Is it appropriate for a mentor to take notes during a mentor session, especially when mentees are sharing a lot of information? It certainly can be.
Here are a few considerations for taking notes:
-
Note-taking can be distracting to mentees if you are not careful. Every time you write something down, they may think, “Why did he record that? Was that important[MD1] ?” Or, if you take notes on a computer or phone, mentees may think you are surfing the internet or losing interest in them. It may be helpful to let them know you are taking notes – “You may occasionally see me writing in my notebook, typing on my computer, or entering something into my phone. I am just taking a few notes.”
-
Use a notebook and pen if you have a noisy keyboard. The clacking of a keyboard can be quite distracting.
-
Try to record only the most important thoughts so that:
-
You can maintain eye contact with mentees. If you take too many notes, you may miss the nuances of facial expressions and body language.
-
You don’t have to sort through pages of notes to find the most important details.
-
-
If the above-mentioned challenges prove to be too distracting, consider entering/recording notes in your computer or phone after the session. Do this immediately after the session, however, so that you don’t forget any key ideas.
What do you think – should a mentor take notes or not? If he/she does, what do you think are some best practices for doing it well? Feel free to leave a comment.
[MD1]I’ve notice this for myself when meeting with a counselor. Whenever he writes something down, my first thought is, “Why did he write that down? Is that important? Is that bad? Did I say something wrong?” Now, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take notes; it’s just that you can try to be subtle about it.