A five-minute calendar block at the end of each day where you ask who you met and what you learned about them, and write it down.
The idea
Do you remember what you had for breakfast two weeks ago? Now try: who did you meet with two weeks ago, what did you talk about, what were they excited about, and what help did they need? The safe assumption is that we remember little to none of it. It's OK, we're human. A five-minute appointment at the end of the day catches it.
How to do it
Put a recurring five-minute calendar appointment at the end of your day titled "Who did I meet with and what did I learn about them?"
For each meaningful conversation, ask what you'd want to remember about this person next year.
Write down one thing. Maybe two if you're feeling ambitious. Then stop.
Example
I wrote about this after a reference check for an overseas developer turned into one of the strangest Zoom calls I've had. As it gets harder to trust what we see online, knowing who you met and who they trust matters more.
Capture, Summarize, Act: Capture next steps and personal details, condense them soon after, delete the rest, then act on the next steps and file the keepers.
750 Seconds a Day: Spend about 12.5 minutes a day on micro-actions, flagging a few people and sending quick texts, instead of long occasional catch-up sessions.
The Recurring Calendar Appointment: Pick a regular time based on your energy and calendar gaps, make it a recurring appointment, and defend it.
Is It OK If I Take Notes?: Ask "Is it OK if I take notes?" at the start of a meeting. It signals you care enough to remember and follow through.