Remote Work Starter Kit

How many hours does your remote team waste each week rehashing the same conversations because nobody documented the first discussion?

🧠 The productivity killer you might be overlooking

The biggest mistake remote teams make isn’t just buying the wrong gear. It’s allowing important information to vanish once meetings are over.

I began working remotely five years ago. At that time, I believed my paper notebook was enough to capture meeting details. My handwritten notes worked perfectly for me, but my team kept having the same conversations week after week. Key tasks were missed, and teammates in different time zones often felt left out.

The solution wasn’t just about better notes. It was about rethinking how our remote team documents and shares information.

🗒️ The meeting notes mistake costing your team hours each week

Remote teams often take notes individually or skip note-taking altogether. The notes aren’t shared. This leads to different understandings of what we discussed. It also creates confusion about who is responsible for what and when deliverables are due.

This scattered approach to meeting documentation creates serious problems:

• Knowledge silos: This happen when information is stuck in private notebooks or personal files. This makes it hard for teammates to access what they need.
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• Repeated conversations: Without shared records, teams waste hours rehashing the same topics
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• Missed action items: Important next steps can slip through the cracks if someone doesn’t document and assign them in one place.
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• Onboarding nightmares: New team members have no way to access historical context

Remote teams can waste weeks of productivity if they don’t capture and share meeting notes correctly.

💡 Four ways to fix your meeting notes process

Creating a shared documentation system doesn’t require abandoning your preferred note-taking style. Here’s what works for Mac-based remote teams:

1. Choose digital tools for seamless sharing

If you prefer typing notes directly:

• ​Notion creates beautiful, searchable meeting databases with customizable templates ($0-$8/month)
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• ​Apple Notes (free) works surprisingly well for simple shared notes—create a shared folder that syncs across all team devices
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• ​Craft (free option or $5/month) offers a native Mac experience with gorgeous templates and easy sharing
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• ​Microsoft Teams has a meeting notes feature. It shares notes automatically with all attendees. This is great for organizations using Microsoft 365.

2. Master the analog-to-digital workflow

If you think better with pen and paper:

Start with quality materials: I’ve tested dozens of notebooks and pens, and my current favorites are:

1. ​Sidekick Notepad ($45) - Perfect for meeting notes with its dot grid layout and tear-out pages
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2. ​Baron Fig Confidant ($24) - Elegant hardcover that lays flat, ideal for permanent documentation
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3. ​Sharpie S-Gel 0.7mm ($5 for 4) - My go-to pen that glides smoothly with no smearing
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4. ​Paper Mate Ink Joy Gel 0.7mm ($7 for 4) - Vibrant colors that dry quickly with no smudging

Use a consistent structure: Create a simple analog template with:

1. Meeting title and date at top
2. Attendees list
3. Action items section with checkboxes
4. Decision log section

Digitize after meetings: This is the critical step most people skip!

1. ​Simple Scan (free with $9.99/year option) from Agile Tortoise is my favorite scanner app for quickly capturing and sharing notes
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2. Free option - iOS Files app: Your iPhone already has built-in document scanning:
   1. Open the Files app on your iPhone
   2. Navigate to where you want to save the scan
   3. Tap the three dots (…) in the top-right corner
   4. Select “Scan Documents”
   5. Position your document in the camera view
   6. Tap the shutter button to capture
   7. Adjust the corners if needed, then tap “Keep Scan”
   8. Tap “Save” when finished
3. Quick capture method: After each meeting, scan your notes and upload to your team’s shared drive or Notion database
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4. Pro tip: Add a 5-minute buffer after meetings specifically for digitizing your notes

3. Create a consistent meeting template

Whether digital or analog, every meeting note should include:

• Date, time, and attendees
• Meeting purpose and agenda
• Key discussion points
• Decisions made
• Action items with clear owners and deadlines
• Open questions that need resolution

4. Establish a meeting notes workflow

A perfect template is useless without a consistent process:

• Before: Create the note and add the agenda (digital or on paper)
• During: Assign one note-taker (rotate this role)
• End: Review action items to ensure clarity
• After: Share notes in your team communication tool (digitize if handwritten)
• Follow-up: Track action items to completion

⚡ Pro tip: The best of both worlds with iPad and Apple Pencil

Can’t decide between digital and analog? Here’s my personal system that combines the benefits of both:

1. Take handwritten notes on iPad using Goodnotes (free option with optional $9.99/year)
2. Create a dedicated “Meeting Notes” notebook with custom templates
3. Write naturally during meetings (better for retention and thinking)
4. Share instantly after meetings via PDF export to Slack or as collaborative notebooks
5. Get the tactile experience of writing with the searchability of digital notes

📬 Your action step for this week

Spend 10 minutes today making a meeting notes template that suits your team. It can be digital or on paper. Share it before your next virtual meeting.

Want to save yourself some time?

💾 Grab one (or all) of my free meeting templates:

• ​Download my ready-to-use meeting notes template for Notion
• ​Make a copy of this Google Doc template for your team
• ​Get my printable meeting notes PDF for handwritten notes with perfect structure

Until next time, see ya! 👋
Gannon

P.S. What tools or apps are in your meeting note-taking system?