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Remembering 125

thoughts, you simply allow your pen (or fingers if you are using a
laptop computer) to wander as you listen or watch.
The theory behind this kind of approach is that it allows
ideas to enter your mind more freely and subliminally as well as
consciously. It also makes it more likely that you will connect the
learning to your more personal thoughts and so be likely to remem-
ber it more clearly.

Put this book down for a second and try some free-noting. Write down whatever comes into
your head from reading this book so far.

Whichever style of note taking you choose to adopt, it is important
that you make the notes yourself, as this is a key element of the
engagement process.
Other useful techniques include:

Using highlighter pens to focus on the things you want to remember.
Creating patterns or charts to capture relationships between items.
Using sticky notes to break up complex information into smaller
chunks.

In the context of the workplace, there are some very simple ways of
helping everyone to remember more by creating a number of tem-
plates for employees to use. These could include:

1 Preprinted sheets for internal and external meetings and for team
briefing sessions that do not simply allow space for action points,
but also have areas for mind mapping and free-noting.
2 Proformas for all training sessions with checklists of various prompt
questions, for example: Have you asked for or been given the big
picture? Do you know the “who, why, what, how, where, and when”
of what you are going to learn? You could also add statements like:
The three best ideas from the session were… The key thing I want
to remember is…
3 Graffiti boards in public areas where people can write down their
good ideas.
4 Posters with sayings and quotations supportive of the kinds of things