My Boss Wants Me To Take Notes At Meetings – What’s In It For Me?
by Michael Hoffman
When a manager reads this blog, they might think, well, you work for the company and it’s your job. That should be good enough. And it would be if you were a computer or a slave, but you’re a living human being with your own goals, ambitions, and mission. So, your work needs to be meaningful.
While taking notes during meetings may seem like an additional task, it offers a bundle of benefits to enhance your professional growth. Here are six of them:
- Improves Comprehension: Notetaking encourages active listening, which helps you better understand the information being presented. This deeper comprehension can make you more effective in your role.
- Boosts Memory Retention: The process of writing things down aids in memory retention. This can be valuable when you’re tasked with remembering important details from meetings.
- Develops Attention to Detail: Notetaking can train you to pay attention to finer details and subtleties, a skill that is valuable in many professional roles.
- Enhances Communication Skills: Good notetaking can make you a go-to resource for meeting details, boosting your visibility and influence within the company. This can also help you practice summarizing and conveying information efficiently.
- Provides Reference Material: Detailed notes can be a useful reference for yourself and others who may have missed the meeting or need to recall specific details later.
- Career Advancement: All these skills – active listening, attention to detail, memory retention, and effective communication – are transferable skills that are valuable for career advancement. Plus, taking initiative to be the note-taker shows leadership qualities, which could open doors to future opportunities within the company.
So, while it might seem like a thankless job, note-taking can be quite beneficial for your personal and professional development.
