Need Tips for Taking Notes in Meetings.

[tm_meier]

My preferred note taking tool is OmniOutliner, and I'll sometimes use MindManager for brainstorming during meetings. My OO notes are pretty much "stream of consciousness", just capturing what's said as it's said. I go back after the meeting and review the notes for action items. MM and OO have worked pretty well for me, but I'd like to hear how other people take notes in meetings. Thanks!

[unhinged]

I use this paper template (http://www.workingstorage.com/meetingtemplate.pdf)I created that was inspired by the Cornell system. It works great and provides a nice reference for meeting minutes or for my action items later.

[sdhill]

I use this paper template (http://www.workingstorage.com/meetingtemplate.pdf)I created that was inspired by the Cornell system. It works great and provides a nice reference for meeting minutes or for my action items later.

I use a similar one which can be personalised and customised. Here's the link (http://www.eleven21.com/notetaker/).

[Brent]

Nice topic!

I use a simpler form, adapted from the Cornell method. The left third is a one column, the right third is another column, and the bottom fourth is a single row. The left column is headed "My Actions". The right column is headed "Notes". The bottom row is headed "Summary." At the very top are little labels for "Topic:" and "Date:"

So, as the meeting begins, I write down the topic/subject at the top of the page, and the date. I then take notes in the large column on the right. If I'm assigned or take on any work, I note that in the "My Actions" column. At the end, if needed, I rewrite the notes into a concise, well-worded summary in the row at the bottom.

The paper goes into my inbox, of course.

[BigStory]

Michael Hyatt on Notetaking:

http://www.michaelhyatt.com/fromwhereisit/2005/04/recovering_the_.html

Manager Tools (podcast) on Notetaking:

http://www.manager-tools.com/2007/07/how-to-take-notes/

Best Wishes,
Gordon

[Jeff K]

I'm looking forward to the Livescribe (http://www.livescribe.com) pen being released in Canada. One of these things where technology will probably start to change how we think about how we relate to our written notes.

[njones4213]

I am a total digital geek for processing, but for me taking notes with paper is the way to go. I don't know, there is just no replacing taking notes for me with a pencil. It seems to set me in the right mood to open my mind and not try to judge the merits of anything.

I use a standard letter sized padfolio with ruled paper. For each item i consider worth noting, I skip a line and write it down. I could care less if the notes use 10 pages for a half hour meeting. I used to try to cram everything in as small a space as possible, but since I got used to capturing one idea per page in capture mode, I got over that and now leave ample room for added ideas. I also only strike items with a single line. I find it useful later to read the thought process and not just the final thing decided on.

I use a simple coding system in the left margin during the meeting lulls. I put a star next to action items for me, and and arrow next to action items delegated to others, a question mark for items that I need to get more information about. I use a square for dated information (such as boss will be out tuesday). Someday/Maybe Items I am a little fuzzy about. Sometimes I use a circle, and sometimes I use nothing. The last thing is I put a check next to anything relating to what I consider my currently active big projects. I have lots of projects going, but only 3 or 4 that are my main focus at any given time.

This simple coding makes it really easy to enter everything into my system. I use thinking rock combined with lotus notes and google calendar.

-nj

[tm_meier]

Thanks to all of those who responded. You've given me some great ideas I can use at my next meeting.

I noticed that most of you are using paper and pen to take meeting notes. I tried that for a while, but I've converted to digital for a number of reasons:

I can type a lot faster than I can write

My hand gets crampy after writing for a while, even after trying every ergonomic pen and writing utensil out there. (This problem is probably due to my very limited range of wrist flexion, an anatomical quirk I was born with.)

Since I got a laptop, I've made a goal of going as paperless as possible. If my notes are going digital eventually, why not just take them digitally?

If I have to draw something by hand in a meeting, I can simply scan the drawing and stick it in my OmniOutliner document.

Just a few reasons why digital works better than paper for me.

[Brent]

Do whatever works for you; I certainly appreciate the time savings while typing.

However, I do want to note for everybody's reference that using a laptop during a meeting--even if you insist you're only taking notes--is often seen as unprofessional or disruptive. It may hurt your ability to advance...or it may be absolutely fine at your place of work. Just be sensitive.

I will also suggest that, if you're taking so many notes that your typing speed vs. your writing speed is a factor, you may want a different way to take notes. Ever noticed that even highly effective executives don't type away on laptops during meetings? You may not need to record as much data as you're recording.

That said, when I have taken notes digitally, I've used either Wordpad, or in one case Excel for a complex set of shared tasks that we were meeting about every week; the Excel spreadsheet was saved on a shared drive so everyone could review it throughout the week.

