I have a writer friend who has a dozen or more notebooks filled with random quotes, ideas, interesting facts, and even useless trivia and stick drawings. Why? Because a writing professor once told her “if you don’t write it down NOW, you’ll never get it back later.”
That simple observation is SO true. As we navigate through another busy month, I want to highlight an often-overlooked practice – documentation. It’s the simple process of writing everything down. And doing it NOW, not later.
It’s easy to tell ourselves we’ll get to it “when we have time,” but let’s be honest—time slips away faster than we think. You might believe you’ll remember every detail of that meeting or conversation, yet as the days pass, those small but significant pieces begin to fade from memory. The goal to documenting isn’t perfection; it’s about capturing the essence of what’s happening now. It’s preserving your thoughts and the insights of your team members at this moment. Get them written down and move on. They’ll be there when you need them.
I’ve found the easiest way to document is simply to start an online Word document and just start putting everything down freeform. Bullet points are fine, and so are incomplete sentences. Don’t worry if it’s messy – the goal is to get those thoughts down before they wander off (and they will). Oh, and if you’re willing to embrace some new technology, there are even apps that will take notes at a meeting and transcribe them for you. How handy!
While you’re at it, make documentation a standard practice for your entire team. Their contributions are crucial, and let’s be honest – some of them may be elsewhere by year’s end. Don’t lose that knowledge. While we all have the best intentions, our fast-paced environment often makes it difficult to revisit and record important information later. By prioritizing documentation now, you ensure that valuable knowledge doesn’t slip through the cracks. Making this part of your team culture has an added benefit, as well. It drives home the point that everyone’s insights are crucial, no matter what their role.
Let’s commit to this practice together. Set aside a few minutes each week to document discussions, decisions, and key moments. It will pay off in the long run, creating a valuable resource for everyone involved. Don’t wait for the perfect moment—act now and preserve what matters before it’s gone!
Stay Sharp,
Holly Hayes, President & Founder
ISI Consulting
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