How to Build a Stronger Memory

by?Philip White

When was the last time you looked at your smartphone? Was it within the last 30 seconds? The last minute? On average, Americans open their phones?58 times a day?and spend three and a half hours online.?Worldwide, millions rely on the little computers in their palms to do everything from look up directions to recall important information like birthdays, deadlines, and to-do lists.

你上次看手機(jī)是什么時(shí)候？不到三十秒前？一分鐘前？平均來說，美國人每天看手機(jī)58次，每日上網(wǎng)時(shí)間達(dá)到3.5小時(shí)。全世界有幾百萬人依賴手機(jī)去做各種事情，從查看方向，到記住重要信息如生日、截止期限、待辦事項(xiàng)等，全都包括在內(nèi)。

For the most part, this is helpful. Smartphones organize our days, keep us updated on the news, and allow us to communicate with people out of our physical reach. But when it comes to growing and developing our memories, is technology helping or hurting us?

在大多數(shù)情況下，這是有幫助的。智能手機(jī)可以安排我們的每日行程、提供最新消息，以及讓我們與無法當(dāng)面見到的人溝通。但若要增強(qiáng)與發(fā)展記憶力，科技會對我們有助力，還是有害？

Unfortunately, when it comes to your memory, it’s often the latter. Smartphones have been shown to harm the brain’s ability to retain important details, according to?one review?from Oxford, King’s College London, Harvard, and Western Sydney University. In short, the research says that when people rely on devices to remember things, they often fail to actually learn them. This explains why, despite having visited your favorite restaurant several times, you might still rely on Google maps to get you there. You are not training your memory to recall information. Rather, you are training it to rely on external tools that can do so for you.

可惜在記憶力方面，答案往往是有害。牛津大學(xué)、倫敦大學(xué)國王學(xué)院、哈佛大學(xué)和西悉尼大學(xué)的文獻(xiàn)研究顯示，智能手機(jī)會傷害大腦記住重要細(xì)節(jié)的能力。簡單來說，這項(xiàng)研究指出，人們?nèi)绻蕾嚫鞣N裝置來記住事情，常常會無法真正記得那些事情。這可以解釋，為什么你已去過你最喜歡的餐廳好幾次，仍要仰賴地圖帶你走到那家餐廳。你并沒有訓(xùn)練你的記憶力來回想信息，而是訓(xùn)練記憶依賴外部工具幫你回想。

If you are a leader, these findings are worth your attention. Your memory is perhaps one of the most valuable assets you can build, and not for the reason you may think. While it is vital to establish yourself as reliable and trustworthy, memory is even more important for creating and maintaining the foundation of any successful business:?relationships?— with team members, customers, and clients. Forgetfulness is the erosion that eats away at those ties. Whether it’s calling someone by the wrong name, mistaking their title, or overlooking a meeting invite, forgetting small details can cause major rifts.?In fact,?feeling forgotten?has been proven to do major interpersonal damage.

如果你是管理者，這些發(fā)現(xiàn)就值得注意。你的記憶力，可能是最值得你建立的珍貴資產(chǎn)，而理由可能并非你所想的那樣。對你來說，雖然建立“可靠”、“可信”的形象很重要，但記憶力可能更重要，記憶力才能打造并維持一項(xiàng)任何成功事業(yè)都需要的基礎(chǔ)：人際關(guān)系，包括你與團(tuán)隊(duì)成員、顧客和客戶的關(guān)系。健忘會逐漸侵蝕掉這些連結(jié)。不論是叫錯名字、叫錯職稱，或是忘了開會邀請、遺忘小細(xì)節(jié)，都可能造成重大裂痕。其實(shí)研究已證明，覺得被遺忘，會嚴(yán)重?fù)p傷人際關(guān)系。

For leaders, this kind of attrition quickly adds up: When you forget small details about your customers and teams, you send the message that you aren’t interested in them as people or invested in your relationships. This is especially true during times of crisis when people are looking to you for comfort and support. Remembering their individual circumstances will help you adjust your communications and expectations around each person’s situation. In a state of emergency, technology? will only get you so far.

