Effective Note Taking Skills: 4 Techniques To Use At Meetings in 2024

Taking notes effectively is a skill you can bring with you as you climb up from an entry-level job to the dream executive position.  Even if you have a secretary or an assistant to push a pencil for you, at some point, you will need to take notes. For example, when you’re abroad attending an important conference or forced to stay at home due to COVID-19. You could take notes with your laptop or mobile device with the trusty built-in notepad, which is a key office software.

In this article, we will discuss several effective note-taking skills that you can apply immediately. These should help you focus better during meetings without failing to write down important matters being discussed or your own ideas.

Importance of taking notes

Taking notes helps you remember

By taking notes by hand, you are forced to digest the information you encounter better. As a result, you can better remember what you have seen, read, or heard. This is backed by multiple experiments and research, such as the one conducted at Princeton University. In the experiment, researchers gave Ted talks to students and asked them to take notes. Half of the students took notes using laptops while the other half used pen and paper.

This showed the researchers that students who wrote by hand digested more information than their laptop-wielding counterparts. This happened because they had to engage with the information to better write summaries and they had fewer distractions compared to those who take notes using a laptop. While there was no difference in their ability to remember facts, the act of taking notes by hand enabled students to explain concepts in a more exceptional manner. If you’re an HR manager, consider checking equally qualified candidates for their note-taking skills. That can be the tie-breaker, especially when confronted by today’s HR challenges.

Of course, if you are pressed for time, it is advisable to use a transcription tool to help you with your notes. For instance, leading apps like Amazon Transcribe sport an accuracy rate of nearly 90%. But under normal circumstances, taking notes by hand is the way to go.

Taking notes sharpens your focus

If someone is already taking the minutes for the meeting, shouldn’t you just sit down and talk and listen? Not really. Taking notes helps sharpens your focus on the key points of the meeting.  Besides, while the minutes include more details of the discussion, your personal notes can focus on the most pressing issues that directly concern you.

Taking notes is your document of proof

Your notes can back you in case your coworker or boss raises doubts or questions about the items you discussed a week ago. If you’ve taken down notes properly, you can even show enough details about the agreement or discussion that is sure to silence the doubts.

Pinpoint side issues

Take note of problems afflicting other departments that can affect your work, issues that you might forget—it’s not happening in your department, after all—or missed had you been listening passively. For example, you heard that the advertising team has just lost a copywriter; you could take note of this as a possible cause for delay in delivering your sales team’s promotional materials next month.

4 Tips to Take Notes Effectively

Now that you know how your notes can help you, here are some points to remember if you are to take down notes effectively:

1.  Use pen and paper

Using pen and paper is less intrusive and easier to use. Using a tablet, mobile phone, or laptop while taking notes can create a wall between you and the person talking.  These devices make it look like you’re working on something else or chatting with someone even if you’re not. And it’s easier to get distracted with all those browsing and other files in your device. It may be a generational thing, but outside of tech companies, using pen and paper is still the accepted corporate practice when taking down notes. Call it nostalgia, but there is more eye contact when you use pen and paper. Incidentally, it’s recommended to turn off your phone to avoid receiving calls or texts during a meeting.

2. Learn shorthand

It’s not just for court clerks or secretaries. Shorthand is still relevant, especially when you’re listening to a speaker who talks fast (try using a tablet for that). It may appear daunting at first, but like learning typing skills, shorthand is easy to learn with enough commitment. Here’s a piece of good advice on how to start learning shorthand fast.

If you don’t have the patience or time to learn shorthand (meeting is in three days), you can also practice mnemonics or visual note-taking.  It doesn’t have many rules in it, just a good dash of creativity. For example, instead of writing “task A is assigned to Rob,” you can simply use an arrow pointing task A to Rob. Instead of writing “important” just use an exclamation mark. Visualizing or drawing thoughts instead of writing them is faster; just make sure the illustration makes sense to you.

3. Just highlight the key points

Plot the outline of your notes even before the meeting starts. A good starting point is to check the meeting’s agenda. Ask the secretary or your boss for a copy so you can divide your notes ahead of time, according to the agenda’s main points, even before the meeting starts. As the meeting rolls on, just fill in the important notes under each of the main points.

4. Prepare a report right after the meeting

Don’t wait for the day to pass after the meeting. Prepare a written report based on your notes right away while everything is still fresh in your mind. Even if you’re not tasked to submit a formal report, you can use this document for your personal archive or as a proof in case a conflict about the discussion arises. Besides, while visual notes are practical during the meeting, you might forget what those mnemonics and drawings stand for soon. However, if you are worried about making grammatical and syntactical errors, you can still rely on grammar checker software. You can find one built-in with your word processor, but there are standalone applications that have more powerful grammar, spelling, and syntax checking capabilities.

Taking notes effectively is a basic skill that you should learn whatever level your career is in now. Learn it, and you’ll find it useful wherever your career takes you.

What Are the Common Mistakes to Avoid When Taking Notes?

