Effective Meeting Notes for Busy Professionals

Over the years, I've found that effective meeting minutes are not just a record but a tool for better productivity and communication. So, how do you get the minutes to work for you and your team? Here's what's worked for me: Choose the Right Tools: It might be tempting to grab a piece of paper and a pen, but using a digital tool can make your minutes more accessible and easier to edit. Apps like OneNote or Google Docs work well for this. Prepare in Advance: Know the agenda before the meeting starts. That helps you anticipate the kind of information you'll need to capture. Designate a Minute Taker: If you’re running the meeting, it might be tough to take minutes too. So, have someone else take on this responsibility, and then review the minutes afterward to ensure accuracy. Record Only What’s Necessary: You don’t need to write a transcript. Focus on decisions made, action items, and deadlines. Keep it concise but clear. Use Bullet Points: Makes it easier to read and understand. Straight to the point is the way to go. Include Action Items: Note down what needs to be done, by whom, and by when. This way, nobody leaves the meeting wondering, “Now what?” Review In-Meeting: Before the meeting closes, do a quick review of the minutes and ask for any corrections or additions. This ensures everyone leaves with the same understanding. Distribute Quickly: Don't wait for days to send out the minutes. The quicker you get them out, the fresher the meeting is in people’s minds, making it easier to get started on action items. Follow-Up: Use the minutes as a tool for follow-up. Check off completed items and carry forward the ones that are pending. Effective meeting minutes are more than a record, they're a productivity tool. Peter Drucker - "Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things." Use your minutes to make sure you're doing both. #Productivity #EffectiveMeetings #LeadershipTips

Still Writing Meeting Notes by Hand? Try This Instead. AI can turn long transcripts into clear, structured summaries in seconds—if you know what to ask. Here’s the prompt I use after every meeting: “You are an expert in summarizing meetings. Format the summary with key discussion points, decisions made, action items with names + deadlines, and any open issues.” Include these in your AI instructions: A 2-line overview Bullet points (not paragraphs) Quotes or insights worth saving Follow-up owners + due dates This works for team check-ins, client calls, even brainstorming sessions. Want my favorite AI summary template? Reply “notes” and I’ll send it over. #AIProductivity #MeetingEfficiency #WorkSmarter

Amazon Teammates: Cedric + Chime + Slack tip that can save you 3+ hours every week (Steps included for others too). Last week at Amazon’s Cross-Border Summit in Seattle, I noticed someone furiously typing notes during the meeting. During a break, I asked: “Why not use AI to do that?” She blinked. “Wait… you can?” Turns out, many professionals (even in tech!) are still stuck in old note-taking habits - simply because no one’s shown them a better way. So, here’s the method I shared - the same one I use to stay fully present in meetings without losing key takeaways: Step 1: Record your meeting → Amazon: Chime / Slack → External: Apple Voice Memos, Google Recorder, Zoom Step 2: Upload audio to Slack (Chime audio works too) → Amazon: Slack auto-generates transcripts → External: Apple Voice Memo and Samsung Phones has built in transcription functionality Step 3: Copy the transcript Step 4: Paste into AI tool → Amazon: Cedric → External: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini Step 5: Use this prompt: “Create structured meeting notes in the following format: Summary, Action Items, and Key Points. Do not add anything that wasn’t discussed. Remove hallucination.” For me - and for every Amazon teammate I’ve shared this with - the results have been: ✅ Higher-quality notes (no more “what did we decide?”) ✅ Better meeting presence ✅ Saved 3+ hours per week ✅ Clear follow-ups, even weeks later P.S. Want to go beyond bullet points? I created the CLARITY Template - a 7-part AI prompt framework that turns messy transcripts into stakeholder-ready summaries. Send me a connection request and Comment CLARITY and I’ll DM you the full template - with prompts included. 🔁 Repost if this could save someone on your team 30+ minutes per meeting. 🔔 Follow for more real-world AI productivity systems.

How I Structure My Meeting Notes as a Program Manager at Amazon One of the most underrated skills in program management is note-taking. With so many meetings, decisions, and action items flying around, having a solid system for capturing and organizing information is critical. Over the years, I’ve developed a structure that keeps me on top of things—and ensures nothing slips through the cracks. Here’s how I approach my meeting notes: 1️⃣ Start with the Basics I always document the essentials upfront: • Meeting Name & Date • Attendees • Objective or Agenda (Why are we here?) This helps me quickly orient myself when reviewing notes later. 2️⃣ Use Action-Driven Sections My notes are broken into three sections: • Decisions Made: Clear and concise. What was decided, and why? • Action Items: Each action includes an owner, due date, and a quick description of what’s expected. No ambiguity. • Key Discussions: I summarize important points—nothing overly detailed, just enough to provide context. 3️⃣ Keep Notes Digital and Searchable I use tools like OneNote to keep everything organized and searchable. By tagging projects, teams, or topics, I can quickly find past notes without digging through endless files. 4️⃣ Review and Share Afterward After the meeting, I do a quick review of my notes, clean them up if needed, and share them with attendees. It’s a great way to confirm alignment and ensure everyone is clear on next steps. This system helps me stay organized, track progress, and reduce the chances of things falling through the cracks. How do you structure your meeting notes? #ProgramManagement #Leadership #Amazon #Productivity #Meetings

To my fellow EAs - let's talk meeting minutes. A few tips below: 🛠 Before the Meeting: - Know the agenda: Get a copy ahead of time. You'll anticipate key points. - Set up a simple template: — saves you from scrambling. - Clarify roles: Know who’s leading the meeting and who the key decision-makers are. 🗒 During the Meeting: - Capture major points, not every word: Focus on decisions made, key discussions, and assigned tasks — not side conversations or exact quotes. - Use bullet points: They're faster to write and easier to read later. - Identify action items clearly: Write what needs to happen, who’s responsible, and by when. - Mark follow-ups: If something is undecided, flag it for next time. - Stay neutral: Don’t add personal opinions or interpretations. 🛠 After the Meeting: - Clean up right away: Don’t wait — fresh memory = better notes. - Summarize clearly: Reword any messy notes into clean, short sentences. - Send it out quickly: Ideally the same day or the next morning, while things are still fresh for everyone. - Highlight key decisions and tasks: Bold or bullet them so people can skim easily. 🧠 Bonus Quick Tips: - Bring a laptop if you type faster than you write (I prefer writing) - If you’re unsure about something (like a decision), ask during the meeting: "Just to confirm, are we agreeing to [this decision]?" - Develop shorthand: "AI" for Action Item, "D" for Decision, "F/U" for Follow-Up. What would you add?