5 tips for effective note taking
Because we can’t all have our own personal court clerk.
I’ve never seen one of those stenotype machines (if that’s what they’re called), but a court recorder possibly is the most efficient note taker I can think of. And, according to my stepdaughter, who is taking a Pitman’s PA training certificate, even ‘short hand’ is becoming redundant.
So how do we achieve good notes and why is it important?
Why?
I bet pretty much any department attends meetings of one kind or another that require minuting, writing-up or sharing with other colleagues:
- A marketing ideas session;
- A client meeting;
- A production meeting;
- A conference, workshop or ideas session;
- A meeting with a lawyer or accountant;
- A one-to-one…
For marketers, one of our key roles is to accurately capture and understand a brief, which means that taking decent notes is a core skill.
So, if you are responsible for taking notes, it’s important to develop good note taking skills because accurate notes could mean the difference between understanding (or misunderstanding) an item agreed, or an action to be undertaken. And remember – what is said is sometimes not what is heard. In other words, the meeting notes (or ‘contact report’ in the account management world) could resolve potential future sticking points and what was actually said and who took that action?
In addition, it’s vital to use the quickest and most effective method for you. Time is money and duplicate tasks are a waste of precious resource. In small business marketing, perhaps even more than elsewhere, getting it right first time could mean the difference between affording an activity or not.
How to take good notes?
I’m assuming that most organisations don’t have a court clerk on the payroll, so how can we be sure we have captured the important points?
1. Structure: If you take hand written notes and type them up later, structure your notes in the same order you expect to get them typed-up. Agree this structure with the people who receive the write-up to make sure that it makes sense to them. We like to record key points and items agreed on separate lines with actions at the end. Mark actions with a clear indication of who the action is for, and when it is to be completed by. Even better, go to the meeting with the key headings already written up to help you structure your write-up.
2. Systems: To save time later on, consider typing straight into the computer rather writing notes during the meeting. That said, in my experience, it’s then harder to listen and type, and it takes longer doing it this way. The better your typing skills however, the better this method. But having your Outlook tasks open, or in our case Basecamp to-do lists, popping the actions straight into the system you all use is certainly worth considering.
3. Technology: Consider one of those fancy pens that records what you write, or and simple recording of the session (audio and/or video). Don’t forget to get permission first if recording any session (data protection). We’re test driving a scribe pen and love it so far.
4. Agreement: If you are the note taker, don’t be afraid to stop the meeting and reiterate a particular point to ensure everyone agrees with what you have recorded.
5. Share responsibility: If note-taking not really one person’s job, share the task by alternating meetings. Just agree upfront the required format for the write-up so that everyone knows what is expected of them each time.
We all know time is precious, so agree the objectives of the meeting up front (ideally in advance so that people come prepared, by producing an agenda) and stick to the time allocated.
Most essentially, distribute the notes as soon as possible after the meetings. After 24 hours and it’s almost not worth it. Most people try to action their to-dos immediately after the meeting, or within that working day if possible.
These are just some basic tips. Find out the best method for you and practice streamlining your note taking. ‘It’s all in the detail,’ is a familiar sentiment, but keep in mind, nobody wants to read a 7-page contact report.
By Cheryl Crichton | Associate Clear Thinker | Clear Thought Consulting Ltd | @cherylcrichton | www.clear-thought.co.uk
If this article is of interest to you, you may also like to view:
- Case study: Gradwell skills and development »
- Blog: How to write a marketing brief in 10 simple steps »
- Blog: How to remember not to forget »
Clear Thought Consulting works with small businesses, equipping them with the marketing strategies, suppliers, skills and set-up that they need to become bigger businesses. We do this by planning and delivering 12-month marketing transformation programmes – supporting a small business through a step-by-step process to making marketing pay. We firmly believe that when you can’t out-spend your competition, you have to out-think them.
Published on 15 June 2010
