Optimize team management in minutes with ManageBetter. Start your free trial now and join Uber and Microsoft in boosting performance, gathering insights, and generating reviews—all AI-powered, no writing required.

Notes are one of the most effective ways to keep organized at work, allowing us to remember information, set priorities and have a written record available. Even if you think you can remember all the main points after hearing or seeing something, memory can fade or prove to be inaccurate. It is so important to have notes to refer back to after an important meeting or discussion.

One-on-one meetings are no different, and as a manager you should certainly walk away after each one with a few notes in hand outlining what was covered, what was most important to your direct report, and any items for follow-up. If you are the employee attending a one-on-one with your manager, you should also consider taking some notes, at least to list goals or action items that you set for yourself.

Provide clarity

Let the person you are meeting with know that you will be jotting down notes as you talk with them. It may seem obvious to you that you are writing down important points from the conversation, but the other person may perceive you as being distracted or working on other things. If you are a manager, it is especially important that you ensure your direct report has your full attention and feels that they are being seen and listened to. It is best to be clear about what you are doing and ask them to be patient if you pause for a moment to write something down.

Adjust the pace to fit your need

Taking notes during a one-on-one meeting can be a frustrating exercise in multitasking. We need time to process thoughts into words before writing them down, some more so than others. Add to this the flow of the conversation and trying to maintain as much eye contact as possible, and note-taking can feel distracting and time consuming. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it, however.

The simplest way to make note-taking more manageable is to slow down the pace of your discussion. If the person you are meeting with says something valuable which you want to be sure to remember, simply let them know: “That’s really interesting, let me write it down real quick.” Once you have recorded it in your notes, you can resume the conversation by picking up where you left off or bringing up another subject. Don’t let the silence in between talking points make you feel that you need to rush or immediately start talking about something else.

Choose your medium

The way that you decide to take your notes during a one-on-one meeting will ultimately come down to factors like personal preference and setting. For example, if the meeting takes place in an office and the person you meet with likes to talk conversationally, using a small notebook and pen might be the best way to take a few notes when the time is right. If you are doing a virtual one-on-one it makes a lot of sense to have a word processor open to type out notes while you video chat.

We will explore the benefits of 4 different methods of taking notes.

Pen & paper
Tablet
Laptop or desktop computer
Mobile phone

Pen & paper

Writing down your notes by hand should be the default for most one-on-one situations. Whether you have a notebook or individual folder for each employee, it is easy to pull out and have open while talking.

This method is more personal than typing up notes on a computer, which can feel like a barrier between you and the employee. It can also be a bit slower, since you have to write out thoughts and ideas all while keeping up the conversation.

Try using shorthand or writing an abridged version of what you would like to make note of.

E.g. Your employee Helen tells you that she feels frustrated by the lack of team collaboration on Project X, especially with George who makes decisions without consulting others.. Your note might look something like this: Frustrated by Project X collab, George.

Don’t worry if there are a few seconds of silence while you add to your notes.
Verbally confirm that you want to write something down.
E.g. “Could you give me a second to jot that down?”
Return to your notes after the meeting to flesh them out with more details and highlight important parts.

Tablet

Using a tablet such as an iPad or Microsoft Surface could be a solution if you would like to write notes by hand while also storing them digitally.

Use a pen tool along with a compatible application such as Evernote, Apple Notes or Microsoft OneNote. These apps can convert your handwriting into text in real-time, allowing you to store the notes on your device and across devices on the cloud!

An example of digital handwritten notes which are searchable with OneNote. (Source: Microsoft)

Some applications even have the ability to digitize notes written on paper if you scan or take a picture of the document. It can be extremely helpful to have digital copies of your notes which are searchable by text.

Laptop or desktop

It is not usually recommended that you use a computer for taking notes if you are meeting in person for a one-on-one. You may appear more distant and disinterested in what the other person is saying if you are constantly looking back and forth from them to your screen. They may also feel awkward continuing to talk while you type and clack away on a keyboard. You may prefer to have your notes typed and saved on a computer for easy access and readability later on, which is undeniably convenient. The easiest solution is to take brief notes during the meeting via another method and then spend 10 to 15 minutes directly afterwards typing out the notes and adding further insights as you input them to your digital storage.

Mobile phone

Sometimes one-on-one meetings have a more informal tone or you are in a setting where you may not have access to other note-taking tools. For example, perhaps you are taking a walk outside with an employee or getting breakfast at a café. If something comes up in conversation that you need to remember for later, your mobile smartphone is the perfect way to make a quick note of it. Use a built-in memo application or download something like Evernote which can be integrated across devices.

Sharpen Your Leadership Edge: Join 3,000+ executives receiving weekly, actionable insights from industry experts. Subscribe free to The Thoughtful Leader and elevate your team's performance.

How to Take Notes Effectively in One-on-One Meetings