對領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者來說，這樣的裂痕會迅速擴(kuò)大：如果你忘記顧客與團(tuán)隊(duì)成員的小細(xì)節(jié)，這傳達(dá)的信息，就是你對他們這些人沒興趣，或是無意維系你們的關(guān)系。在危機(jī)的時(shí)候尤其是如此，因?yàn)槲C(jī)期間人們希望從你身上得到安慰與支持。你若能記得每個人的情況，就能針對每個人的情況來調(diào)整你的溝通內(nèi)容與期許。在緊急狀態(tài)下，科技能做的有限。

I can speak to this because it is a challenge I face daily. As president and CEO of Sotheby’s International Realty, the power of recall has been key to building and sustaining a business that hinges on relationships — you can’t succeed in real estate without showing people that they matter to you. By making sure I can show the people around me that I value and remember them, I’ve been able to stay connected with agents in more than 1,000 offices in 72 countries. I needed my memory to keep my business running before the pandemic. Now, it is essential.

我自認(rèn)有資格談這個議題，因?yàn)槲姨焯於荚诿鎸@個挑戰(zhàn)。我身為蘇富比國際房地產(chǎn)總裁暨CEO，記憶的威力是關(guān)鍵，對于打造與維系我們這種取決于人際關(guān)系的業(yè)務(wù)很重要，因?yàn)槟惚仨氉寣Ψ接X得他們對你很重要，否則你不可能在房地產(chǎn)業(yè)成功。我努力讓身邊的人知道我在意他們、記得他們，因此能夠與分布在72國、超過一千個辦事處的員工維持關(guān)系。早在疫情之前，我就靠著記憶力來維持業(yè)務(wù)運(yùn)作。而現(xiàn)在，記憶力更是必要的。

Over the years, I have developed a strategy that has helped me limit my reliance on technology and continue to develop the strong, active memory I rely on daily. Whether you are a business leader, the CEO of a company, or an individual contributor, you can use this?approach to do the same.

多年來，我發(fā)展出一種策略，協(xié)助我限制對科技的依賴，并且持續(xù)鍛煉我每天仰賴的強(qiáng)大記憶力。不論你是企業(yè)管理者、公司CEO，還是個人貢獻(xiàn)者，都可以用這套方法鍛煉記憶力。

Figure out how you learn best.

找出自己的學(xué)習(xí)風(fēng)格

People absorb information in different ways, and considering different learning methods can help you determine how best to commit things to memory. For instance, though it has?been contested?and there’s?no?hard evidence?for its effectiveness in educational settings, I have found through my career experience that the VARK model works well for me.?This model breaks down learning styles into visual, auditory, read/write, and kinaesthetic types. This?simple questionnaire?can point you toward your own learning preferences.?Other frameworks you could explore include the?Learning Connections Inventory, which can help you determine your learning patterns.?Equipped with a better understanding of how you learn, you can adjust your interactions with others to optimize your ability to remember details about?them,?their?work, and?their?lives.

研究顯示，每個人吸收資訊的最佳方式不同，取決于每個人的天生特質(zhì)。VARK是最知名的學(xué)習(xí)模式之一，將學(xué)習(xí)風(fēng)格分為視覺學(xué)習(xí)、聽覺學(xué)習(xí)、讀／寫學(xué)習(xí)，以及運(yùn)動學(xué)習(xí)四種。運(yùn)用簡單的問卷，就能得知自己的學(xué)習(xí)偏好。知道這一點(diǎn)之后，就能據(jù)以調(diào)整自己和他人的互動，以優(yōu)化你記得有關(guān)他們本人、他們的工作與生活細(xì)節(jié)的能力。

I, for one, am predominantly an auditory learner; I best recall and digest information when I can hear it spoken aloud. I encountered this when I shifted from my first job in banking to my current role in real estate. Today, my success is dependent upon my ability to memorize not only the names of my clients and their children, but also the agents whom I work with, other professional connections, and any significant changes that occur in each of their lives — including marriages, moves, and career shifts. This information comes to me through genuine conversations and requires a great deal of active listening.

