How to take effective meeting notes: Templates and tips

Meetings are an important part of projects—they are where decisions get made and team members connect with each other. While meetings are a key step to making good decisions, where do those ideas go? If it’s not clear whose responsibility it is to take notes, ideas and action items can get lost.

The best way to ensure crucial information and context are documented is through meeting notes and meeting minutes. We detail both of these types of documents in this article.

What are meeting notes?

Meeting notes are the key points of information you jot down during a meeting. Good meeting notes help you remember the important details from a meeting and any action items that you or other team members need to complete before the next meeting.

Meeting notes have no set structure or format, and note-taking techniques can vary by individual preference. 

What are meeting minutes?

Meeting minutes are a formal note-taking format that can be used as official documents by auditors or court proceedings. Meeting minutes have a set structure for what needs to be included. Those requirements include:

• Date and time of the meeting, plus the time the meeting started and the time the meeting ended.

• Names of meeting participants and individuals who were invited but unable to attend.

• Topics discussed during the meeting.

• Key decisions made, such as outcomes of elections, and motions accepted or rejected, and the date and time of the next meeting.

• Action items for the next meeting.

The term "meeting minutes" comes from the Latin phrase minuta scriptura, which translates to "small notes." While it can be helpful to dictate real-time minutes into your meeting minutes, dictating what's happening down to the minute is not the intention.

Meeting notes vs meeting minutes

If you’re a project manager, it’s most likely that you will be using regular meeting notes. For situations such as project kickoff meetings, project plans, or casual 1:1 meetings, notes will do just fine.

When you have a more formal meeting that needs to be recorded and documented, such as a public hearing or company meeting, meeting minutes are more appropriate.

Benefits of taking good meeting notes

Meeting notes can come in many forms, and there are several benefits to creating them, regardless of which method you prefer. Here are a few reasons why meeting notes can bring more clarity to your team. 

Document decisions

While some people have razor-sharp memories, others may quickly forget what decisions were made in a team meeting. Creating written records of notes enables team members to reference the decisions that were made at a specific point in time. Meeting notes also help maintain accountability and can be helpful to reference later in a project. 

One way to ensure that everybody on the team can reference notes later on is to keep them in a designated space as a central source of truth. Compiling all meeting notes and agendas in the same place can help provide important context to conversation in the event that somebody is ever out and is looking to catch up on what progress the team made

Offer asynchronous participation

In the event that some team members are unable to attend the meeting, sharing past meeting notes can help bring them up to speed while still allowing them to process the meeting’s decisions on their own time. Some team members may not have the ability to participate due to scheduling conflicts, but sharing the meeting notes gives them the opportunity to participate in the decision-making process async.

Improve recall

German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus conducted some of the first experiments on memory and recall in 1895. In this study, he developed the forgetting curve, which shows how information is lost quickly over time if there is no effort to retain the information. 

Effective note taking can help you recall information faster, as things are retained over time. The more that you interact with notes—like reading over meeting notes a day later—the more likely you are to remember the decisions made during that meeting.

What to include in your meeting notes format 

When creating a meeting note template, it's essential to include key elements that will make your notes effective and actionable. Here are the main components to consider:

Agenda items and discussion points 

Start by listing the agenda items covered in the team meeting. This helps structure your notes and ensures you don't miss any important topics. Under each agenda item, jot down the main discussion points, highlighting key information and decisions made.

Action items and next steps 

Clearly identify any action items that arise during the meeting. Note down the task, the person responsible, and the due date. This helps ensure that everyone is aware of their responsibilities and next steps moving forward. Using a project management tool like Teamwork can help you assign and track these action items effectively.

Ideas, decisions, and key takeaways 

Capture any ideas, key decisions, and important takeaways from the meeting. These notes will serve as a reference point for future discussions and help stakeholders stay informed. Be sure to highlight any major breakthroughs or pivotal moments in the meeting.

How to take meeting notes 

Taking effective meeting notes requires preparation, active listening, and organized documentation. Follow these steps to take good meeting notes:

Step 1: Prepare before the meeting 

Review the meeting agenda beforehand and familiarize yourself with the topics to be discussed. This will help you focus on key points during the meeting. Set up your note-taking tools, whether it's a physical notebook, a Google Doc, or a specialized app like Teamwork.

Step 2: Record key information during the meeting 

As the meeting progresses, jot down important details, decisions, and action items. Don't try to write word-for-word; instead, focus on capturing the essence of the discussion. If you're using a digital tool, you can use features like transcription or AI meeting assistance to help record the conversation accurately.

Step 3: Organize and format meeting notes 

After the meeting, take a few minutes to review and summarize your notes. Use headings, bullet points, and formatting to make the information easy to read and navigate. If you're using a collaborative note tool, make sure to structure the notes in a way that's clear and accessible to all team members.

Step 4: Review and distribute your meeting notes 

Before sharing your notes, double-check for accuracy and clarity. Add any missing details or context that may be helpful for meeting participants. Once finalized, share the notes with all relevant stakeholders, using tools like Asana, Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet to distribute them efficiently. Consider setting up notifications or reminders for follow-up tasks and action items.

9 proven tips for taking better meeting notes

Great meeting notes can help you stay on top of actionable tasks and key deliverables. Any important discussion that happens will be documented in your meeting notes so your team members can refer back later. Here are a few tips on how to take good meeting notes.