[wordsofwonder]

Ever noticed that even highly effective executives don't type away on laptops during meetings? You may not need to record as much data as you're recording.

I've been reading an interesting book (http://www.amazon.com/Lions-Dont-Need-Roar-Leadership/dp/0446394998) about personal power and business effectiveness recently, and one of the underlying themes that the author touches on has to do with the impressions we create in our interactions with others. One of my focus areas at the moment is being mindful of those impressions in my own business interactions, and so I'm paying a lot more attention to the impressions I have of others as well. It feels to me that, rightly or wrongly, scribbling/typing away endlessly during a meeting tends to undermine the impression that the person I'm meeting with has my full attention.

Translating that back to the topic at hand, I've definitely noticed that my natural tendency is to record a whole lot more information than is really needed, and that I don't end up doing anything with the majority of that information anyway. So I've been trying to only record commitments (deadlines, deliverables, price quotes, action items, etc.) in my notes. And so far, 4 weeks into the experiment, I'm not finding that I'm missing anything significant that way.

Just food for thought.

[kewms]

One of my focus areas at the moment is being mindful of those impressions in my own business interactions, and so I'm paying a lot more attention to the impressions I have of others as well. It feels to me that, rightly or wrongly, scribbling/typing away endlessly during a meeting tends to undermine the impression that the person I'm meeting with has my full attention.


I think that depends on the meeting. If the purpose of the meeting is information transfer, then the more notes you take (and the more questions you ask), the more confident in your understanding the other person is likely to be.

Katherine

[wordsofwonder]

I think that depends on the meeting. If the purpose of the meeting is information transfer, then the more notes you take (and the more questions you ask), the more confident in your understanding the other person is likely to be.

True, and this is to some extent also a personal style thing. For the kinds of work I do, asking questions (and restating my understanding of things) helps with confidence more than notetaking. For others, I'm sure this is not the case. As I think about it, I think a useful question might be what percentage of one's notes, taken during meetings, are actually referred to later on. If you're filling pages of a notebook creating a written record you never refer to, or if you're missing critical information in your notes, it might be worth looking at whether you're taking an appropriate number of notes or not.

[sdhill]

So I've been trying to only record commitments (deadlines, deliverables, price quotes, action items, etc.) in my notes. And so far, 4 weeks into the experiment, I'm not finding that I'm missing anything significant that way.


This is exactly what I picked up from the Manager Tools podcast referenced earlier in this thread and have been practising for the past 6 months. Works very well.

[Brent]

I think that depends on the meeting. If the purpose of the meeting is information transfer, then the more notes you take (and the more questions you ask), the more confident in your understanding the other person is likely to be.

Oh, not necessarily. I take it as a sign that the person I'm with is just good at transcribing spoken words to written text, not that they're necessarily listening or learning anything. I've been in plenty of meetings with folks who scribble like mad, then demonstrate lack of comprehension. They're so focused on transcription that they miss what's being said.

[tm_meier]

Some people have made some valid comments about the perception I might create in a meeting by typing on my laptop. Others have asked the fair question, am I taking too many notes. Both are important issues that I've given much thought.

My taking of detailed notes in meetings has put me in good stead with my boss, the head of one of the two major divisions in our corporation. On a number of occasions he's asked meeting attendees what we decided in a previous meeting, and, more importantly, why we made that decision. I was the only person able to answer the second question because of the notes I took. Because my notes have proved so useful, he's asked me to send copies to everyone after the meetings to remind them of what we decided and who is responsible for taking action. In short, far from making an unfavorable impression, my detailed note taking has made a very favorable impression and given me the reputation of being detail oriented and someone who doesn't let anything slip through the cracks. It would be impossible for me to take those notes by hand and still remain involved with the meeting.

Nor do I stand out by typing on a laptop during the meeting. Everyone, including the boss, has a laptop open. The boss is the one checking his email on his laptop and his blackberry every few minutes. Drives me nuts, but what can you do: he's the boss. :wink:

I do understand that my situation may be different than what most people face in meetings, and I do appreciate all the tips people have provided. There are a few I plan on using at my next meeting in a couple of weeks. Thanks!

[wordsofwonder]

I've had a bit of free time this morning to process the backlog in my RSS reader, which I've been ignoring lately because of higher priority items, and I came across an interesting post on the 43 Folders blog about "topless meetings (http://www.43folders.com/2008/03/25/topless-meetings)" (as in, "no laptops"). Some great comments on that post, too.

