Minutes are the Memory

Meeting Notes are good for the team and for your career.  Actually, notes from all meeting are a critical business tool.   The notes become the memory so if it falls on you to take the notes, it’s a more important role than you think.  Business Management Daily wrote a great foundational article on taking minutes by Caroline Kaufman   My advice is front and center!  If you are responsible for the minutes, you have a heavy weight on your shoulders.  Your words will become the institutional memory.  Be clear, consistent and most of all “un-annoying” as you take notes and make sure you get the gist of the meeting conversation. 

Taking minutes in general is important.  It doesn’t matter if it’s for business and the whole team is counting on you or for yourself.  At work, you probably get more direction and feedback and a format – find lots of good ideas about that in the article.  However, when taking personal notes, let’s just say, at the Doctor’s office or with the refrigerator repair people (that’s a whole other topic for me) it’s critical that you are clear, consistent and can read what you wrote.  And of course that it makes sense and you know what to do next.

After all, the main purpose of minutes is to put everyone on the same page about what happened and then what will happen next. 

In this digital world I’ve found that it helps to put your notes in your phone.  I text (technically it’s type but it feels like texting) put my notes, right in the notes section of the contact.  I usually put something I will remember like, Walmart clerk with red hair and rugby shirt said buy this Roku.  Hint, hint, that’s a topic for my next blog, disruptive technology and me and I like it…. 

The full article on taking notes can be read on Business Management Daily.  And remember, when you can’t remember that’s why we have the written minutes.  Keep track and if you are not the minute taker, make sure you read the minutes and make any corrections.  Take note of anything that impacts you or your department and use it to your advantage. 

The minutes are the memory. Use the memory.