Ask HN: How do you manage your note taking in your meetings?
12 comments
Org mode. use an editor you are fluent in, learn home keys and avoid needing to look at the kbd.
you don't need to "see" printable, you just need to know your markup has title/sub bullet bold/emphasis.
Markdown can work too.
then pandoc to make PDF I share.
I do verbatim he said she said. Others do topic and actionlists. For important meetings we caucus.
For really important meetings I use pen and paper -It has better recall and focus and puts me into passive mode so I don't say stupid things.
Get in the habit of writing notes. You may be amazed (I was) how strongly writing from heard converts thinking in shallow terms into a better memory of what was actually said. And the whole emphasis notable specific Out of order this not that thing? thats what your pen or pencil is for. scribbles are good.
a Boox Note or similar might fit the bill since it can scan your writing. I just use notebooks and cheap pens.
If I really want to piss people off I follow a model proposed by Lenin: divide the page into 4, one for bulletpoints, two for discussion, one for synthesis of the outcome. He did it for speeches but it works for planning meeting. (piss off as in they're either hating you for being organised, hating you for lenin, or hating you for showing off you have structured thinking)
you don't need to "see" printable, you just need to know your markup has title/sub bullet bold/emphasis.
Markdown can work too.
then pandoc to make PDF I share.
I do verbatim he said she said. Others do topic and actionlists. For important meetings we caucus.
For really important meetings I use pen and paper -It has better recall and focus and puts me into passive mode so I don't say stupid things.
Get in the habit of writing notes. You may be amazed (I was) how strongly writing from heard converts thinking in shallow terms into a better memory of what was actually said. And the whole emphasis notable specific Out of order this not that thing? thats what your pen or pencil is for. scribbles are good.
a Boox Note or similar might fit the bill since it can scan your writing. I just use notebooks and cheap pens.
If I really want to piss people off I follow a model proposed by Lenin: divide the page into 4, one for bulletpoints, two for discussion, one for synthesis of the outcome. He did it for speeches but it works for planning meeting. (piss off as in they're either hating you for being organised, hating you for lenin, or hating you for showing off you have structured thinking)
oh damn i had no idea its this much organised..thank you i had to read your thing twice to be able to understand the processes..
I can only tell you what works for me. My note-taking varies based on multiple parameters.
The first is the nature of my work on the project. My strategy is different if I am a project leader or individual contributor. If IC, then I only take notes on actions I need to take, supporting data that will help me take those actions, things I am waiting on from others, upcoming events, or interesting asides I want to think about later.
If I am in a leadership role, then unfortunately I need to take more notes. I need to keep track of all of those things I mentioned above, but for everyone — minus the asides.
But I do not take verbatim notes about what people say in either case.
If you’re in a semi hostile environment then you probably want more detailed notes as a CYA measure. But the real solution there is to get out of that situation — I know, easier said than done.
If you’re working with people that have proven themselves unreliable in the past, then you may want more detailed notes specifically about their interactions. But for people with a history of getting the job done, you need less detail.
Honestly it sounds like you may be trying to take too many notes. Important questions to answer for yourself are: 1) how does this meeting help me do my job? 2) what specific information in this meeting is going to help me do that?
You’re probably not a court stenographer. Take only the notes that help you do your job. If you need more detailed notes, then consider a technological solution. If you’re on a call, some meeting software enables recording (and notifies all the participants that that is the case, which I think is important from a privacy perspective).
In any case, I try to minimize the amount of notes that I take. Each one pulls me out of the moment and increases the chance I’ll miss something important. I also take notes with a pen and paper. And I review notes at the end of a meeting and augment them after the fact when necessary. Finally, I “import” them into my personal project management system to ensure I am tracking all the actions, waiting-fors, and calendar events.
The first is the nature of my work on the project. My strategy is different if I am a project leader or individual contributor. If IC, then I only take notes on actions I need to take, supporting data that will help me take those actions, things I am waiting on from others, upcoming events, or interesting asides I want to think about later.
If I am in a leadership role, then unfortunately I need to take more notes. I need to keep track of all of those things I mentioned above, but for everyone — minus the asides.
But I do not take verbatim notes about what people say in either case.
If you’re in a semi hostile environment then you probably want more detailed notes as a CYA measure. But the real solution there is to get out of that situation — I know, easier said than done.
If you’re working with people that have proven themselves unreliable in the past, then you may want more detailed notes specifically about their interactions. But for people with a history of getting the job done, you need less detail.
Honestly it sounds like you may be trying to take too many notes. Important questions to answer for yourself are: 1) how does this meeting help me do my job? 2) what specific information in this meeting is going to help me do that?