[sdhill]

Nor do I stand out by typing on a laptop during the meeting. Everyone, including the boss, has a laptop open. The boss is the one checking his email on his laptop and his blackberry every few minutes. Drives me nuts, but what can you do: he's the boss. :wink:


Amazing what tm_meier has described for us......why even have a meeting if everyone is sitting there not fully engaged in it? Better that each person grabs their laptop and heads back to their office/cubicle to continue working on what was presumably more important.

As we've learned through GTD there's no such thing as multi-tasking, focusing on one thing at a time is crucial. Therefore when you're in a meeting you can't be doing anything else. Probably also the reason tm_meier's colleagues weren't aware of the decisions and actions from the meetings he was in - they weren't listening!

It's amazing to me how much time is lost in meetings that should never occur in the first place.....

[Brent]

Nor do I stand out by typing on a laptop during the meeting. Everyone, including the boss, has a laptop open. The boss is the one checking his email on his laptop and his blackberry every few minutes.

Wow. Just wow. What a terrible example he's setting.

[dhlesq]

I am an estate planning attorney, and so a large portion of my work is meeting with clients to learn of their intentions, family members, assets, etc.

I mentally divide my intake meeting into three sections.

The first section takes about 10 minutes. I do not have pen and paper. I make good eye contact and talk to the client about who they are and how it is they came to be in front of me. This is where I form a bond, encourage trust, and communicate that I am all ears.

In the second section I open a folio, grab a pen, and grab an intake questionaire and retainer agreement. This section takes about an hour. During this time I am furiously writing notes, but pausing at the end of each section to re-engage eye contact, and assess whether the client is comfortable with their decisions, or whether they need further eplanation, exploration, or suggestions.

In the third section I say that I think we are about done. I close the folio. I put the pen away. I say that wasn't so bad was it. I explain the steps going forward. I tell them about how long it will take. I ask if there are any questions. Then I converse with the client for as long as they like in order to leave with a feeling of trust and comfort.

While this is primarily an information-exchange meeting, if I do not do the first 10 minutes, then the client will never be comfortable enough to open up to me and give me the information that I need. Also, if I do not do the lasts 10-20 minute section, then the client will leave with concern, uncertainty, and a shadow of doubt as to whether I actually understand them.

Incidentally, I used to do the information-exchange portion of the meeting with my laptop computer, however the screen between myself and the client created a social barrier that prevented efficient information exchange.

These principles are not just true for my specific circumstance. In any meeting, in any area of our life, we go through the same three steps. Being conscious of them prevents us from short-circuiting or rushing one of the phases and ultimately creates a stronger bond at the outset, better information exchange, and a stronger bond at the close.

Even telephone calls follow this pattern:

1) Hi how are you, long time no talk, how is the family
2) The reason I called is becasuse...
3) It was great talking to you, I'll talk to you soon, I look forward to seeing you soon, goodbye.

A long post for just $.02.

[sdann]

Prior to reading the thread here, I used to think that electronic note-taking was not effective and it created a disconnect. I believe the majority of people still feel that way. I also thought that electronic notetakers were doing other things, such as checking email, etc. This is particularly true of pdas, since they are so small to type on. Obviously that is not the case here, but it'll be interesting to see if I can shake off that presumption at the next meeting.

[ToddBrown]

My preferred note taking tool is OmniOutliner, and I'll sometimes use MindManager for brainstorming during meetings. My OO notes are pretty much "stream of consciousness", just capturing what's said as it's said. I go back after the meeting and review the notes for action items. MM and OO have worked pretty well for me, but I'd like to hear how other people take notes in meetings. Thanks!

As I've gotten deeper into GTD, I've realized that it's often possible to do most of your processing while you take notes in a meeting, rather than afterwards. I tend to use paper mind maps as my basic note-taking format, since I'm very visually oriented. Over the years I've developed symbols that I drop in my mind maps to represent new actions (an exclamation mark in a circle), new projects (an * in a circle), and waiting fors (w/f in a circle). I generally look over the notes quickly after the meeting to be sure I haven't missed anything. This has really cut my processing time down.

[jjlin]

I've had a bit of free time this morning to process the backlog in my RSS reader, which I've been ignoring lately because of higher priority items, and I came across an interesting post on the 43 Folders blog about "topless meetings (http://www.43folders.com/2008/03/25/topless-meetings)" (as in, "no laptops"). Some great comments on that post, too.

Enforcing a "no laptops" policy sometimes just isn't possible if it's part of the culture. In any case, it's just addressing a symptom, and not the root cause: either you've invited people that don't need to be there, or there's no purpose to the meeting. If people can come to a meeting, sit and peck away and not pay attention then you have to wonder why they are there in the first place.

