Use check marks on each section as it has been 100% processed, meaning its only purpose is as an archive of the conversation. Put your action items in some task management software, calendar etc. And put a large "processed" comment in red at the top, or a large check mark to indicate you do not ever have to reference these notes again. Rip them out of the notebook (another reason I use a separate notebook for these types of meetings). Bind them. Archive them as long as needed. Meeting notes are not to-do lists anymore than an email is. Process, then throw out or archive as needed. You may want to create a meta-data summary someplace digitally or in your journal, I do so right next to the journal entry I made about the meeting.

This is always a work in progress, but I have a found a system that works for me. You will find your own with trial and error. Give some of this a try, keep what works for you. Jeanne

Hi jclishe,

I think the way you take notes should depend on the context - i.e if you need to link or map out information, using mind maps can be very helpful and lead to quick and better orientation; if you are in a structured meeting where someone else need to read your notes you should write them down slowly and in detail;

What I personally do is to use mind maps, so that I am actually working on solution already while taking note instead of simply writing down; if I need to send notes, I do it after a short time - going back to mind maps after a short time has passed allows you to both extract the info and suggest best new steps or raise further questions that are important.

I personally make mind maps on paper but there are also many mind mapping tools if you are interested to look at this approach.

Best regards,
Svet.