Taking notes as a good listener

Note-taking is a valuable and often underestimated skill that plays a crucial role in the art of being a good listener. When we participate in a conversation or attend a presentation, our ability to listen and retain information is essential to a thorough understanding of the content.

In this sense, taking notes becomes a powerful tool that allows us to capture key ideas, organize concepts and reflect on what we have learned. In this session we will discover how this simple but powerful strategy can enrich our communication.

Memory has limitations in retaining information in the short term and transferring it to the long term. When we are immersed in a presentation or conversation, our brain is in a constant process of assimilating information. Keeping all that information in our minds can be challenging and taxing on our cognitive resources. By writing, we release some of that cognitive load, allowing us to focus fully on the content and improve our ability to process information.

Below we will explore some of the valuable benefits that note-taking offers to better understand information:

• Historical Record: Notes act as a historical record of the ideas and decisions made in a meeting, conference or discussion.

• Improved focus: Taking notes helps you stay focused during a conversation or lecture.

• Active processing: By summarizing and paraphrasing concepts in your own words, you are engaging your mind more deeply and facilitating understanding.

• Retention and recall: Note-taking provides you with a reference to review information later. This improves your ability to remember important details and concepts.

• Organization of ideas: When writing notes, you structure information in the form of key points and subtopics. This organization facilitates overall understanding of the content.

Combining active listening with writing engages multiple senses, such as hearing and touch. By integrating different sensory channels into the note-taking process, we are enriching the encoding of information. The activity of writing activates various areas of the brain, including those involved in memory and comprehension. This brain stimulation increases the formation of neural connections and improves information retention.

On the other hand, by including personal comments and analogies, we are personalizing our notes and making them more meaningful to us. This can motivate us to keep reviewing them.

To take notes and better retain the information we hear, it is important to follow some guidelines:

• Be selective: Don't try to write down everything that is said. Write down only the key points and relevant details.

• Organize your notes: Use outlines, bullets or summaries to structure your notes in a clear and coherent way. This makes it easier to review and study later.

• Listen before writing: Listen carefully before taking notes. Make sure you fully understand the message before writing it down to avoid misinformation or misunderstandings.

• Use your own words: Try to paraphrase the information in your notes using your own words. This helps you understand the content better and remember it more easily.

• Review your notes: After the conversation, take some time to review your notes and clarify any points that may be unclear or incomplete.