Something to doWorking with others
Take the notes for the group
A micro habit for helping a group remember what it decided, and quietly shaping what happens next
Why it’s worth your time
After a meeting, the written notes become what happened, because they're the only version anyone can check. Taking them means the decisions get captured clearly and fairly, and it puts you at the center of what happens next. It's one of the most useful ways to help a group that needs no title or authority.
How to take useful meeting notes
You’ll come away with a short set of notes the whole group can agree with, sent the same day.
We’ll send you a calendar invite.
- Offer at the start.
If nobody's clearly taking notes, say you will. Offering at the start is easier than piecing it together at the end.
You“Want me to capture decisions and next steps today?” - Write decisions and next steps, not a transcript.
Three headings are plenty: what was decided, next steps with a name and a date, and what's still open. Skip who said what unless it matters.
Tip: When something's unclear in the moment, ask the room: “So what did we decide on that?” It's one of the most useful questions in any meeting.
- Word each decision the way the whole room would.
Record decisions neutrally, including the ones you argued against, and leave out your own commentary.
- Send it within the hour.
Short, in the channel the group already uses, with an invitation to add anything you missed.
To: everyone who was thereNotes from the meeting. Add anything I missed.
Decided: first decision; second decision.
Next steps: name will next step by date; name will next step by date.
Still open: open question, to pick up when or where.
Swap the highlighted parts for your thing. Works on Slack, in email, or said out loud.MonTueWedThuFri9 am11 am1 pm3 pm5 min, yours5 pm0.3 hrs a month, for you4 hrs a year you didn’t have beforeSame slot so it stops being a decision
Good moments for this: in meetings where nobody's taking notesin recurring meetings, taking turnsin meetings where a decision matters to you
We’ll send you a calendar invite.
Keep going with Truest
Small actions add up. Truest helps you find the next thing worth doing, make the space to do it, and keep a record of your progress. It’s a private place to work on your career, and it’s yours, not your employer’s.
- It actually happensWe’ll put it on your calendar and remind you before it starts.
- Every week it happens countsEach week you do it shows on your record, next to what you said matters.
- It’s yours to keepEach thing you do is saved to your private record, there when your next review or job search comes around.
Anything else we can help you with this week?
Making it work for you
Every workplace is different. Here’s what to think about before you start, and what might get in the way.
Things to think about
A meeting about a project you care about, or with people you'd like to work with more, is where holding the pen pays off. You don't need to do it everywhere.
What might make this harder
Suggest taking turns in recurring meetings. It's fair, it spreads the skill, and it keeps note-taking from quietly becoming your job.
Questions people ask
Should I volunteer to take notes in meetings?
Often, yes, especially in meetings that matter to you. The notes become the shared record, so taking them lets you make sure decisions are captured clearly. Suggest taking turns if it keeps falling to you.
How do I take good meeting notes?
Skip the transcript. Capture what was decided, each next step with a name and a date, and what's still open, then send it within the hour.
What should meeting notes include?
Decisions, next steps with owners and dates, and open questions. A line on who attended can help later; who said what is rarely needed.
Is taking meeting notes bad for my career?
It can be if it becomes invisible admin that always lands on you. Done selectively, in meetings that matter, it tends to give you a clear view of the work and a real role in the room.
Why this works, and where it comes from
However many people were in a meeting, that's how many versions of it walk out the door, and within a day they start to drift apart. Nobody's being dishonest; people remember what mattered to them. The written notes are what settle it, which is why the pen matters more than it looks.
That makes note-taking more than a chore. The person holding the pen chooses the words for each decision, notices what was left unresolved, and sends the list people act on. Done fairly, that's a real service to the group. Done with a thumb on the scale, it's a fast way to lose the room's trust. So the craft is writing decisions the way everyone present would recognize them, including the ones that didn't go your way.
It also changes what you know. Whoever writes the notes tends to end up knowing the most about where things stand. They see who owns what and what's stuck, which makes them the person others check with. That kind of influence needs no title, and it's open to anyone willing to do the unglamorous part.
When you're leading the meeting or need to argue a hard point, you can't steer a conversation and capture it well at the same time. In those meetings, the most useful thing to do with the pen is hand it to someone else, and read the notes before they go out.
Other simple things to consider
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An exercise written by Truest, based on our experience. Last updated October 2, 2026. We sell a career membership; where that’s relevant above, we say so.