Taking Notes At Work 4 Hacks

Taking Notes At Work 4 Hacks You might associate taking leides with students, studying, and school, but youll engage in some fasson of note-taking throughout your careerand probably in your personal life, too. From meetings to interviews to presentations to to-do lists, effective note-taking will serve you well. Here are four note-taking strategies to help you manage your work life1. Keep it simple.When I was in college lectures, the professor would sometimes move so quickly through the materie that it was impossible to keep up. In work meetings where I was sometimes responsible for recording minutes, I encountered a similar issue.To avoid running into this problem, keep your notes as simple as possible. Focus on main points, phrases, and facts. If youre in a meeting, you probably dont need to record exact quotesunless your line of work or manager requires that you do so.Pay attention to the most important information, particularly plans that require action, unresolved questions, dec isions from the meeting, and problems that arise. If someone says something you already know, or its something you can look up later, its probably not necessary for you to write it down in fulljust make a notation to remind yourself that its relevant to the discussion. You might develop a shorthand system for yourself, creating symbols associated with specific ideas to jog your memory later. These symbols can also serve as indexing system for easy reference, if youre trying to find a note on a particular topic later on.If youre responsible for recording meeting minutes, its a good idea to discuss what ideas your manager or the person running the meeting wants highlighted. For example, she might expect you to record specific numbers (e.g. shipments) or names.2. Typed vs. handwritten? You decide.In college, your instructor may have had specific rules about whether or not you could take notes on a laptop or iPad. This makes sense for lectures and seminarsstudents could easily get distr acted. But in meetings, there probably wont be any rules about how you can and cant record notes.Some people prefer taking notes on their laptops. If this is you, do it Keep in mind that there may be certain drawbacks, however. For instance, that will mean having to carry your laptop to work. It also presents a greater risk for distraction, since youll probably be able to go online during meetings. If you know youre easily distractible, it may be a better idea to keep your laptop at home. Some people prefer taking notes by hand, but this style also has some complications. For example, you may not be able to write by hand as quickly as you type.Ultimately, the decision between typed or handwritten notetaking is yours. You may opt for one way over the other depending on the purpose of the notes. If youre sending the notes to other people, for example, you might prefer typing, because then you wont have to transcribe your handwritten notes later. There are also plenty of note-taking ap ps and online tools provide more ease for sharing. Meanwhile, if youre in a one-on-one meeting, bringing a laptop or iPad can change the dynamics of the conversation and make it feel less personal, so you might opt for a simple notebook.3. Organize.Organization is very important for creating clear, concise, readable notes. You might number your pages for easy reference, as well as use the previously discussed symbols to better index and refer to your notes later. If youre typing, you can edit and create sub-headers for main ideas and key points as you go.Your organization methods will vary depending on the purpose of your notes. If youre jotting down notes for a project, and youre a visual learner, mapping out main points and ideas in a graphic representation, flowchart, or other visual method could be a useful strategy for you. This can also be effective when creating notes for a presentation.In situations in which you wont do as much talking, such as a business lecture, class, or seminar, many people opt for the Cornell Method. Many students use this method as well. In this method, the note-taker divides a sheet of paper into two parts, the left-hand side accounting for one-third of the sheet and the right-hand side equaling two-thirds of the page. In the left-hand column, the note-taker writes out a key idea or question, and on the right side, she writes out the details. You might only work on the right side and then go back and fill in the cues or key points in the left-hand column later to summarize important ideas for future use. The Cornell Method is especially useful for learning contexts, because it helps the note-taker synthesize and remember the information later on. Students may go a step further and add a summary of the information at the bottom of the page, which can be useful for studying later.Going back over your notes and highlighting key points, ideas, or takeaways can is another organization strategy you might usefor greater ease in reviewi ng, reading, and remembering the material and information later on.For interviews, organization is key. If youre interviewing for a job over the phone, you can refer to your notes easily. While its not the best idea to consult notes while youre in an in-person interview, writing out some ideas for what you want to say (though not word for word) beforehand can help you remember key points to bring up or ideas for how to answer specific questions.If youre conducting the interview, try writing out your questions and leaving space to jot down the candidates responses, as well as a section for more general notes. This creates ease in referencing your notes later on.4. Find a method that works for you.If you have a tried and true method you prefer, stick with it. After youve been taking notes in a particular context for a while, youll probably find the strategy that works best for you and your individual situations. Whatever helps you do your best work is the best note-taking strategy for you.