Taking notes may seem like common practice, but is it? Read more about how to avoid confusion with note-taking.<\/h2>\n
Leaders, have you ever had a meeting where, after a tough discourse, you left the meeting feeling there was progress – only to learn later that someone in the room had a different recollection?<\/p>\n
I have.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s when I\u00a0re-send<\/em>\u00a0that person \u201cthe notes.\u201d<\/p>\n Notes can be your best defense. They help you keep your efforts from getting thwarted.<\/p>\n It\u2019s challenging to bring leaders with different points of view together to make critical decisions. It happens when careful preparation before a meeting is combined with directed dialogue during the meeting. When the leaders get on the same page, it is an accomplishment and something to acknowledge (and sometimes even celebrate).<\/p>\n It\u2019s also simply madness to not memorialize that hard work. When you don\u2019t distribute notes, you often end up having that same discussion again…and again.<\/p>\n Get in the habit of documenting any discussion where you make decisions, identify items that need further work and, when possible, assign someone to a specific follow-up task.<\/p>\n It’s as simple as this:<\/p>\n Sometimes decisions are made on the fly in the hall, over lunch or on the phone. That\u2019s ok. It\u2019s actually great.<\/p>\n Just use the same principles: document the discussion and send it out to confirm you heard the same thing.<\/p>\n When there are no notes from a meeting you attended and a decision was made that is critical to you, take action.<\/p>\n Send an email to all that were at the meeting. In it, summarize the decision and ask them to let you know if what you summarized is inaccurate or incomplete.<\/p>\n As others experience you, your meetings and your notes, you will have a better output. Your meeting participants will learn that in your meetings, progress is made.<\/p>\n They will show up, work hard, and feel good about their collective accomplishments.<\/p>\nGood Note-Taking Essentials<\/h3>\n
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Hallway Conversation<\/h3>\n
Not Your Meeting?<\/h3>\n
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