Why Company Leaders Should Always Take Good Notes

Advertisement

Leaders are constantly at the center of communications: meetings, negotiations, private conversations.

Advertisement

With so much information being thrown at them, it can be all too easy to forget who said what, and when, and what the details of a discussion were. That's why Mark Sanborn, president of Sanborn & Associates Inc., says its important for leaders to take good notes.

"No matter how hard you try, you can't remember everything," he says. "Leaders deal with much information and many details, and need to remember what was discussed, said, and decided."

In addition to helping your memory, keeping good notes will also go a long way toward preventing arguments and miscommunication, since you'll have a record of what happened in meetings.

"Too many leaders can't recall what actually was said or happened, so try to paraphrase or rely on others for details," Sanborn says. "This weakens their position, especially in a negotiation."

Advertisement

Want your business advice featured in Instant MBA? Submit your tips to tipoftheday@businessinsider.com. Be sure to include your name, your job title, and a photo of yourself in your email.