The purpose of the note is to make the next task visible
MIT libraries' meeting guide recommends sharing notes after the meeting and clearly stating the work to be done. If necessary, deadlines for the work should also be written. This approach differs from recording the entire conversation verbatim. The important thing for you is to be able to distinguish between what information is just opinion and what is a shared decision.
Try a small four-column template
You can divide a table into “decision or action”, “responsible”, “date” and “open point”. For example, if a new poster is being discussed, write “verify the measurements with Ayşe” instead of “make a poster”. Add in the open point column that the design has not yet been selected. Just because everyone reacted positively to an idea, don't automatically move it to the decision section; At the end of the meeting, ask in a short sentence what has been finalized.
Put the note where it will be used
As soon as the conversation is over, correct the meaning of the abbreviations and add the date. If different copies of the same document are circulating, it should be clear which one is current. Do not share information that only relevant people should access with large groups. Instead of searching through all the old messages before your next conversation, look at the open jobs column. Adding a concise conclusion when the job is completed also makes it easier to understand why that decision was made months later. If the template itself evolves into a new workload, you can reduce the columns.
Briefly keep in mind
- Write the opinion and the final decision separately.
- Clearly determine who is responsible for each task.
- If a date is needed, verify rather than guess.
- Do not hide unanswered questions among decisions.
- Keep the current note where appropriate people can find it.
Resources
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