On the other hand, if there's a purpose to the meeting and only the necessary parties are there, then usually having laptops (or phones, or whatever) is not a problem, and can sometimes help since they can call up supplementary material quickly if needed.

Speaking of notes, I was struck by this passage from the Introduction to Drucker's "Effective Executive":


Good follow-up is just as important as the meeting itself. The great master of follow-up was Alfred Sloan, the most effective business executive I have ever known. Sloan, who headed General Motors from the 1920s until the 1950s, spent most of his six working days a week in meetings -- three days a week in formal committee meetings with a set membership, the other three days in ad hoc meetings with individual GM executives or with a small group of executives. At the beginning of a formal meeting, Sloan announced the meeting's purpose. He then listened. He never took notes and he rarely spoke except to clarify a confusing point. At the end he summed up, thanked the participants, and left. Then he immediately wrote a short memo addressed to one attendee of the meeting. In that note, he summarized the discussion and its conclusions and spelled out any work assignment decided upon in the meeting (including a decision to hold another meeting on the subject or to study an issue). He specified the deadline and the executive who was to be accountable for the assignment. He sent a copy of the memo to everyone who'd been present at the meeting. It was through these memos, each a small masterpiece, that Sloan made himself into an outstandingly effective executive.

It seems obvious but it's amazing how few people do this consistently. I myself am trying to make this a habit sometimes it's easy to fall off the wagon.

[moises]

Speaking of notes, I was struck by this passage from the Introduction to Drucker's "Effective Executive":


Good follow-up is just as important as the meeting itself. The great master of follow-up was Alfred Sloan, the most effective business executive I have ever known. Sloan, who headed General Motors from the 1920s until the 1950s, spent most of his six working days a week in meetings -- three days a week in formal committee meetings with a set membership, the other three days in ad hoc meetings with individual GM executives or with a small group of executives. At the beginning of a formal meeting, Sloan announced the meeting's purpose. He then listened. He never took notes and he rarely spoke except to clarify a confusing point. At the end he summed up, thanked the participants, and left. Then he immediately wrote a short memo addressed to one attendee of the meeting. In that note, he summarized the discussion and its conclusions and spelled out any work assignment decided upon in the meeting (including a decision to hold another meeting on the subject or to study an issue). He specified the deadline and the executive who was to be accountable for the assignment. He sent a copy of the memo to everyone who'd been present at the meeting. It was through these memos, each a small masterpiece, that Sloan made himself into an outstandingly effective executive.

It seems obvious but it's amazing how few people do this consistently. I myself am trying to make this a habit sometimes it's easy to fall off the wagon.

Nice quote. Thanks.

[omalley73]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned using tablet PC's for note taking yet. Having a traditional laptop open can create a physical barrier between you and the people with whom you are talking (especially if they are not also using a laptop). In addition, typing requires two hands (hopefully), which engages more of your brain. It is harder to retain what is being discussed if you are constantly typing away. This is why many people prefer paper and pen for taking notes. However, many there are many benefits to having your notes in digital format, easy sharing and faster searching prominent among them.

Taking digital notes on a Tablet PC gives me the best of both worlds. I use Microsoft OneNote (which is an awesome program if you've never used it) and write away. Having the laptop in tablet mode eliminates the physical barrier normally associated with laptops. You're only writing with one hand, so you're better able to listen (and able to make more eye contact). If it's a large meeting, many people probably won't even know you're on a computer. OneNote even has an amazing audio recording feature which allows you to record the meeting and view the exactly what was being said as you wrote a specific note. You can even add flags to your notes to designate follow-up items, important points, dates, etc. Finally, you can share your notes with your teammates during or after the meeting. There is great integration with Outlook for creating calendar items, tasks, or emailing someone on the spot.

Anyway, I didn't mean to sound like a shill for Microsoft, but OneNote and Tablet PC's has really transformed how I take notes. It gives me the best of both paper and digital note taking.

YMMV,

[mavakil]

I tend to use paper mind maps as my basic note-taking format, since I'm very visually oriented.

A Man after my own heart. I too am a mindmap-er specially when it comes to taking notes. It takes a while to get the hang of it. But once you do, magic happens.

Below are the advantages I've experienced when mindmapping a meeting rather than taking linear notes:

- Can organise my notes no matter what's the flow of the meeting. Structured meetings start with one Agenda item, discuss it thread bare, then move to the next item. In that case I just make a branch for each Agenda item. If it's an unstructured meeting and we're bouncing around agenda items, my notes still follow a structured fashion and I still very easily record each point under it's respective branch for the Agenda item.

- I can recall a lot more of the meeting, and in lot more detail

- I can glance over almost all points discussed in a meeting by just looking at the 1 page of the mind map.