例如我非常明顯是聽覺學(xué)習(xí)者；聽到有人大聲說出某項(xiàng)信息，最能讓我記住與吸收這項(xiàng)信息。當(dāng)初我從第一份銀行業(yè)工作，轉(zhuǎn)職到目前的房地產(chǎn)業(yè)工作時(shí)，就遇過這種情形。我能有今日的成就，靠的是我不僅能記住客戶與他們小孩的名字，還能記住與我合作的員工、其他專業(yè)人士，以及他們的生活中任何的重大變化，包括結(jié)婚、搬家、轉(zhuǎn)職等。我能得到這些信息，是通過真誠的談話，而且需要大量的積極聆聽。

But listening in itself is not enough. To really take advantage of an auditory learning style, here are a few tactics that I have found helpful:

然而，光是聽還不夠。若要真正發(fā)揮聽覺學(xué)習(xí)的優(yōu)勢，以下是我發(fā)現(xiàn)有用的幾項(xiàng)做法：

● Repeat names often in conversations when you first meet someone — this will make their names and details?more likely to stick.

? ?在第一次認(rèn)識某人的時(shí)候，談話中常常重復(fù)提到他的名字；這樣就更可能讓你記住對方的姓名與細(xì)節(jié)信息。

● Leave your laptop behind?during meetings. Taking notes on a computer may distract you from retaining information.

? ?開會的時(shí)候不要用筆記型電腦。在電腦上做筆記可能會讓你分心，無法記住信息。

● Make it into a game. If you work in an office building, try to remember the names of everyone on the opposite side of the floor. If you visit other branches of your company at regular intervals, see whether you can bring the team their preferred snacks. For example, I test myself regularly by trying to remember which buildings in Manhattan each of our clients lives in. These details are crucial to thriving in my industry.

? ?把這當(dāng)成一場游戲。如果你的工作地點(diǎn)是辦公大樓，可以試著去記住同樓層另一側(cè)的部門所有員工的名字。如果你會定期造訪公司的其他分公司，不妨試試看能不能為那些團(tuán)隊(duì)帶些他們喜歡的小點(diǎn)心。舉例來說，我會定期測試自己是否記得所有在曼哈頓的客戶分別住在哪棟大樓。像這樣的細(xì)節(jié)，在我這行攸關(guān)業(yè)務(wù)是否能蓬勃發(fā)展。

For non-auditory learners, other tactics will work better. Visual learners may favor diagrams, graphics, and flash cards. Others will find that reading and writing down information cements it into their minds — for them, note-taking is nonnegotiable. Kinaesthetic learners need hands-on experiences with models or activities that engage their bodies.

但對于非聽覺學(xué)習(xí)者來說，其他做法的效果比較好。視覺學(xué)習(xí)者可能偏好圖表、圖像、閃示卡等。讀／寫學(xué)習(xí)者會發(fā)現(xiàn)，把信息讀出來并寫下來，就能深深印入腦海；對他們來說，寫筆記絕對是必要的。運(yùn)動學(xué)習(xí)者則需要實(shí)際操作體驗(yàn)或活動，要運(yùn)用到身體才記得住。

Be selective about what you delegate.?

選擇哪些工作不該交辦

When I started in real estate, I used to stay late and answer phones. Sure, I could’ve delegated this task. But because of how I learn, I knew it would help me remember the ins and outs of the business faster than I could have by clocking out on time. Doing the extra work expanded my memory capacity, as well as my contact list — one that I still rely on today.

我剛進(jìn)房地產(chǎn)業(yè)的時(shí)候，常常加班接電話。當(dāng)然，這些工作可以交待給別人去做，但因?yàn)槲业膶W(xué)習(xí)風(fēng)格，我知道比起準(zhǔn)時(shí)下班，這種方式可以讓我更快掌握整個業(yè)務(wù)細(xì)節(jié)。多做這些事，不但讓我提升記憶力，也讓我掌握更多聯(lián)絡(luò)人，至今仍受益。

In the beginning, I kept track of people in a giant Rolodex, personally organizing each contact’s information and committing it to memory as I did. No matter what kind of learner you are, this is a useful practice. Even if your contacts today are digitized, input any new information you receive into your smartphone or customer relationship management tool yourself.

