To still minute take with pen and paper

[HibiscusYellow]

Despite being a fast typer I’ve always taken minutes with a pen and paper. I can shorthand, draw arrows, use symbols. Sometimes I even use a simple grid to keep track.

Typing I can just about keep up, but I can’t actually think and catch the essence and keep up. I end up with more long winded verbatim notes that need trimming, and a typo can lead to really losing the thread. It’s a bitch noting the speakers if they keep switching too.

A younger colleague implied this is due to my age! They and another thing younger staff would type.. it’s just the Clerk are older.

So, if your job includes minute taking or clerking… I’m interested in a vote

bu- you use pen and paper
not bu-you type

I type in OneNote. Most of our meetings are in Teams nowadays so I can take snapshots, add links, add tasks and flag important points, and it’s very easy to move things around afterwards. Plus I can export and share the notes, or share the OneNote if preferred

I do this,it flows and I paraphrase much more easily using a pen. I then type up and edit as I go. I'm a very fast writer, so basically can write verbatim, I'd get annoyed by seeing typos as I go if I typed, so it works for me. Given I've been asked to give training to junior staff on how to minute (more content than method, I can only say what works for me), they are clearly ok.

I take them by hand. I’m expected to keep the notes until the minutes have been approved.

I'll check the transcript on teams sometimes, but the ums and ers annoy me, its just for technical terms. Pen for the win

Not me but at my work there is a PA who takes notes in shorthand, I asume it's still very much alive and well

What is unreasonable is you paying any heed to what younger staff say you should be doing, why would you think they know your job bettee than you do?

Pen & paper. Lots the meetings that needed minuting pre-Covid weren't held in the office and we didn't have laptops. They're mostly held on Zoom now, but I still use pen & paper - in fact I've switched to fountain pens and use two different coloured inks.

I’m 41 and tbh I do both methods depending on the type of meeting and discussions that I need to minute. Everyone does it differently and as long as the end result is satisfactory for what’s needed then I don’t see it as an age related split in my experience

Local Council really don’t like any recording, including transcripts. It really really would make life easier. It’s not allowed, or I’d copy paste it and trim!

I record TEAMS meetings, with participants' agreement.

Type notes directly into the minutes format, with abbreviations, incomplete sentences, and highlight bits to check against the transcript or recording.

Might scribble something if I'm presenting.

I don’t have to officially take minutes, but I would use pen and paper.

I hate someone tapping away in a meeting, it’s really distracting

Oh, this is local govt.
Quite normal to record and share meetings too, for those that missed the meeting.

I think it just takes ages on the other side when you have to type it up. At least if you type directly, you have the main body already down.

I do wonder whether more people should qualify in that court /Parliament recording malarkey/dictograph thingy.

That would be quick and easy.

It's proven that the part of brain used to type or read printed material versus screen material is different. I hate meetings where I have to type on screen for the client. Would much rather take paper notes and type up afterwards

Not that long, 25.mins or so for an hour and a half meeting where I know the content and also contribute to the discussion. I can write and talk but am less good at typing and talking. Each to their own really

I type, I hate having admin to do after a meeting so I get it done while the meeting is taking place.

I have a template table that I use for my minutes to capture Discussion, Agreements and Actions with owners and due dates against each Agenda point.

Meetings are around two hours, could be 3. I guess pen and keeping to the essence gives me rest breaks. If I type I end up typing as they talk, then realising it was superfluous. Pen I can note as I think I find

I'm not in a legal role so I stopped taking minutes and started a record of discussion - so much easier. Just use the agenda headings, capture the chat, add actions and key points.

A large part of my work is taking minutes and I've always used shorthand which helps me to produce near verbatim notes. Most of my meetings are face to face again now and those that are still held via Zoom aren't recorded. Since the start of the pandemic I can count on the fingers of one hand the meetings which I've been allowed to record. I think learning shorthand was probably the most useful thing I ever did.

I much prefer to write minutes. I can't type and listen at the same speed as I can when writing. Since covid where you can record if I don't catch something, I write the time on the recording in the minutes. TBH this has made me a bit lazy and I don't always listen properly which means I then have to listen to the whole recording..... I also tried to dictate some minutes to word once using the recording button. It blanked out the swear words 😁

I work in governance and I type my minutes - all my meetings are on teams.
I use the agenda headings in OneNote.

I touch type much more quickly than I can write, and can type and talk at the same time. I use bullet points a lot and double space between each agenda item. The one note suggestion above is an excellent one and I'll use that going forward, so thank you!