Hi friend,

I used to be the person who always volunteered to take notes.

In every meeting, every project, and every team discussion, I’d be the one scribing, summarizing, and debriefing—making sure all parties (and even those who should have joined but didn't) had clarity on what was said and what needed to happen next. I thought I was being helpful. I thought I was proving my value. In my younger years, this helped me be invited to meetings, which helped me better understand the industry, and give me a heads-up on the workload ahead.

When you are the one taking notes, you’re also making assumptions about what it all means. You’re deciding what matters, what gets written down, and what gets left out. Without realizing it, you become the filter for how decisions are remembered and interpreted. And the more you write it down, the more you feel responsible for ensuring alignment—an invisible weight you don't even realize you're carrying.

The difference between great execution and frustrating misalignment often comes down to simple understanding: Did we hear the same thing? Do we mean the same thing? Do we expect the same thing?

As the default note-taker, I unintentionally took on the burden of filling in the gaps. I assumed I understood what was implied, I clarified the meaning after the fact, and I made sure loose ends got tied up.

But the problem with one person owning the clarity is that you need everyone to feel the shared responsibility for it and accountability to it.

I no longer take notes for others. I write things down for myself—for clarity, decision-making, the topics that stand out to me, and the actions I need to take.

And I make sure my teams take responsibility for their own understanding.

Because alignment isn’t about who takes the notes; it’s about walking away with the same understanding of what comes next.

Write it down.

Not for documentation. Not for record-keeping. Not to own the narrative.

For you.

Because sometimes, the simplest acts are the ones that bring the most clarity.

Best, 

Kara 

Kara Rudy

COO, MarketDesign

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