Following a methodology that doesn’t work for you, therefore, is pointless. The purpose of taking meeting notes is to stay organized and remember key points discussed. Having these sections listed out before you go into the meeting makes it easy to drop your notes into the relevant areas as you go along. Your meeting notes template might include: This is particularly helpful when you’re in the throes of a meeting and struggling to remember what you want to get out of it. Put together a meeting notes template with all the details you want to make note of. Taking a couple of minutes to get your ducks in a row before you go into a meeting can make a world of difference. Like most productivity hacks, it all comes down to planning and structure: Start taking notes before the meeting
Knowing how to take meeting notes effectively is a tougher egg to crack. Knowing what to take notes on is one thing. Details will slip to the wayside, but it’s important to keep track of what was decided, including the next steps and any outcomes. Main decisionsĭecisions are the meat of your meetings.
If there are open-ended questions that require follow-up on your behalf, make a special notation so you remember to add related tasks to your to-do list. What important questions cropped up during the meeting? Note these down, as well as any answers that were provided. Note down any particularly good ones that you can follow up with later.
Meetings often bring up fresh ideas, especially if you’re collaborating with multiple departments at the same time. Even better, add these action items straight into Teamwork to notify relevant team members in real-time. Note down each action point, who it’s assigned to, and its due date. The action items are what turn a meeting from a team chat to a productive part of your schedule. Try to keep each point short (less than three sentences) for brevity. Summarize the key points from each item on the agenda, including what was discussed and any outcomes that were mentioned. Here are the kinds of notes you should consider taking: 1. Jotting down only the most useful information makes your note-taking efforts more effective and easier to sift through ideas. It’s easy to try and write down everything mentioned in a meeting-but do you really need written evidence of what head designer Tim did over the weekend?
Look back at your notes after a meeting to see if the goals discussed have been reached (or if you need to circle back to anything that’s been missed). Keep notes safe and make sure they’re legible for sharing around with the rest of your team and stakeholders. Accurately documenting any ideas, action points, and objectives discussed in the meeting increases your focus and helps you stay present. Writing or typing out your notes helps you absorb the information and retain it for longer. Noting down ideas and key points in your own words makes it easier to understand and retain information.Ībsorb real-time information.
Download the free note-taking template here and select Make a copy to create your own version!.This is why team meeting notes are so important-they take the pressure off of memorizing details and make it easier to stay present (and more productive) both during and after the meeting. It's easy to get frustrated and even desperate to find out the information we need without looking careless or inattentive. This is a problem since you really need those details to get the job done right. There’s nothing worse than leaving a meeting, feeling great, and completely forgetting what transpired when it comes time to focus.
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