How to take meeting notes
Good notes turn a meeting into concrete actions. Here's what to write down, a template to do it fast and how not to lose them.
Many meetings end with good ideas and nobody remembering who was going to do what. Clear notes make the difference: what was decided, what tasks came out of it and who owns each one.
Here's what to write down, a simple template, the Cornell method if you prefer something more structured, and how to keep your notes always at hand.
What to write down (and what not)
- Decisions, with the reason if it matters.
- Action items, always with an owner and a date.
- Open questions that remain pending.
- Key facts: figures, dates, names.
- You don't need to write everything down: it's not a word-for-word transcript, just what will be useful later.
A simple template for your notes
Meeting notes template
Meeting: [topic] · [date] Attendees: [names] Decisions • [decision] Action items • [task] — [owner] — [date] Open questions • [question]
The Cornell method, if you prefer more structure
It was created by Walter Pauk, a Cornell University professor, in the 1950s. It divides the page into three areas: a wide column for notes, a narrow left column for keywords or questions, and a short summary at the bottom.
It was designed for studying, but it works very well in long meetings: the bottom summary is exactly what you'll send the team afterwards.
After the meeting
- Send the summary the same day, while everything is fresh.
- Highlight the action items with their owner and date.
- Keep notes where you'll find them: not on a loose piece of paper.
- Set a reminder to review action items before the next meeting.
Your notes, always at hand while you work
With NexoPad you take notes in the browser and keep them close: open the note as a floating post-it during the video call, tick off tasks with checkboxes and set a reminder for the follow-up day.
Later, press Ctrl+K on any website and search for the meeting by name to recover what was decided, without opening another app.
Frequently asked questions
Is it better to take notes by hand or on a computer?
By hand helps you remember; on a computer they're easier to share and find later. If you'll share them, digital is better.
Who should take the notes?
Ideally, agree on it at the start. Rotating the task across the team keeps it from always falling to the same person.
Can I use AI to summarize my notes?
Yes. With NexoPad you can select your notes and ask for a summary. Always review the result.
Where should I keep longer documentation?
For team documentation, a wiki like Notion works well. We explain it in NexoPad vs Notion.
Published on October 11, 20266 min read
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