AI is having a huge impact on the role of the Assistant. However, it is vital to remember that it is a tool, and a tool which can make an Assistant’s life much easier… but it will not replace Assistants. It is ARTIFICAL intelligence and a large part of an exceptional Assistant’s work is using their EMOTIONAL intelligence.
Assistants can use AI to take notes but sometimes technology fails; there are also confidentiality issues to consider. It is also scientifically proven that people remember more where they have taken handwritten notes, rather than typing or recording.
But, how does it work?
BakerWrite® Speedwriting is a very simple and easy to learn form of shorthand. It is based on the principles of Pitman shorthand (and is taught in Pitman colleges around the UK), but without having to learn a lot of new symbols. It uses letters of the English alphabet; it simply does different things with them.
For example, simple old texting techniques are used where we replace a word with one letter:
u = you
r = are
i = eye
and so on.
It encourages BakerWriters to miss out vowels as much as possible, as long as the meaning is clear:
wndw = window
and only use 1 letter if there is usually a double:
ofc = office (initial vowels are often required)
BakerWriters also learn how to use superscript letters to represent common prefixes and suffixes. Here are just a few examples:
c = con/com
I = inter
n = tion/sion/cean
g =ing
c = ence/ince/ance (note c at the start of a word is different from c at the end of a word)
So, can you work out this sentence?
Th innl cfrc tk plc
Well done if you got The international conference took place. You are already on your way to being a BakerWriter.