Understanding the Importance of Personal Documentation Practices

Documentation isn’t just a system—it’s a daily habit that you can master.

When was the last time you actually enjoyed documenting a meeting or your thought process?  For most of us, documentation feels tedious and intimidating. Just the idea of making things “official” can stir up fear that it might one day be used against us. 

Fortunately, this week’s guest brings a fresh perspective on why documentation is worth embracing and mastering.

Today’s guest is Adrienne Bellehumeur. Adrienne is the owner of Risk Oversight, a consulting firm specializing in SOX, CSOX, internal control, and internal audit programs. She is also the author of The 24-Hour Rule—and Other Secrets for Smarter Organizations, which you can think of as the first “mass market” book on documentation best practices. She regularly speaks about documentation, workflow, and productivity best practices to professional groups and organizations of all sizes and industries.

In this episode, Adrienne breaks down the Big D vs. Little D concept, revealing why daily, individual habits matter more than fancy systems.

You’ll learn how simply processing meeting notes within 24 hours can save your team hours of frustration and rework.

We also explore practical strategies, such as using central repositories and establishing team-wide documentation standards. Additionally, we dive into the value of handwritten notes vs. digital tools, and how to avoid “Groundhog Day” meetings by writing things down.

If your team keeps having the same conversations or you’re buried in sticky notes, this episode is a must-listen.

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Conversation Topics

• (00:00) Introduction
• (01:47) Big D vs. little D: What you need to know about documentation
• (04:08) Common manager struggles with meeting notes
• (08:05) The 24-hour rule explained
• (12:23) How client audits benefit from quick documentation
• (18:03) How to capture and present a big chunk of information
• (22:25) Handwritten notes vs. digital tools: Which works better?
• (27:19) Keep up with Adrienne
• (28:18) [Extended Episode Only] How to effectively organize digital documents 
• (34:52) [Extended Episode Only] When to get feedback to avoid rewriting your draft

Additional Resources:

- Get the extended episode by joining The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community for just $15 per month

- Read the full transcript here

- Follow me on Instagram here 

- Visit my website for more here

- Upskill your team here

- Subscribe to my YouTube Channel here

- Check out The Bullet Journal Method here

 Keep up with Adrienne Bellehumeur

- Follow Adrienne on LinkedIn here

- Get a copy of her book here

- Check out Risk Oversight here for more information

- Visit Adrienne’s official website here to keep up with her work

FREE 6 Steps of Dynamic Documentation + Productivity as a Team Sport Workbook

Adrienne is giving members of Podcast+ 2 incredible PDFs. 

First, the 6 Steps of Dynamic Documentation. Whatever your current go-to practices for personal productivity, information management, and documentation look like, these 6 steps will give you simple strategies to work smarter, faster, and better—for yourself, your team, and your whole organization.

And second, Productivity as a Team Sport Workbook. This workbook shares the 8 Super Secrets of Team Productivity that have been tested with organizations and professional groups across industries. The focus? Real, lasting results for knowledge workers that teams can apply immediately.

To get this bonus and many other member benefits, become a member of The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community.

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The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast for rockstar managers who want to create a working environment where people thrive, and great work gets done.

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