I found that I could use the same thinking tricks to do better in my exams. That helped me to get to Oxford University, where I started competing in memory competitions, winning the World Memory Championship.

That led to a career writing books about memory, consulting for media companies, being a Reader’s Digest columnist, writing quiz questions for TV shows, and lots of other weird and wonderful memory-related things!

How else did your incredible memory impact your career?

I got to work with celebrities, business leaders, and notable names in a number of fields – all keen to improve their memory skills.

And as a BBC radio presenter, a teacher, and most recently here at Mind Tools, I’ve used a range of techniques to learn and recall useful information – even under pressure.

I take every opportunity to use my memory techniques for practical purposes: meeting new people, giving presentations, even just remembering my to-do list!

Why is memory important?

Everything you ever think, say or do involves memory, one way or another. By learning a few simple techniques, you can become more organized, save time, and make fewer mistakes.

You can also develop more confidence in social situations, and get better at presenting, negotiating, interviewing, and a range of other complex skills where memory plays a big part.

The best memory techniques are creative and fun, too. They get you exploring information in new ways and can change the way you feel about learning.

Plus, there’s plenty of evidence that continually challenging your memory helps to keep it fit and sharp – so that you keep enjoying all these benefits long into the future.

Managers have a lot to remember, day to day. What tips do you have for busy bosses?

Think of memory as active, not passive. So, make a conscious effort to turn your memory to your advantage.

A lot of memory is simply organization. Work out what’s important, arrange it in a clear way, group things appropriately, tie new information to old in an organized way… and you’ll be amazed how much easier it is to recall.

You can “contract out” many memory tasks these days, using tech tools – or even sharing the load with others on your team – to leave you with a few important but valuable details to learn.

And for those, pick appropriate memory techniques. For example, learn who your new team members are by creating mental pictures of what their names look or sound like.

What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned about memory?

I’m fascinated by how creative human memory is. We invent memories without even realizing it. We embellish memories with each mental retelling. Memory competitors like me can imagine ourselves having adventures in vast, complex, rich mental landscapes – then use those “experiences” to remember huge amounts of information, even though none of those things actually happened!

The malleable nature of human memory is one of the reasons it’s frustrating. But it’s also why we can do such amazing things with our brains, when we know how.

Mind Tools is strong on creating workplace cultures and practices that support neurodiverse teams. What memory techniques can assist with different ways of processing information?

All the best memory techniques involve finding the types of thinking that work for you. So they allow everyone to play to their strengths, however their brain’s wired.

If you’re particularly logical, for example, use memory systems that encode information in a strict way. But maybe you’re better with pictures and could benefit from image clues for the things you need to know.

And if your neurodivergence creates particular challenges for you in daily life, try memory techniques such as easy-to-remember checklists for social situations, or reminders for tricky spellings, or even ways to relax your thinking and calm your brain.

What’s your favorite memory technique for work?

Here’s an ancient memory technique that’s helped me a lot:

Pick a building you know well, and decide on a logical route around it, room to room. Then use that route to store mental images to remind you of key pieces of information – like facts, names, numbers, or talking points.

Let’s say you’ve chosen to use your home. A logical route might start in the hallway, then move to the kitchen, then the living room, and so on. Use that route as a framework to store information, whenever and wherever you need.

To remember key points for a meeting, for example, you might imagine finding bags of money in the hallway, to remind you to start by talking about the financials. Or if you found a suitcase in the kitchen, you’d jog your memory to discuss the team’s vacation dates.

To recall the information, take a walk back through the rooms in your imagination – to find the money, the suitcase, and any other reminders you left there.

What's Next

If you want to improve your memory, our introductory article, Memory Improvement Techniques – Start Here, should be your first port of call.

And if you fancy getting to Jonathan’s levels of record-breaking recall, read our follow-up articles, Improve Your Memory and Memory Games.

Tip of the Week

Don't Be a Victim of Change!

By Keith Jackson, Mind Tools Managing Editor

U.S. psychologist Abraham Maslow (he of the famous Hierarchy of Needs) is credited with the saying, “In any given moment we have two options: to step forward into growth or step back into safety.”

That is particularly relevant when applied to change in the workplace. Me? I fall between the two stools in that quote. For the most part, I neither leap in two-footed nor shrink away.

I’m on the slightly reserved side of what change management gurus call “control coping”: I’m not going to be a victim of this change, so I’m going to be a part of it.

What other coping mechanisms are there? Here are a few tried-and-true tips:

• Accept it! Chances are, it’s going to happen anyway. So roll with it and spare yourself a lot of exhausting negative energy.
• Get involved. Being part of the change gives you a chance to influence it. You may end up feeling positive and empowered by it.
• Get feedback. Speak to your manager or a trusted colleague about how you’re coping. This can help to see the progress you are making, even if you feel unsure.

You can learn more great tips on coping with change in our article, How to Make Change Work for You.

Pain Points Podcast

What is a “coaching culture”? What are the benefits? And does it even work?

Join Jonathan and colleagues this week to discuss the power of coaching and how it has the potential to transform your team – in Pain Points, the exclusive podcast for Mind Tools members.

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News Roundup

This Week's Global Workplace Insights

Are We Witnessing the Demise of DEI?

From 2020 to 2023, there was a huge surge worldwide in organizations making very public commitments to Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI). Not offering, or being seen as not offering, DEI initiatives carried real reputational risk.

So how is it that something that seemed to offer only genuine benefits to business and society is suddenly under grave threat?

Online workplace news magazine WorkLife reports that corporations have seen a massive backlash against DEI programs.

According to its report, DEI initiatives in the U.S. are being scaled back or abandoned entirely as firms grapple with social pressure and the threat of reverse discrimination lawsuits.

WorkLife concludes that while “high-profile business figures like Elon Musk and Alexandr Wang, cofounder and CEO of Scale AI, have spoken out against DEI programs in favor of what they call 'MEI' – which stands for merit, excellence and intelligence, DEI headcount still remains far above what it was just four years ago.”

"I'm your boss, not your dad!"

When your team members look at you, what do you think they see? A calm, wise, benevolently tough leader? Afraid not. Chances are, you remind them of mom or dad!

Fast Company reports on psychologists’ findings that one of the most powerful ways you influence them is “the degree to which [you] remind them of their parents.”

Research shows that people’s “attitudes to authority are forged in their earliest relationships.” In other words, the way your people interact with or regard you could have been shaped by the relationship they had with their parents.

Fast Company authors Nik Kinley and Shlomo Ben-Hur said, “children who experience a high amount of anger or resentment towards their parents, or who have less happy memories of being with them, tend to grow into adults who are less trusting of authority figures.”

Signs of “authority anxiety” that a manager should look for include:

• Team members too eager to please or too compliant.
• Team members who are resistant to authority or have negative expectations of authority figures.
• Team members who keep their distance from you.

See you next week for more member-exclusive content and insight from the Mind Tools team!