Laptop or notebook and pen in meetings?

[IjustbelieveinMe]

I just started a new role in a university at an executive level in a project management role. I have always worked in universities and used a notebook and pen in various meetings or committees to take notes, and then I digitise the notes afterwards using SmartSheet or word etc. I use really nice Rhodia notebooks and a Lamy pen if that makes a difference lol!
In one on ones with managers I may use my laptop to show them what I am working on, but I prefer to write notes while we talk. But this week in the new role I realise everyone carry’s a laptop and as we sit the laptop opens. Am I falling behind the times turning up without a laptop and looking old? I am 52 but everyone’s younger than me apart from the senior managers etc, do I embrace the laptop or keep calm and carry on?

Make sure you don’t “need” a laptop there. If not I’d be taking my Filofax and pen. I love proper stationery.

Laptop. Surely all the papers are on sharepoint and people collaborate on them live in the room? We do at our university anyway. Actions and minutes are updated live.

I prefer to take minutes with a pen and pad, was also at a university for several years, no one ever said anything as they were quickly uploaded to sharepoint and accurate.

Edited for amusing typo given accuracy comment....

@fancy Committee meetings yes. But one on ones or in smaller groups notebooks or laptops? I just had 3 days of meeting 10 different people for an introduction. I just had a notebook and pen yet they had laptops.

Do what you prefer, OP. Laptops are only useful I find if you need to refer to long documents.

Chances are they've brought their laptops so that they can sneakily do something else mid meeting.

Always pen and paper for me, personally.

Definitely seen that happen. Readong academic papers, in one case, marking. Also a problem with teams meetings, people were emailing me about other stuff while in the same meeting as me!

At least in person that doesn't happen so much.....

Do what works best for you. From my experience ( and I was occasionally guilty of this myself ) using an ipad or laptop just meant I could keep an eye on e mails , reply to simple once , accept meeting invites etc. Personally I sometimes used an ipad, but mostly my Aspinall leather notebook and cross fountain pen - I like proper stationary 🙂

I’m quicker typing, and everything needs typing up anyway, so I use my laptop if I can.

Personally I prefer a laptop, then it's quick to paste notes into other systems as tasks/actions etc. I'm a similar age to you, OP.

Laptop also avoid the problem of, when you have been scribbling quickly to keep up, later having to decipher what "URGENT - Ask Dave re. what parity wok tench survey on boneless call" means 😃

They take laptops to do email and such whilst in yje
meeting

notepad is often quicker and easier but it’s whatever works for you - accuracy and competence is what matters not the tech used to get there

Most of it is picking out the salient points and ignoring the ego stroking waffle, getting the action points and relevant names, not trying to transcribe the whole thing, whichever tech you use. That's the skillset and only comes with familiarity of acronyms, environment etc.

I had to run a training session on minuting for more junior staff in my faculty as despite my old school pen and pad, they liked what I produced.

Not to say that I liked minuting, I didn't.

100% pen and paper, I couldn’t ever type fast enough to take notes on a laptop

It's great that you make notes in the traditional way. You don't have to worry about a battery running out or a technical glitch. Be proud of not following the sheep. I think that there is something very respectful and engaging about listening to someone lecture and writing down notes as you do.

Laptops are also acceptable to make notes but NEVER mobile phones. It really irks me to see a journalist using a mobile phone to read a statement or someone in Parliament on their mobile phone.

I am a bit younger than you and when I was at college (2011-13), I would make notes whilst listening to the lecturer with a pen and paper.

Be proud of staying true to yourself and not following the gormless herd.

Teams transcripts are useful though, saves some of the typing but I'd use those and my hand written notes to put it all together to upload. You have to remove a lot of waffle and 'um'.

I use a Microsoft surface - Lenovo do a similar one - can use it like a laptop to access online materials, presentations, etc
but the keyboard detaches from the screen so you can use it like an iPad or a remarkable to “hand” write my own notes/annotate docs etc.

I do love proper paper and pen, but do not love having to type stuff up afterwards - or that one day (approx. Once a week ) where I have left my notebook at home/office when I’m working in a different location - so this feels like the best compromise!

I type blind, approximately 60 words a minute. Also my handwriting is like chicken scratches. So, I always use a laptop in meetings.

However, I'd say go with what works best for you. You could even try an erasable notebook with an app that allows you to digitize your notes. Your miles may very on that one, because not all of the systems work equally well. But you have options and if you are doing the work, you choose how it gets done.

I make my notes in a notepad eg to do list / interesting bits in meetings. But in some I’ll also have my laptop as the meetings are 90% waffle and I can get on with my actual work and send rolling eye emojis to colleagues.

I don’t need to write minutes anymore in this role thank god but when I did in my last job I would use a large notebook to write the main actions/important bits and record the meeting on teams using my laptop. After the meeting I would copy and paste the meeting transcript into the University AI ChatGPT and it would give me a breakdown of the meeting and I would then prompt it to give me further details on my main action items and the minutes were done.
so I am not adverse to embracing digital. I think I prefer the ‘analogue method’ (sounds wank I know) when I am in meetings I know I won’t need my laptop for. The general consensus is to just carry on being myself though thanks all!!. Glad to hear I am not a boomer just yet as I lie in bed typing this on my phone using my pointing finger lol!

I use a laptop in meetings now that it seems to be socially acceptable.

I used to write notes and actions in a notebook and never look at them again. Then next meeting I haven’t done my actions because they’re seven pages back in a notebook. Now I make notes straight in to my project documentation wherever they should go, and I add actions to my calendar in a time slot suitable for doing them. Then the notes are already up to date and the calendar reminders make sure I do the actions!

Completely ditching work notebooks has been brilliant for my productivity!

It's a laptop culture at my workplace, looks odd if you don't have it!

Am thinking now maybe I should take both my laptop and notebook and pen. I can write still but have the laptop there with me.

I like your way of doing things too.