Are You Writing This Down? How to Take Notes
August 24, 2009 by Rita Marshall
If I’m interviewing you, you may be taken aback when I look and talk to you while my hands scribble a shorthand version of what you’re saying. “Can you read that?” a lot of people ask me.
Yes! And while you probably don’t need to master the art of maintaining eye contact while recording a person’s verbatim words, knowing how to take notes is a great skill to have.
Why Learn How to Take Notes?
Taking notes gives you a written record of what happened during a conversation or meeting, and it’s also an important communication tool. We miss a lot of things other people tell us because we’re distracted — by a noise, by something we see, or just because we’re thinking of what we’re going to say next.
When you take notes, you concentrate on the speaker’s ideas and show the speaker that you value what they have to say. You should take notes if:
- You have a meeting about an important project
- You are meeting someone for the first time
- You are at an important speech or presentation and want to get the most out of it.
- You are in charge of taking notes / minutes for a meeting
In my experience, it’s always better to have notes that you end up not needing instead of wishing you had a written record of an important statement, conversation or meeting.
How Do I Take Notes?
- Use a computer or handwrite, depending on what’s available and what feels most comfortable.
- Make sure you have enough writing material. Your laptop should have enough power. Writing by hand? Have a few pens with you and use a notepad with plenty of paper.
- Make sure you can hear the speaker! Sit as close as you can. Make sure you also have enough room to take your notes comfortably.
- Write down everything; you never know what you’ll end up needing. Agendas are helpful, but I’ve found in my time reporting that the important things are also usually surprises.
How Do I Take Notes Quickly?
You need to use shorthand. If you’re coming up with your own system, make sure you’ll remember what your symbols mean.
Text talk (U = You, 2 = To) is pretty easy to remember and so will industry acronyms you’re familiar with. After my time in health care, I began substituting “Q” for “every” in my shorthand.
What Do I Do with These Scribbles Now?
As soon as you stop taking notes, look them over from the beginning and write in as many whole words as possible, especially illegible ones. Cold notes are difficult to work with.
From Note-Taking to Networking
If you find yourself missing names or information, ask the speaker while you’re both still in the same room. A speaker usually won’t just fill in the gaps — they’ll share more information with you as well. Whether it’s a one-on-one or a large meeting, note-taking can be a great communication tool when you use it as a springboard to a conversation.
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