Effective note-taking is a skill that requires practice and focus. However, even the most experienced note-takers can fall into certain traps that hinder their ability to capture and recall key information. Below are some common mistakes to avoid when taking notes during meetings or lectures:

• Writing Everything Down: One of the most common mistakes is attempting to write down every word spoken. This leads to overwhelmed notes that are difficult to process and review. Instead, focus on key points, summaries, and important details.
• Not Listening Actively: Taking notes while not paying attention to the speaker can lead to incomplete or inaccurate information. Active listening ensures you understand the context before recording, improving your notes’ quality.
• Using Unclear or Inconsistent Abbreviations: While shorthand can speed up note-taking, inconsistent or unclear abbreviations can make your notes harder to decipher later. Stick to a set of standard abbreviations that you’ll understand and use consistently.
• Failing to Organize Notes Properly: Without a clear structure, your notes may become disorganized and difficult to follow. Use headings, bullet points, and numbered lists to summarize information and highlight key ideas.
• Not Reviewing or Summarizing Notes After the Meeting: Leaving your notes untouched after the meeting can result in forgetting critical points. To reinforce the material, take the time to review and summarize your notes afterward.

Why Use Digital Tools for Effective Note-taking?

While taking notes by hand is ideal, some tools can help us record more information. After all, even the fastest writers will have trouble keeping pace with the speed of oral lectures, which clock in an average of 120-180 words per minute. Using transcription applications helps bridge that gap given their high accuracy rates. Recording meetings can also help, especially if you are working from home due to COVID-19.

However, this does not mean that you can conveniently abandon note-taking by hand in favor of these technological wonders. At the end of the day, the act of writing itself improves your knowledge retention and lets your mind imbibe the rationale behind the terms and concepts. And you will be able to record more information in time as your writing speed increases with practice.

What you can do is transcribe and record lectures using a recording or transcribing application while writing your own notes on paper. Recognize the note-taking cues that are often provided by instructors like “This is important” or “Take note of this” and jot them down. If you are not confident with what you have, replay the lecture on your app and then fill in the information gaps until your notes reflect all of the lecture’s important points. In doing so, you’ll already have a basic grasp of the lessons even before you start reviewing. This gives you an advantage when preparing for exams.

Another advantage is you can improve the cadence and composition of your writing, which is a big deal in the professional realm. Many employees, even those who hold the highest positions, have to write reports, letters, and other pertinent documents. And exceptional writing skills are reflective of a company’s image.

Speaking of writing, you can hasten your learning through writing enhancement software and a lot of practice. Before long, you could be penning pieces similar to those of your favorite publications, or you might end up writing for those outfits in the future. So, go and unsheath your pen.

Key Insights

• Use Pen and Paper: Traditional methods like pen and paper are less distracting and create better engagement compared to digital devices.
• Learn Shorthand: Mastering shorthand or visual note-taking can significantly speed up the note-taking process.
• Highlight Key Points: Focusing on key points and organizing notes according to the meeting agenda helps in better retention and understanding.
• Prepare Immediate Reports: Writing a report immediately after a meeting ensures that all information is fresh and accurate.
• Enhanced Focus: Note-taking sharpens focus and helps in capturing important details that might be missed otherwise.
• Proof of Discussions: Well-taken notes serve as a reliable record in case of any disputes or need for verification.
• Digital Tools: While writing by hand is beneficial, using transcription tools can complement the process for better information capture.
• Improves Memory and Understanding: The act of writing enhances memory retention and helps in better comprehension of concepts.

FAQ

1. Why should I use pen and paper for note-taking instead of digital devices? Using pen and paper is less distracting and encourages better engagement with the material. It helps avoid the distractions of digital devices and creates a more personal connection with the information being recorded.
2. Is learning shorthand necessary for effective note-taking? While not necessary, learning shorthand or visual note-taking techniques can greatly enhance the speed and efficiency of your note-taking, especially when dealing with fast speakers or large volumes of information.
3. How can I ensure I capture the most important points during a meeting? Reviewing the meeting agenda beforehand and plotting the outline of your notes according to the main points can help. During the meeting, focus on highlighting key points under each main topic.
4. What are the benefits of preparing a report immediately after a meeting? Writing a report immediately after a meeting ensures that all information is fresh in your mind, reducing the chances of forgetting important details. It also provides a documented record that can be referred to later.
5. Can digital tools replace traditional note-taking methods? Digital tools like transcription apps can complement traditional note-taking methods, but they should not replace the act of writing by hand. Writing enhances memory retention and understanding, while digital tools can help fill in gaps and ensure comprehensive coverage of the material.
6. How does taking notes improve focus during meetings? Taking notes forces you to pay closer attention to the discussion, helping to sharpen your focus and ensure you capture important details that may be relevant to your role or responsibilities.
7. Why is it important to have personal notes in addition to meeting minutes? Personal notes can capture your own thoughts, concerns, and action items that may not be included in the official meeting minutes. They serve as a customized record tailored to your specific needs and interests.
8. What should I do if I find it difficult to keep up with the pace of a meeting or lecture? Using transcription applications or recording the session can help bridge the gap. These tools allow you to revisit the material and fill in any information you may have missed, ensuring your notes are complete and accurate.

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By Jenny Chang

Jenny Chang is a senior writer specializing in SaaS and B2B software solutions. Her decision to focus on these two industries was spurred by their explosive growth in the last decade, much of it she attributes to the emergence of disruptive technologies and the quick adoption by businesses that were quick to recognize their values to their organizations. She has covered all the major developments in SaaS and B2B software solutions, from the introduction of massive ERPs to small business platforms to help startups on their way to success.