- Rotate the position of taking notes. …
- Choose a note-taking outline. …
- Finish the meeting with a summary. …
- Sync your notes on your calendar. …
- Keep your notes brief. …
- Use codes to highlight key points. …
- Let everyone take meeting notes.
While always making sure you’re planning (and attending) productive meetings is your primary responsibility, what you do after the meeting really matters. But it isn’t always clear what that is. Meetings tend to run together without making any real progress if there is no established procedure for taking minutes and following up on action items.
How to TAKE meeting NOTES AT WORK – note-taking during meetings + how to organize your notes
How to organize meeting notes
Prior to the meeting, it is advantageous to decide how you want to arrange your notes. To decide on the methods you’ll employ to take the most effective notes, you can consult with other attendees. If you want to efficiently organize your meeting notes, take a look at the following steps:
1. Rotate the position of taking notes
In some meetings, each participant is given a role, such as notetaker. Consider rotating the role at the conclusion of each meeting because the person taking notes typically writes information throughout the meetings. Everyone will have the chance to fully focus on the discussion by asking questions or offering their opinions if you rotate the position.
Rotating the note-taking role has other benefits as well. When it is their turn to take notes, everyone feels a sense of ownership because they know they will share them with the group once the meeting is over. Additionally, it enables everyone to discover their personal writing style, enabling them to write more effectively in the future.
2. Choose a note-taking outline
Choosing a general format for how you take notes each time may help everyone feel more prepared for taking and organizing notes when it’s their turn, even though having a strict format isn’t necessary. You’ll be more comfortable with the writing format with an established outline, and you can get ready before the meeting by considering the information that would be most useful to write about. Consider adding sections that will help present the most important information when selecting an outline to use.
When making your outline, you might think about including some of the sections below:
3. Finish the meeting with a summary
Spend a few minutes writing a meeting summary after the meeting. This is a quick and efficient way to address all the main points raised by the group. It’s also helpful for those who couldn’t attend the meeting because they can read the summary first and then reread the rest of the notes with a better understanding of the discussions. The main points discussed during the meeting and any tasks that need to be finished before the next meeting should be included in the meeting summary.
4. Sync your notes on your calendar
You can type up your notes on a computer and sync them to everyone’s calendar after summarizing your notes with the group. Everyone can now easily access the information when they need it thanks to this The notes are easier for everyone to view because they are in one easily accessible location, so using this method can sometimes be more effective than saving them in a computer folder. They can view them by clicking on the meeting day in their online calendar after finding it there.
What are meeting notes?
Meeting notes are the notes you make while in a meeting about crucial discussion topics. Their goal is to give everyone access to them so they can refer to them after the meeting is over. They typically include objectives, deadlines, potential difficulties, or other topics raised during meetings.
Best ways to organize meeting notes
Here are some ideas for how to set up your meeting notes in the best possible way:
Keep your notes brief
When taking notes, concentrate on the main ideas rather than trying to remember every little detail. Writing everything down can be difficult, and you run the risk of forgetting something crucial. Try to concentrate on writing the crucial details so that members can refer to them if they forget one of the actionable steps or for members who weren’t able to attend. Additionally, this keeps the notes concise and well-organized for those who use them to review the information later.
Use codes to highlight key points
Try creating codes to help you organize your notes. This can help you more effectively organize the information before typing it up and sending it to the attendees. Some examples include:
Let everyone take meeting notes
It can be advantageous at times to allow attendees to take their own notes during meetings. This method allows each person to take notes using their unique note-taking method. You can go over everyone’s notes after the meeting and arrange the notes accordingly. The following are some advantages of each participant taking their own notes:
Benefits of organizing meeting notes
Here are some benefits of keeping your meeting notes organized:
FAQ
How do you organize meeting notes and action items?
- Write action items using an action item template. …
- Ensure action items are clear. …
- Ensure action item assignees have what they need. …
- Confirm that designees are up to the task. …
- Highlight action items in your notes. …
- Assign a person and due date to every action item.
How do you keep weekly meeting notes?
- Set the scene. You’re not just hosting this gathering to establish a regular meeting place.
- Keep track of your open action items. Do you feel like you leave every meeting with a long list of things to do?
- Jot down your agenda. …
- Record detailed notes. …
- 5 whys analysis.
