Power Note-Taking

Like Michael Hyatt, President of Thomas Nelson Publishing, I spend a lot of my time in meetings.  During these meetings a lot of information is shared, decisions are reached, tasks are generated and delegated, future meetings are scheduled, and follow-up dates are decided upon.  It's tempting to just sit and contribute, allowing the meeting secretary to record all the information, publish and distribute the minutes of the meeting, which you swear you'll review when you get back to the office.  Unfortunately, later never comes, and the minutes are in the bottom of a pile of papers before you know it.  When the next meeting is convened, you wonder, "what did we decide on that last time," or "who was supposed to do that?"

Michael gave good reasons and strategies as to note-taking, so let's get down to tactics:

Electronic or Paper?

• This is a personal preference.  If you choose paper, a bound notebook is best.  Work the notebook from the front to the back and don't skip any pages.  This will provide you with a chronological history of the group's meetings.  One notebook per team/group/committee.  Don't mix and match; You'll get so confused that the system will not do you any good.  I recommend a nice notebook with quality paper.  You'll be using it a lot.
• My preference is to use my Palm with Agendus Pro v9.0 with a wireless keyboard for typing. Simply, I keyboard much faster than I write.  I get much more information this way.  Agendus is important to me because it allows me to link the meeting with as many contacts in my address book that I'd like to.  That way, when I evaluate my employees, I do a quick contact history search and every meeting that I linked to the employee shows up in the list.  This is nice, especially if I can't remember if the employee was present during a particular meeting.

Format

• I recommend using the same format meeting after meeting.  It's a great way to standardize what I'm doing.  Pre-writing the sections for date, time, attendees, notes, decisions, delegated tasks, follow-up dates and tasks, etc., makes sure I don't forget something.
• There are other formats that have been standardized, such as the Cornell Method and other note-taking systems.
• Again, I prefer the electronic format using Agendus on my Palm because it allows me to create a meeting template with the sections that I need.  I do this once and the template is always ready for use and I don't forget anything.

Codes, Key Words, and Follow-Up

• Michael states that he uses codes to identify follow-up items, action items, delegated items, etc.  It's important to review your notes and incorporate them into your inbox so that they wind up in your next action lists where they will be reminders of work to be done. 
• Jason Womack states that he throws his notebook into his inbox and then processes it with everything else, taking all action items from its pages and putting them in his context lists.  The then makes a large mark ("X") across the face of the page to make sure that he remembers that he's finished with that page. 
• One CEO that I know  stays a few minutes after a meeting processing the notes into his system, calling subordinates to delegate tasks, and putting follow-up dates in his calendar.  He doesn't leave until he's done.
• In my system, when I have the meeting screen open in Agendus, it allows me to create a follow up next action by using a drop-down window.  I can do the same to create a follow-up call, meeting, or follow-up date.  It's already in my system before the meeting is over.  I can link delegated tasks to contacts in my address book to allow me to follow up with my @Agenda list.  When I meet with the person, I can do a contact history for him/her and all delegated to do's assigned to him/her show up.  If there is a Wi-Fi connection present, I can even email tasks to my employees during the meeting, as I have a Tungsten-C.

Remember -- We Deal With Human Beings

No matter what system we use, paper or electronic, formatted or free-flowing, or whether we process the information immediately or later, we must remember that we are dealing with human beings.  Clients, subordinates, acquaintances, and other attendees crave that personal connection.  I've personally seen very dedicated leaders lose credibility with their subordinates by burying their nose in their notes and never looking up, giving the impression that their notes were more important than the person speaking or that they are using the pad of paper as a shield against the other person if the meeting carries an adversarial tone.  We have to find that balance of recording information that we need and acknowledging the speaker at the same time.  Eye contact, non-verbal gestures, clarifying questions, facial expressions, and simply leaning in toward the speaker say to that person, "You are important and your message is important to me -- I'm listening to you."  The best notes in the world do us no good if we lose credibility with those people with whom we meet.  Although the keyboard allows me to type without looking down, I find that those of us who use electronic note-taking tools must overcompensate by extending eye contact, asking more questions, and simply letting go of that keyboard for a few minutes every now and then to overcome the perception that we're back there playing video games.  People can see the paper notes, but many times, the angle of the Palm hides what we're doing.

Follow-Up, Follow-Up, Follow-Up

Most of all, use your notes to follow up.  More than one leader has lost credibility, and often their jobs, by not performing this one simple act.  Let your people see you following up.  Hold yourself accountable.

Comments

[Scott]

Ok, this sounds lame but...if you use a notebook method, do you right on both sides of the paper?

[Bert]

Scott--

When I used paper, I did.

Bert

[kayla]

your deal dosen't work at all, 50 pounds my ass!
i tried it and all that shit did for me was 15 pounds and seriuosly i was commited on you diets and excersize! whatever thats all in the past now, i found something new called the 6 week plan, i lost 35 pounds baby!!! well, no thanks to you but thanks for trying to help, i supose!
- Kayla