At work, though, take notes if you want to remember things. Without good notes, you will have a flimsy record of important events and conversations. Relying on memory is unreliable and there will be gaps. And forgetting key ideas and commitments you or others have made is unprofessional.

Notes are crucial for recording important phone calls and meetings. If you’re taking a course or attending a conference, your notes help you recall what you learned and share your learning with your colleagues. If you’re a student, good notes are invaluable when it’s time to study for exams.

Start by jotting down the key ideas. If you’re having a telephone conversation, tell the other person you’re taking notes so they’ll understand if there’s silence.

Most important: as soon as your conversation, meeting or course is over, review your notes and fill in all the gaps. I like to use a contrasting colour pen to distinguish between the original notes and the details I add later.

Also important: identify any follow up action required. I always add a circle in the margins to flag any follow up I’ve committed to. Once the action is completed I put a check mark in the circle. If someone else has promised to do something, I put their initials in the margin.

Any other suggestions? Please share.