The facts that survive filing are not necessarily the facts that mattered most.

What ends up in the file is what was easy to write down, what someone thought to record, and what fitted the format. A great deal of what actually mattered, the tone of a meeting, the reason someone hesitated, the conversation in the corridor, leaves no trace at all.

When you reconstruct anything from records, remember you are working with the writable residue. Ask the people who were present while they are still available. And in your own records, make a habit of noting one thing that would not normally be captured, since that is usually the part you will want later.