Early in my career, I was given a responsibility that many people tried to avoid: writing the meeting minutes (MoM). You may not believed this! At first, I thought my job was simply to record what everyone said. But over time, I realized it was much more than that. Do you know? by writing MoM taught me to listen carefully before speaking, organize idea into clear and logical flow, understand the root problem, not just discussion, capture the decisions, action items and responsibilities accurately and learn new business and technical vocabulary every day. Imagine that. You did that thing for many years.
One unexpected benefit? My writing improved naturally.
More importantly, because I documented discussions consistently, I became familiar with the history of many projects and issues. There have been many occasions when colleagues asked, “How did this issue start?” or “Why was this decision made?” Alhamdulillah, I could usually explain the background confidently because I had written and reviewed the records myself.
Not everyone enjoys writing meeting minutes. It requires patience, attention to detail, and focus. But I believe it is one of the best learning opportunities for young professionals.
My mentor once shared that he also started his career the same way (may Allah SWT always bless him and protect him). Looking back, he said that habit became one of the foundations of his professional growth. Today, I realize I was given the same opportunity. I’m grateful for the trust, because responsibility is often another way people invest in our growth. Alhamdulillah, Allah SWT has blessed me with a love for reading and writing. Looking back, I can see how those habits have quietly helped me in my career.
My humble message to the younger professionals: don’t underestimate the power of writing.
Write your meeting notes.
Write what you learn.
Write the lessons from every project.
One day, your notes won’t just become documents they’ll become your knowledge, your confidence, and perhaps one of the reasons people trust you with greater responsibilities. Sometimes, the person writing the minutes ends up understanding the meeting better than anyone else.
Agus Setiawan
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