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Is having a good memory very useful, career-wise? Surprisingly, the answer is yes! In a moment I'll explain why this is, and will also give you some helpful tips to boost your memory skills.

I say that a good memory is "surprisingly" useful, because as technology advances we are relying less and less on our natural ability to recall information. When was the last time you had to memorise a telephone number, perform complex mental arithmetic or give a presentation without notes or a PowerPoint slideshow?

Even the humblest of us now have an electronic army at our beck and call - spreadsheets, databases that can store truly astronomical amounts of information, calculators that do the sums for us and calendars that tirelessly nag us about upcoming meetings, conference calls and items on our to-do lists.

However, there are still situations where these little helpers are of not much use, and when good old human memory skills come into their own. These are when we have face-to-face encounters with our fellow humans, and also when we need to understand any kind of complex system.

Both these scenarios routinely occur at work. We meet new people, on many of whom we need to make a good impression - customers, associates, superiors and guests. And we encounter complex systems everywhere - computer networks, company org charts, supply chains and just about anything to do with money.

First, let's consider what happens when we meet people. Introductions, for instance, are often tricky. Someone tells you his name, and a second later you have clean forgotten it. Another person tells you what role she has in an organisation. What was it again? Can't remember - it's gone.

Here's the problem. When we learn something new, it goes into short-term memory, which is very limited; it can hold only up to around nine items at any one time, and lasts just a few seconds. To keep hold of that scrap of information, you must write it down or save it in long-term memory.

No pen or paper? Here are some very simple tips to help you; these are examples of what I call on-the-fly mnemonics. When introduced to a new person, repeat his or her name out loud - "Bill Anderson" - this will help to make it stick and buy you a little time. Even better, ask a question: "Is that Anderson or Andersen?" The more you talk about this person's name, the more you make it memorable.

Then enlist your imagination. His name is Bill and he works in finance - there's your link. Picture him as a dollar bill. And his surname?

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