How to Write Better Meeting Notes

Are you one of the many people who struggle to take effective meeting notes? Do you need help to capture all the important details while keeping your notes concise and easy to understand? If so, don't worry; you're not alone. 

In this comprehensive guide, we'll provide you with tips and techniques to master the art of meeting notes, helping you create clear and accurate records of your meetings. We'll also share some meeting note templates to simplify the process for you.

The Importance of Meeting Notes

A record of a meeting or hearing is known as a meeting note. These notes are usually formal and organized in a structured manner for sharing after the meeting. They serve as historical documents in the future. It is vital for the following reasons:

• They help bring those who couldn't attend the meeting up to speed.
• They provide accountability for action items discussed during the meeting.
• In any legal situation, meeting notes serve as an official record, proving due diligence, ethics, and bylaw compliance.

Tips for Taking Effective Meeting Notes

1. Choose the Right Note-Taking Method

Choosing the proper note-taking method is crucial, depending on your role and personal learning style. Some popular note-taking methods include the Cornell method, outline method, quadrant method, and slide method.

2. Prepare Beforehand

Before the meeting, ensure you have all the necessary information, such as the agenda, list of attendees, and any relevant documents. This will help you follow along during the meeting and capture all the critical details.

3. Use a Meeting Note Template

Using a meeting note template can simplify the process of taking notes. A template helps you organize the information and ensures that you include all the necessary details. There are numerous templates available online that you can use, or you can create your own template.

4. Capture the Essentials

Ensure that you record the essential items in your meeting notes, including the date, time, location, participants, topics discussed, motions, and voting outcomes.

5. Be Clear and Concise

Meeting notes must be easy to understand, so it is best to use simple language or technical terms that may be difficult for others to comprehend. To make the text more readable, use bullet points to separate the information.

6. Use Objective Language

When taking meeting notes, it's important to use objective language. Avoid using subjective language or expressing personal opinions. Instead, focus on the facts and the decisions made during the meeting.

7. Capture Action Items

During the meeting, it is crucial to record all the tasks discussed, along with the person responsible for each task and the due date for completion. This will help ensure that everyone understands what needs to be done and when it needs to be done.

8. Review and Edit

After the meeting, take the time to review and edit your meeting notes. This will help you ensure they are clear, concise, and accurate. It's also a good idea to share the notes with the meeting participants to get their feedback and make any necessary revisions.

Supercharge Your Meeting Notes with Meeting.ai

Now, you can quickly get meeting notes automatically written for you by AI using Meeting.ai. Meeting.ai can help you get meeting notes and summaries instantly right after your meeting ends, whether you are doing online or offline meetings. 

Here is the step-by-step guide on how to do it.

First, go to https://meeting.ai and click "Get Started" to sign up and start using Meeting.ai.

Then, select the language you and your team use for the meeting. Meeting.ai supports more than 30 languages, so you don't have to worry if you work with an international team.

If you're doing an online meeting, select "Online Meeting" and copy your meeting link. Meeting.ai supports all major meeting platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet. Once you have pasted your meeting link, click Continue, and Meeting.ai's bot will join your meeting room.

If you're doing an offline meeting, you can select "In-person Meeting" and then test your microphone. Once your mic is tested and ready, you can click Record. Then, have the meeting as usual.

After that, do your meeting, and right after your meeting ends, your meeting notes and full transcript will be available for you to use. You can also playback your meeting video to go back to the important part of the meeting that you want to view again. 

Meeting.ai also gives you an option to upload an audio recording of a past meeting. If you want to do that, click "I want to upload past meeting video/audio" and select your file. It will then upload your file, give your meeting notes, and provide a complete transcription in a few minutes.

Conclusion

Taking effective meeting notes is a vital skill that can help you create clear and accurate records of your meetings. By following the tips and techniques outlined in this guide, you'll be able to take meeting notes that are concise, easy to read, and useful for all meeting participants.

Remember to use a meeting note template to simplify the process, capture all the important details, and review and edit your notes after the meeting. By doing so, you'll be able to create effective meeting notes to help you stay on top of actionable tasks, recall information faster, and maintain accountability.

FAQs

1. What should be included in meeting notes? Meeting notes should consist of the date and time of the meeting, names of meeting participants, topics discussed, key decisions made, and action items for the next meeting.
2. How can I make sure my meeting notes are effective? To make sure your meeting notes are effective, choose the correct note-taking method, prepare beforehand, use a meeting note template, capture the essentials, be clear and concise, use objective language, capture action items, and review and edit your notes after the meeting.
3. What are some standard note-taking methods? Some common note-taking methods include the Cornell method, outline method, quadrant method, and slide method.
4. Why are meeting notes important? Taking meeting notes is important as they help recall crucial information from a meeting and any tasks that you or other team members need to complete before the next meeting. Meeting notes also ensure accountability and can be used as a reference in the future stages of a project.