Even students’ years in school often times don’t prepare them properly for taking notes in the workplace. While it may seem a trivial task, once you miss an important direction or assignment, you’ll realize just how crucial it is.
“Note taking is a way to remember key action items and to stay focused during a meeting or training session. It is important for individuals to find an approach that works for them by experimenting with different organizing methods,” said Diane C. Decker, a workplace consultant and co-author of “First Job Survival Guide: How to Thrive and Advance in Your New Career.”
1. Always be prepared. “Never leave your office or cube without a notebook and pen, PDA, laptop or other note taking device,” said Nancy A. Shenker, founder and CEO of theONswitch.
2. Organize your writing space ahead of time. “Draw a line down the middle of the page,” said Joy Goberville, managing director for Technisource. “On the right side, write down any key points and on the left side write down questions or action items for follow-up.”
Julie Greenberg, co-founder of Jobnob, Inc., agrees. “One thing that you will notice is that you probably take a lot of notes during meetings and then have trouble making sense of any of it afterwards. If you are an intern or entry-level professional, the best tip for note taking during meetings is to leave space in the left-hand margin, and when an issue comes up during a meeting that requires you or your team to take follow-up action, put an empty square box next to that item. That way after the meeting is over, you will essentially have made a list of ‘to dos’ that resulted from the meeting, and as you complete those tasks, you can put a ‘check’ in the box.”
3. If you can, record in addition to writing. “Stand out from the intern herd by showing up with a small, digital audio recorder. Say, ‘Do you mind if I tape this while also taking notes? That way, I can be sure not to miss anything and can go back and listen again to anything I didn't absorb the first time. This will save you time training me and get me up to speed 10 times faster!’ Most bosses not only will say yes, but will be impressed that you thought of this and dazzled by your ambition and thoroughness and desire to get it right,” said Dr. Debra Condren, a business psychologist, author and founder of AmbitionIsNotADirtyWord.com.
4. Again, if it’s acceptable, bring a laptop instead of paper. “If you have the option, bring a laptop to take notes rather than writing them down. It will be easier to read, harder to lose and most of us type faster than we can write,” said Anthony Pensabene, president of Wryter’s Inc.
5. Note the names. "Going in order around the table, record each person’s name so that you can address them during the meeting. It is important to establish that personal contact,” said Sandra Naiman, author of “The High Achiever's Secret Codebook: The Unwritten Rules for Success at Work.”
6. Develop your own shorthand. “For example, if someone in the meeting is supposed to follow-up on something, write FU or put a star next to the item. Do not feel compelled to write down everything, but if a topic is being discussed at length, it's probably important,” said Shenker.
7. Record everything for which you are responsible. “List all actions items and deliverables. Include deadlines, to whom they go and how they are to be delivered. If you are dependent on someone else, or they on you, make sure you note that. If you don’t already have their contact information, wait until after the meeting to get it,” said Naiman.
8. Ask questions if you realize your notes are unclear or if you miss something. “Better to ask in advance and not have to backtrack on your work. Better to ask early before your manager goes on a business trip or that out of office meeting you didn’t know about,” said Caroline Ceniza-Levine, co-founder of SixFigureStart.
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