You’re probably not a court stenographer. Take only the notes that help you do your job. If you need more detailed notes, then consider a technological solution. If you’re on a call, some meeting software enables recording (and notifies all the participants that that is the case, which I think is important from a privacy perspective).
In any case, I try to minimize the amount of notes that I take. Each one pulls me out of the moment and increases the chance I’ll miss something important. I also take notes with a pen and paper. And I review notes at the end of a meeting and augment them after the fact when necessary. Finally, I “import” them into my personal project management system to ensure I am tracking all the actions, waiting-fors, and calendar events.
this is well and good and works for some people however i dont want to miss much of it, so i usually just note most of the things down basically 80-90% of the convo and lose myself in it, its also got to do with my fear of missing out because i think i might have a goldfish memory so just to be in the safe zone...however thanks for this, a few others also suggested a similar pattern to try out..ill keep in mind. Thank you once again.
I record (after explicitly asking the attendants, internal or external) and go over the meeting making notes after, while actively listening during. This "double" trouble is actually helping me a lot with productivity. I only use my iPad air.
I cant record especially with new clients its a bit off off impression you never know how the speaker takes his/her privacy in voice seriously, however a few others also ahve suggested this method when i asked on reddit and it seems like they just do it and are just doing fine...i still however feel uncomfortable over the whole voice recording thing, idk might change in the future...
Thank you for this however..its one of the methods i might have to resort to if nothing else works out for me..
Thank you for this however..its one of the methods i might have to resort to if nothing else works out for me..
Some of our meetings are recorded and re-sent to the participants. No need for minutes.
those might be doable in some companies as internal meetings perhaps? but what about meetings with your next clients that are bare strangers, so the recording part might come off a bit too intruding for the first time, especially voice or video recordings...voice is still doable maybe..
Thank you for your time however..might consider it.
Thank you for your time however..might consider it.
I’m anxious to read comments. With rare exception, I don’t think I ever took down a meeting or classroom note that was useful. I look at others notes and they are masterpieces.
for me ive never been able to take a meeting since university just because i might forget some details later and details are the key to impress a potential client, especially with my goldfish memory..
Everyone certainly does meetings differently.
I tend to show up with printed outlines of my own agenda, even if it isn’t my meeting.
I discovered after years of not knowing I was doing anything right that I take great notes.
I love writing mind you, so I keep journals religiously, yet in meetings I only scratch down highlights. Words, identifying or novel topics, ASSERTIONS MADE BY OTHERS.
Sit around for a few minutes after and write a little about your thoughts. Keep logging your mental reflections long afterwards. Glance back at them and fill in blanks when inspired.
A workflow driven by a writing process (even if scraps of notes and outlines) is one forward thinking with a referential past.
Keep a work journal. Keep it in hand.
Don’t think of notes as “minutes” for the meeting. Start by capturing your best fragments and this skill will improve.
Revisit your notes, and expand upon them into your written workflow process.
Alternatively, go to meetings with your own outline, and capture anything that is added or changed.
I tend to show up with printed outlines of my own agenda, even if it isn’t my meeting.
I discovered after years of not knowing I was doing anything right that I take great notes.
I love writing mind you, so I keep journals religiously, yet in meetings I only scratch down highlights. Words, identifying or novel topics, ASSERTIONS MADE BY OTHERS.
Sit around for a few minutes after and write a little about your thoughts. Keep logging your mental reflections long afterwards. Glance back at them and fill in blanks when inspired.
A workflow driven by a writing process (even if scraps of notes and outlines) is one forward thinking with a referential past.
Keep a work journal. Keep it in hand.
Don’t think of notes as “minutes” for the meeting. Start by capturing your best fragments and this skill will improve.
Revisit your notes, and expand upon them into your written workflow process.
Alternatively, go to meetings with your own outline, and capture anything that is added or changed.
this is quite intellectual of you, not only for meeting purposes but journal keeping, i tried doing this journaling for 6 months, the issue is i live in a big family and my things in my room are not even secure or private so there might a chance someone might read it, or so..until unless books come with codes to unlock them, yes i do like writing as i once received a calligraphic award back in the days..however now my handwiritng is equivalent to that of a doctor's..nevertheless i will implement this in more of a typing form, since im trying to reduce paper work except drawings so this way it might be better for now...
I thank you for your time, sir.
I thank you for your time, sir.
I personally have trouble being attentive to both in active calls and taking down notes (which is also important for me as i have fear of missing out any details when i revisit our meeting conversation later).
I am sure not everyone goes through this simple dilemma however for dumb people like me who cant multiply focus so well simultaneously, how do you do it?
Any advice/suggestion/tip will be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time to read this.