在一開始，我把所有聯(lián)絡(luò)人的資訊，保存在一個很大的旋轉(zhuǎn)式名片架里，親自整理每個聯(lián)絡(luò)人的資訊，并且一邊整理一邊記住那些資訊。不論你屬于哪種學(xué)習(xí)者，這都是有用的做法。就算現(xiàn)在所有的聯(lián)絡(luò)資訊都已經(jīng)數(shù)字化，仍應(yīng)該自己把接收到的新信息輸入智能手機(jī)，或顧客關(guān)系管理工具。

Though it may be tempting to delegate this seemingly menial task to someone else — especially when you’ve got a million other things on your plate — you sell yourself short on learning when you do. As you input information, think about where and when you met each person. This practice is one that furthers my relationship-building goals, and it’s become an essential part of my memory-strengthening routine.

雖然你可能很想要把這看似無趣的工作，交給別人來做（特別是你手上還有其他許多事情要做的話），但這樣就是低估了你這么做時(shí)可以記住的東西。在輸入信息的時(shí)候，要回想自己是在什么地方、什么時(shí)候認(rèn)識了每個人。我就是用這種做法來推動我建立人際關(guān)系的目標(biāo)，也成了我強(qiáng)化記憶力的日常做法中的重要環(huán)節(jié)。

My point isn’t that you should never delegate tedious tasks. Rather, you should regularly evaluate whether the tasks you?do?delegate could actually benefit you. Tasks that help you repeat and recall information aid in?memory consolidation?— the process by which short-term memories are turned into long-term ones. Repeatedly studying information strengthens the neural networks that form recollections, equipping the mind to remember details with higher accuracy later on.?

我的重點(diǎn)并不是說，你絕對不能把無聊的事交給別人去做，而是希望你能定期評估，你交辦給別人的事情，是否其實(shí)由你自己做會對你有好處。能讓你復(fù)誦、回想信息的工作，有助于記憶鞏固（memory consolidation，由短期記憶轉(zhuǎn)為長期記憶的過程）。重復(fù)研究資訊，能夠強(qiáng)化建立記憶的神經(jīng)網(wǎng)路，讓心智在未來能更準(zhǔn)確地記住細(xì)節(jié)。

Prioritize information by newness, not importance.

記憶優(yōu)先順序在于先后，而非重要程度

It may seem counterintuitive, but when I prioritize what I commit to memory, I don’t focus on the most important information first. Instead, I prioritize the newest information. Studies indicate that committing something to memory?as soon as?you learn the information could be more beneficial than trying to add it to your memory bank after doing something else. This is because when you shift your focus from?one bit of information to the next, you slow down your memory encoding for the first item you were dealing with.

這一點(diǎn)似乎違反直覺，但在我判斷應(yīng)該先記什么事情的時(shí)候，并不是最重要的信息最優(yōu)先，而是最新的信息最優(yōu)先。研究指出，得知某項(xiàng)信息時(shí)，當(dāng)下立刻設(shè)法記住它的效果比較好，優(yōu)于先去做其他事，再回來把它納入記憶庫里。原因在于，當(dāng)你把注意力從某項(xiàng)信息移到下一件事，就會減緩你記憶收錄編碼原先那件事的速度。

Whether I’m attempting to retain faces or facts, shifting the focus from importance to newness helps fresher details stick for the long term. Instead of asking myself, “How important is it that I remember this?” I ask myself, “What can I do right now to remember this later?”

不論要記住的是長相或事實(shí)，把注意焦點(diǎn)從重要性轉(zhuǎn)向新近程度，有助于讓較新的細(xì)節(jié)記得更久。我不會自問“這件事有多重要？值不值得我記??？”我會問自己：“我現(xiàn)在該怎樣做，才能在日后仍記住這件事？”

This practice has proven to be particularly helpful when it comes to remembering people. When I first began running my business, I had 130 agents in one location. I had recruited and hired them — I couldn’t just forget their names. I wanted them to feel like they were valued and appreciated. Shouting, “Hey, buddy!” every time I walked by an agent I didn’t know would have turned me into an “out-of-touch CEO” — the kind of leader people feel they can’t have a relationship with and don’t really want to work for. We all know that bad bosses are one of the biggest factors of underperformance. This is why I made a point of remembering, and therefore appreciating, my newest contacts first.

