The Professional Note Taker

The Professional Note Taker is the person who arrives at every meeting with a document open and leaves with a complete record of what was discussed, decided, and assigned. They are typing throughout the meeting. They are not distracted. They are documenting.

Identifying characteristics

• Has a meeting notes document open before the meeting starts
• Types continuously throughout the meeting
• Sends meeting notes within an hour of the meeting ending
• Their notes are more accurate than anyone's memory of the meeting
• Is occasionally asked "were you even paying attention?" by people who do not understand that typing is paying attention

Their value

The Professional Note Taker's value is most visible when there is a dispute about what was decided in a meeting. They have the notes. The notes are accurate. The dispute is resolved. This happens more often than it should, and the Professional Note Taker is the reason it is resolved quickly.

They also produce the action items that everyone else forgets they agreed to. The action items are in the notes. The notes are distributed. The action items are visible. This is a significant contribution to organizational accountability.

The perception problem

The Professional Note Taker is sometimes perceived as less engaged than people who speak frequently in meetings. This perception is wrong. They are often the most engaged person in the room — they are processing everything that is said carefully enough to document it accurately.

The limitation

The Professional Note Taker's limitation is that they are often so focused on documentation that they do not contribute verbally. Their insights stay in the notes rather than entering the discussion. This is a loss for the meeting. Occasionally asking for their perspective directly is worth doing.

Read next

→ The Quiet Expert

→ What Every Meeting Attendee Archetype Actually Contributes