This is a little late for all of you who just graduated, but here are some helpful tips for note-taking. Hey, it could still be useful in your job! I found it interesting, so I’m passing it along.

Working Smart: Recovering the Lost Art of Note-Taking

Here’s an excerpt from the write-up. Read the article for more details and suggestions.

In this post, I’d like to expound on why I think you should take notes in meetings and then offer a few suggestions on how to do it better.

1. Note-taking enables you to stay engaged.
2. Note-taking provides a mechanism for capturing your ideas, questions, and commitments.
3. Note-taking communicates the right things to the other attendees.

But how can you more effectively take notes? Let me offer four suggestions:

1. Use a journal-formatted notebook.
2. Keep your meeting notes as a running journal.
3. Use symbols so you can quickly scan your notes later.
4. Schedule time to review your notes.

(This blog is by Michael Hyatt, the President and Chief Operating Officer of Thomas Nelson Publishers)