Comments on: The Scribe

By: KathyK

KathyK — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 16:32:43 +0000

Actually, part of my job repsonsibility is documenting what happens at our big Program board meetings, so I have refined my note-taking techniques. And I do continue my note-taking in other meetings. I used to have an extremely sharp memory, but as a medical condition has affected my recall abilities, my notes are no longer nice-to-have but essential.

By: Mandy

Mandy — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 19:40:54 +0000

Notes for me are key. I always have to take notes when I’m on an important phone call so that I can remember all key points and information. You just validated ME! Thanks, KathyHowe ;).

By: Karen

Karen — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 14:52:58 +0000

Kathy
I’m a HUGE note-taker. When I first started in my second career, I was trading currencies for a coproration - so I was getting prices on the phone and having to convert one currency to another and confirm both amounts. The person training me for the job carried a spiral bound notebook with him everywhere and wrote down all his trade information there before transcribing to a trade ticket. I started that practice, and pretty soon I found I was writing down everything in the notebook - trades, phone calls, meeting notes…you name it. I’m old fashioned and its not electronic, but it works for me (fortunately, my writing is legible).

Well here I am 15 years later and I’m never without my notebook. When I joined my current company 3 years ago, I made a little joke with my boss about my anal notebook fetish, but explained that its invaluable and I can usually refer back to my notes and refresh my memory on almost anything that has gone on. Needless to say, he has had more than one occasion over the ensuing years to ask me to verify some point from a meeting…and I can generally flip right to it in my notebook. He is amazed and says every time that he needs to take up the note taking practice…but he never does. Me - I just keep writing everything down!!!

By: Florinda

Florinda — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 20:57:54 +0000

Notes are invaluable - I’m another one with an unreliable memory, but I find that the act of writing it down actually helps make an impression on my brain.

I’m inconsistent about note-taking in meetings these days, though - largely because I don’t have to go to many, and the ones that I do go to often seem to wander off on tangents that aren’t relevant or worth documenting. I also find that sometimes I’ll miss something that just happened while in the act of making the notes!

Your framework for notes is great, Kathy - I just might steal it. Thanks for another great post!

By: Anne Florenzano

Anne Florenzano — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 01:38:31 +0000

I adore your blog, Kathy! This was seriously good advice. It’s not only good to take notes during meetings, but making quick note of phone calls in a notebook is helpful too.

By: Nataly

Nataly — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 16:05:55 +0000

I think taking notes is really important and I used to be pretty disciplined about this when I had you, know, a regular job:) I am still a big note-taker — take notes during calls, write notes to myself, etc.

I remember once being in a meeting with a pretty high-powered executive, a woman. She took notes the entire time. I was surprised — usually people like that don’t. So I asked her. She said she does it for 3 reasons: to better remember things that go on, to have a good personal record of what she got from the meeting, and to look busy even when she is really bored:)