1. Choose a note-taking method that works you

There are several different note-taking methods out there, and it's important to find the one that works the best for you based on your role and personal learning style. Some of the most common note-taking methods include:

• Cornell method: In the Cornell method, your notes take the form of two columns: one small column on the left side and a larger column on the right. The left column highlights key points from the meeting, while the right column drills down into the details. Jotting the main idea on the left and finer details on the right can help you stay organized as the conversation shifts.

• Outline method: Ideally, your team shares the meeting agenda beforehand. If they do, use that as an outline for your notes. List those key points and agenda items out, then take notes underneath each one as the meeting progresses.

• Quadrant method: Separate your notes into four different quadrants, and label each section as general notes, action items for yourself, action items for other team members, and questions. In the general notes section, jot down key points and important details from the meeting. The rest of the quadrants are reserved for the items that fall underneath those headers.

• Slide method: If your meeting is a presentation, ask the presenter if they're willing to share the slide deck with you ahead of time. You can then add any notes you have to specific slides as the speaker is presenting.

2. Ditch the laptop—use pen and paper instead

Research shows that taking notes by hand is better for remembering conceptual information in the long term. When taking meeting notes, you're more likely to focus on the key takeaways of the meeting since it's almost impossible to write everything word for word. Not having your laptop also prevents multitasking during the team meeting.

3. Don't transcribe everything verbatim

Trying to copy meeting notes word for word is a waste of both time and energy. A meeting consists of a lot of conversation, but not every part of the conversation is necessary for those reading meeting notes later on. Write down the key points that are discussed, outcomes, and next steps so that you can focus on the actionable work that matters most. 

If handwriting, use shorthand, symbols, acronyms, or abbreviations to jot down common phrases or ideas quickly. Create a legend or key so you know what your shorthand means later.

4. Use a meeting notes template

Whether you're using a meeting note template or a meeting minute template, using a pre-built template can help expedite your note taking, so you don't have to prep or format as you go. Regardless of who is taking notes, all of your meeting notes will follow a consistent structure and everyone on the team will know what information to expect.

5. Assign a specific note-taker for the meeting

If you're leading a meeting, it can be challenging to simultaneously take notes and facilitate the discussion. Ask a team member to take notes for you if you're leading an important meeting. For recurring meetings, rotate the designated note-taker so everyone has a chance to join the conversation.

6. Transcribe conversations with recording software 

With many teams working remotely, it can be easier to record and share a video recording instead of writing meeting notes. Use integrations like the Zoom + Asana integration to transcribe the conversation so team members can read it later. Reading a transcription lets you parse out regular conversation from key points and action items at a glance.

Alert everybody that they will be recorded and what the recording will be used for before starting. Share both the recording and transcript in a central location accessible to the whole team.

7. Highlight important points of contact

If someone brings up something that may require follow-up later, make sure to write their name at that point. This way, if you have questions or need to sync up with them later, you know exactly who to talk to about this specific topic.

This technique is also helpful if two stakeholders disagree on a topic. By documenting both of their opinions, you can use those arguments as the groundwork for the decision you ultimately decide to make. 

8. Share your screen so that everyone can see your notes

If you work on a distributed team or work remotely, you’re likely to be in a lot of video conferences. Sharing your screen while taking notes can be helpful for your team members. If you miss anything, your team can help jump in and suggest points to add in real time.

9. Share your meeting notes with all attendees

Following up after a meeting is a good way to ensure that all stakeholders have clarity on the decisions made. If anyone misses the meeting, they can catch up asynchronously by reading your meeting notes. Plus, if any points were missed, your team has the opportunity to add them to the follow-up notes. 

When you follow up with stakeholders after the meeting, ensure that the document is easily shareable and accessible. Work with your team to create a communication plan so that everyone knows exactly where this information is stored and how to access it at a later date.

How to turn meeting notes into action items 

Productive meetings, whether virtual meetings or in-person, result in clear action items and next steps. To streamline the process of converting your meeting notes into actionable tasks:

1. Ensure your meeting notes format includes a dedicated section for action items.

2. Review your notes after the meeting and extract all action items. Be specific about what needs to be done, who is responsible, and any due dates.

3. Communicate the action items to all meeting participants via email or your team's collaboration platform.

Example: After a board meeting, review your meeting note-taking and identify action items such as "John to prepare Q2 financial report by June 15th" or "Mary to present new marketing strategy at next board meeting."

Use meeting notes to build a knowledge base 

Your meeting notes contain valuable information and insights that can benefit your team long after the meeting. By using your notes to build a knowledge base, you:

1. Capture important discussions, decisions, and lessons learned from various types of meetings, such as weekly team sync-ups or virtual meetings on Windows or Mac platforms.

2. Create a searchable repository of information by storing meeting notes in a central location, like a shared drive or wiki.

3. Enable team members to learn from past experiences and avoid repeating mistakes.

4. Encourage a culture of knowledge sharing and continuous learning.

To streamline the note-taking workflow, consider using AI meeting tools or automated transcription services to capture notes. Integrate these tools into your team's workflows to automate note-taking and make it easier to build your knowledge base over time.

Example: If your team holds regular virtual meetings to discuss project updates, you can use an AI-powered tool to transcribe the conversation and automatically recap and store the notes in your knowledge base. This saves time on manual meeting note-taking and ensures that valuable information is captured and accessible to all team members.

By leveraging your meeting notes as a knowledge-building tool, you create a valuable resource that supports your team's growth and success over time.

Centralize actionable meeting notes

The best way to keep your project and meeting notes organized is to create a centralized space where all due dates and action items live. Using a work management tool can help keep your team members organized and ensure your meetings are productive. Interested in trying a tool out? Bring your team’s work together in one shared space with Asana.