- I'm constantly critically thinking throughout the meeting. Always, asking myself what's the point he's trying to make here (as that would sometimes make a branch).

- Helps me keep my notes organised as if there's sub-point to a matter discussed, I wouldn't just write it in the next line, but would

Just like Todd, I'm processing as and when I'm taking notes:
- My Next Actions either have a separate branch in the mind map or more often, I write them on the top left hand corner of the page.
- If it's a meeting where I have to reserve my questions till the end, I note that on the top right-hand corner of the page.
- The mindmap itself is mostly for reference, really good-points that were discussed which I would like to retain, but no action on it for now.


Hope that helped.

Arif Vakil
Bangalore, India

[ArcCaster]

I work for a software company -- everyone brings laptops to meetings.

I use MindManager for taking notes and, at first, was concerned that a few scattered words connected by lines would be hugely limiting.

Turns out it really leaves me with a picture of the meeting -- where we spent the most time, where we dived down into excruciating detail, where we glossed over at the top level, where I want to pick up for future meetings or for personal exploration, what I might want to build on in the same meeting, how I might want to pull things together in the same meeting.

Words, occasional phrases, and relationships tween them do a lot.

And, using a laptop allows me to drag fragments into their proper places as the picture emerges (which it often does very non-sequentially)

Regards,
Rob

[jmy]

My preferred note taking tool is OmniOutliner, and I'll sometimes use MindManager for brainstorming during meetings. My OO notes are pretty much "stream of consciousness", just capturing what's said as it's said. I go back after the meeting and review the notes for action items. MM and OO have worked pretty well for me, but I'd like to hear how other people take notes in meetings. Thanks!

While searching for mind mapping software, I stumbled across a program called Compendium (http://compendium.open.ac.uk/institute/about.htm). This in turn led me to Dialogue Mapping (http://www.cognexus.org/id41.htm) which is what this program is designed to help with. My understanding is that dialogue mapping captures the issues that arise in meetings and facilitates shared understanding of these issues by all meeting participants. I gather that this would contrast strongly to capturing the "stream of consciousness" that you mentioned.

You can browse to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxS5wUljfjE for "...a short YouTube demo illustrating the difference between conversational structure and issue-based structure."

A book was written entitled "Dialogue Mapping: Building Shared Understanding of Wicked Problems" (http://www.cognexus.org/dm_book.htm). A few chapters of the book are available for download in PDF format from http://cognexus.org/parts.htm.


Chapter 1, `Wicked Problems and Social Complexity', tells the story of three forces that fragment projects just as surely as rain creates mud: wicked problems, social complexity, and technical complexity. This chapter seeks to illuminate the chronic low-level organizational pain that these forces create Chapter 1 direct download link is http://www.cognexus.org/wpf/wickedproblems.pdf


Chapter 3, `The Dialogue Mapping Experience', tells the story of a fictional dialogue mapping session. It's not quite the same as being in a session, but you can get the gist of how it works Chapter 3 direct download link is http://cognexus.org/dme/dmepaper.pdf


Chapter 4, `IBIS: A Tool for all Reasons', presents a tutorial on the issue-based information system (IBIS) notation of questions and ideas, pros and cons Chapter 4 direct download link is http://www.cognexus.org/IBIS-A_Tool_for_All_Reasons.pdf

Hope this helps.

[MsB]

Nice topic!

I use a simpler form, adapted from the Cornell method. The left third is a one column, the right third is another column, and the bottom fourth is a single row. The left column is headed "My Actions". The right column is headed "Notes". The bottom row is headed "Summary." At the very top are little labels for "Topic:" and "Date:"

So, as the meeting begins, I write down the topic/subject at the top of the page, and the date. I then take notes in the large column on the right. If I'm assigned or take on any work, I note that in the "My Actions" column. At the end, if needed, I rewrite the notes into a concise, well-worded summary in the row at the bottom.

The paper goes into my inbox, of course.

Brent this sounds similar to what I want to use. Do you have three vertical columns? And did you make your own template or purchase a pre-made one? Thanks in advance :)

[clango]

I didn't read all the posts, so....however...

I prefer to use paper, try to organize a column on the right, transform the notes in actions or directly the title for a new project and then I use also the simbols suggested somewhere here ( - ; -> ....) so later when I'll input in outlook I'll be faster.

Hoping it helps

[SGTM]

I just use simple legal pads and as I am taking notes use either a R A W. In the margins. R= Results - a new goal, A = Action - something I need to do and W = Waiting - something someone owes me. After the meeting I can review the notes and make sure things are appropriately notes. This cuts out rewriting, which is the goal of my system.

Gerry