Whether it is a brainstorming session, an interview with a potential client or a meeting with the team, notes of the meeting can be helpful in putting key information on the record.
In many instances, it is a legal requirement to produce minutes of any meeting.
Here are some tips on taking notes during a meeting to improve communication and establish a record of events for the company.
1. Determine what is the most significant
It is not necessary to record everything. Start by determining what is most important to record.
Generally, it starts with:
- Time, date and venue
- List of attendees
- Topics to discuss
- Decisions to be made
- Sorting out tasks and who performs them
All these are included in the invitation to the meeting, so use it to speed up the process.
Mark the names of the people who did not show up. Look at the agenda and the topics to be discussed.
Tick them off as they come up and make any amendments that are necessary.
Now there is a minimal number of things to keep track of during the meeting.
The main focus will be on gathering detailed information and recording the decisions made, including task delegation.
2. Use a voice recorder
Whether one is writing things down by hand or inputting them into an app, people tend to speak faster than a person can write. And it becomes hard to follow if multiple people are engaged in a discussion.
Get permission to use a voice recorder at every meeting and take notes at one’s own pace.
Shortly after, when transcribing the notes into the official file or application, the recording will be available to ensure nothing is missed.
Be sure to understand the privacy policy of the company before using a voice recorder. Check with the HR department whether meetings can be recorded. Remember to inform everyone at the meeting it is being recorded.
3. Don’t get overwhelmed
The main thing is to take notes of the key takeaways from the meeting:
- Was a topic added to the agenda at the last minute?
- Did an unusual situation occur during the meeting?
- What questions were asked?
- What was emphasised by the facilitator?
- What should not be forgotten or overlooked?
- What should the people in the meeting have learnt?
Whoever goes through the notes in the future should be able to find all this information.
Additional information may have to be added, depending on the type of meeting. It is also important to record any numbers mentioned, such as dates or statistics.
This is what most people usually miss out or misunderstand. All materials that were presented, such as videos, handouts and slides, should be kept together in a file.
4. Use meeting templates to avoid making mistakes
Some would frown at the use of templates but there is no denying they can be useful.
Most minutes use the same format, so making use of a fixed template would reduce the time spent creating one for every meeting.
It helps you avoid making mistakes as there is a proper process set up. The essential information to be keyed in will be identified in the form of empty blocks or checklists.
5. Ensure the notes are easy to search for
Once the notes are done, it is important to establish a system for searching for information. This makes things easier for everyone who needs information.
Tags can be used to easily classify online information based on the topic. Or create categories for each type of meeting in the filing system, so everyone involved will be able to see them from a single list.
6. Setting up an effective follow-up process
Creating a follow-up process based on the notes can be useful.
It would highlight the tasks agreed to, those responsible for carrying them out and the important deadlines.
Resources, instructions or ground rules that were discussed during the meeting can also be added.
This article first appeared in jobstore.com
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