5 Easy Ways to Become a Better Note-taker
Let’s face it, we have all been there. You go to a brainstorming meeting eager to share your ideas and move ahead on a project. Teammates are excitedly exchanging ideas, feedback, and comments. You emerge from the meeting even more excited than before. But then it hits. The meeting amnesia. All those brilliant ideas just disappear from your head.
Fortunately there is a foolproof way to combat against this tragedy. Note-taking. Simply jotting down a few notes can vastly improve your ability to remember those brilliant thoughts. That way, when you regrettably forget that great idea, you have something to look back on and stir your memory.
But note-taking isn’t always as easy as it seems. Sometimes ideas are flying so fast you can’t keep up or the ideas are so good you want to write down every little detail. It all makes for an overwhelming experience.
But have no fear! With some practice, effective note-taking is a skill that you can easily learn. And just like any learnable skill, there are good ways and bad ways to take notes. Here, we will be going over 5 best practices for note-taking.
Paper vs. Computer (The real question)
Before you can even take your first note, you have to decide what mode of note-taking you are going to use. The two most basic and widely-used note-taking mediums available today are paper and computer. While this is mostly a personal preference, there are some pros and cons to each.
Ol’ Fashioned Paper
If you decide to take your notes with pencil and paper, invest in a high-quality notebook or pad of paper. Dedicate this notebook or pad of paper solely to taking notes.
Newfangled Computers
If you decide to use a computer, there are several ways to take notes. Microsoft Word or another word processor is always a good place to start. Evernote, OneNote, SimpleNote, and Google Drive are also free tools available online that allow you to easily collaborate your notes with teammates.
Develop Your Own Shorthand
Unfortunately, the meeting does not stop or slow down when you are taking notes. People will keep moving full speed ahead no matter how far behind you fall. Especially if you are taking your notes on paper, developing a shorthand will save your life.
Examples
- @ instead of at
- Cuz instead of because
- w/ instead of with
- Ppl instead of people
(Using texting language would be a good place to start)
You can make your shorthand as elaborate as you need to. Just remember, if you are sharing your notes with others, you will need to clarify or write out any shorthand. Don’t assume your teammates will understand what you mean.
Label Your Notes
Perhaps more frustrating than not writing down an important note, is writing down a note and not remembering where you put it. This is where labeling comes in handy. There are some basic labels you should put on all your notes.
- Date of the meeting
- List of everyone at the meeting
- Title of major topics in the meeting (i.e “Mockups Notes” or “Development Plan”)
If you think you need more labels to help you stay organized, go for it! However, avoid over-labeling your notes. Not every sentence needs a new label. Just stick with the overarching themes of the meeting.
Organize, Organize, Organize
While what you do with note-taking during the meeting is important, what you do immediately after is just as, if not more, crucial. After the chaos of a meeting is complete, you need to take some time to organize your notes and thoughts. This is the time to re-read and add any more details about something you have written down while they are still fresh in your mind. Try turning your shorthand gibberish to coherent statements.
After you have reviewed and (if necessary) reworded your notes, organize your notes into one place. If you are taking notes on paper, that one place will just be in one notebook. If you have multiple notebooks, do your best to keep them all in one location. You never know when you will want to look back at project notes from the past.
If you are taking notes with a computer, it is a good idea to have a folder dedicated solely to meeting notes. Google Drive or Dropbox are two great tools notes because they can be set up to allow all team members to save their notes in one central location.
Become a Notes Hoarder
You never know when a note for one project may become applicable to another. Therefore, avoid throwing away notes, even after the project is completed. If you take notes on paper, after a while, you may find it necessary to store your notes in a file cabinet (be sure to organize it of course!). If you take notes on a computer, keep your notes saved in one place and don’t delete them. It might even be a good idea to make a backup copy and to save in a different location.
Don’t be afraid to inject your own style when it comes to note-taking. What are your tips and tricks for expert note-taking? Share them with us!
