Taking Notes? Try This

We all know note taking is a pain, but there are ways to take notes efficiently and make them easy to understand when you come back to them. But most importantly is committing the notes to memory. So here are a few ways on taking notes, and helping keep them in memory. Image from infomaniac

• Write what you hear – Unfortunately you probably won’t get the opportunity to go back and hear what was said unless you tape record; so go ahead and write whatever you heard. Or if you forgot just skip it and keep writing. Whatever you do don’t stop. Make sure your writing remains somewhat legible and that will still be good.

• Go Back- When you get the chance go back to your notes, review them and re-write them! Re-write them: Shorter, More concise, More Legibly. What this will do is this will let you commit them to memory while re-writing them. This goes for flash cards too, it’s not reading flash cards that helps it’s making them. The act of writing and going over what you have done once a second time, lets the information go from temporary memory to permanent memory.
• Read it Aloud – Go through your notes and read them aloud. Do they make sense to you, are they logical, and how much of it do you remember?

Note taking tends to be a skill, write them so you can understand them, and re-write them so you can remember them.

Good Luck!

The Proper Email & Voicmail

Don’t you hate when someone leaves you this obscenely long voicemail, and then once you’ve finally reached the end, you STILL don’t know what they wanted from you? Yeah, well, I hate that. The same goes for emails. The whole point of these communication devices is for the point to be made quickly, and a reply expected soon.

For Voicemail

• Name – Always first, say who it is, so the recipient isn’t bouncing about trying to find out who called.
• Brief – Make your messages short and to the point. Establish what you’re calling for and why, and do it quickly.
• Number – Say it clearly, and say it TWICE (2x), Twice… Let them know who they need to call.
• Request – Make sure the recipient knows what you want from them, so when they call you back they know what the discussion will be about. if they don’t know, why would they call you back?

For Emails

• Short and Brief – Same with Voicemails, cut out unnecessary comments and phrases. Make the points plainly obvious so that the recipient can read and go on to the next email.
• Replies – Replies should only be used if there are unanswered questions in the email, or if an attachment is needed etc. If you don’t NEED to reply, Don’t.
• Signatures – Always include a formatted signature with your: Name, Position, Email, and Forms of telephone contact, ie: Voicemail, Mobile, Office etc. That way the recipient knows multiple ways in which to contact you, and it’s included automatically in all emails. For example my signature reads:

Greg de Lima
gregdelima@gmail.com
Mobile: 1.xxx.xxx.xxxx