When you're sitting in on a business meeting, whether it's your own or one called by one of your business contacts or customers, it's important to take notes. Your notes allow you to record important takeaways from the meeting and remember questions you need to ask various presenters at the meeting. When you take notes it's important to keep them well-organized so that you can quickly reference the information later.
Get a copy of the current agenda and minutes from the previous meeting, if possible, so that you have a quick point of reference to help you navigate the various topics of conversation when taking notes at the meeting.
Write your agenda topics on a separate piece of note paper--though you can also jot the notes down directly on the agenda page if you have room. Alternatively, if you bring a laptop into the meeting to take notes in a word processing program, create a table listing each agenda topic, with the name of the presenter.
Listen to the presenter's information closely, and when you hear an important point that you need to remember or want to inquire about, write a one to two line summary of the information. If you're taking formal minutes for the meeting, record a one to two line summary of every important point made and the group's final vote count on that item.
Repeat this process for each item on the agenda during the meeting.
Review your notes at the end of the meeting and ask questions to clarify any confusing points or information you missed during the meeting. In some meetings, you can ask these questions at the end of each agenda item discussion.
- Learn shorthand if you find that you have trouble keeping up with fast-paced meetings when taking notes. See "Resources" for a guide with various shorthand techniques to get you started.
- Consider taking a recorder into the meeting to help you recall important information from the meeting, but don't depend on it exclusively. If the battery dies or the tape runs out, you will be without notes.