Note

A note is a short written record of an idea, a piece of information, a decision or an action to take, made so it can be found again later. It is written on the spot, for its author or a small group, which sets it apart from a document prepared to be published.

A note can be a few handwritten lines on paper, an entry in a notes app, a memo, an email or a message. People take notes in meetings, during training, while reading or researching, and whenever they need to remember something beyond the moment.

What notes are used for

• keeping information that would otherwise be forgotten
• recording ideas as they come
• tracking the decisions made in meetings and the tasks that follow from them
• sharing information with people who were absent
• keeping a history of what happened on a project

In a team, shared notes make communication within the team easier. Everyone reads the same version of what was said and decided. A newcomer catches up by reading them. Shared notes also help track progress and keep priorities in view.

Meeting notes are most useful when they record each decision and each next action with the name of the person in charge. A word-for-word account of the discussion is rarely read again.