若要記住的是人，這種做法特別有用。我剛開始經(jīng)營自己事業(yè)的時(shí)候，有個地方有130名員工，都是我自己招募和雇用的，因此不可能忘了他們的名字。我希望他們能夠覺得自己受到重視與欣賞。如果我每次經(jīng)過員工身邊都不認(rèn)得他們，只能說“嗨，兄弟！”，我就會成為那種“遙不可及的CEO”，大家都不想和這種管理者建立關(guān)系，也不想為這種管理者工作。我們都知道，糟糕的上司是員工績效不佳的一大成因。因此我十分強(qiáng)調(diào)要記得我最新認(rèn)識的人，以表達(dá)我看重他們。

This practice has proven to be particularly helpful when it comes to remembering people. When I first began running my business, I had 130 agents in one location. I had recruited and hired them — I couldn’t just forget their names. I wanted them to feel like they were valued and appreciated. Shouting, “Hey, buddy!” every time I walked by an agent I didn’t know would have turned me into an “out-of-touch CEO” — the kind of leader people feel they can’t have a relationship with and don’t really want to work for. We all know that bad bosses are one of the biggest factors of underperformance. This is why I made a point of remembering, and therefore appreciating, my newest contacts first.

有關(guān)學(xué)習(xí)新資訊，重點(diǎn)同樣也是“重復(fù)”，這件事對企業(yè)領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人加倍重要。如果忘記某位地區(qū)經(jīng)理的名字，或忘記某位潛在客戶的家庭成員，可能造成關(guān)系成本。迅速記起各項(xiàng)細(xì)節(jié)，長遠(yuǎn)下來會對你有好處。你可以采取下列做法來練習(xí)：

● Look up new people you meet online. Seeing their names in different contexts can help you commit them to memory.

? ?對于新認(rèn)識的人，在網(wǎng)上搜尋他的相關(guān)信息。在不同的情境下看到這些人的名字，有助于你記住他們。

● Ask a lot of questions in conversations, even if you might have already learned the answer to a question in your online research. The repetition of information will help it stand out in your mind later on.

? ?在談話時(shí)提出大量問題，即使你通過先前的網(wǎng)上搜尋，已經(jīng)知道答案也沒關(guān)系。像這樣重復(fù)資訊，有助于未來記憶更為鮮明。

●?When meeting new clients or job candidates specifically, regroup with your internal team to consolidate details. Run through the list of people you connected with and confirm your data against the group’s. What other people remember can help spark your own recall.

? ?要與新客戶或求職者見面的時(shí)候，先與內(nèi)部團(tuán)隊(duì)開會收集細(xì)節(jié)信息。團(tuán)隊(duì)一起討論你聯(lián)絡(luò)對象的列表，并根據(jù)團(tuán)隊(duì)的資料來確認(rèn)你的資料。他人的記憶可能觸發(fā)你自己的回憶。

The above practices may seem challenging at first, but they will be well worth it in time. When the moment comes, my phone is no substitute for accurate recall. I more often find that I can remember the information as soon as I need it — a skill that has helped secure my relationships and, in turn, my business and my job.

以上做法乍看可能很困難，但長久下來會很值得。當(dāng)這種時(shí)刻出現(xiàn)，我的手機(jī)是無法取代正確回想起信息的。我常發(fā)現(xiàn)，我能在需要信息的當(dāng)下就回想起來，而這項(xiàng)技能不但有助于我維系人際關(guān)系，也因此維系了我的業(yè)務(wù)、我的工作。

Further, on an interpersonal level, if we’ve learned anything from this crisis, it’s that we need connection — not just as leaders, but as human beings. If nothing else, know that the ability to remember is the ability to show people that they matter, and alone, that is something rare and invaluable.

此外在人際層次，如果這次新冠肺炎危機(jī)有讓我們學(xué)到心得，那就是我們都需要與他人的連結(jié)；不僅管理者需要，凡是人都會需要。可能最重要的一點(diǎn)就是：記憶的能力，就是讓別人覺得他們自己很重要的能力，而光是這點(diǎn)，就已經(jīng)是罕見而珍貴的能力。

菲利普·懷特?（Philip White）| 文

菲利普·懷特是蘇富比國際房地產(chǎn)（Sotheby's International Realty）總裁兼CEO，推動該公司的策略性成長，成為精品房地產(chǎn)服務(wù)業(yè)的頂尖供應(yīng)商。