3 tips for developing where you have a photographic memory

How can you find your top talent? One clue can be found in the activity where you have the equivalent of a photographic memory. Peak performers can recall incidents in great detail. The golf champion recalls the exact lie of the ball on the 13th hole of a tournament; the chef recalls the texture of ingredients in a special dish; the dancer digs into their ‘muscle memory’ to recall the steps in a ballet they performed 20 years previously. Let’s explore where this happens for you.

* You can clarify the specific situation where you have a photographic memory.

“This exercise changed the direction of my career,” said one person. “For years I had made a living by facilitating workshops for companies, but then I began doing individual follow-up sessions with people. Suddenly I discovered that I had total recall about what happened in the one-to-one sessions - on both a visual and feeling level. I remembered every detail about the individuals - their personal background, experiences, talents, learning style, challenges, everything they said in the session. So I concentrated on doing more one-to-one coaching - which became my new career.”

Try tackling the exercises on this theme. Start by identifying the specific activity in which you have the equivalent of a photographic memory - then move onto the next step. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific situation where I have the equivalent of a photographic memory is:

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* You can develop your skills where you have a photographic memory.

Photographic memory is only the start – you also need the right skills to capitalise on this gift. One famous footballer had almost total recall of what happened in matches, for example, but it took time for him to learn how to use this ability when becoming a manager. During the early days of his managerial career he gave the players specific feedback about their performances. He only highlighted their mistakes, however, which he recounted in great detail. It took several years of pain - and poor results - before he shifted his philosophy. He then developed the skills required to help players to build on their strengths, whilst also tackling areas for improvement. Try tackling the second part of the exercise, which asks you to do two things. First, describe the skills you already have in this area. Second, describe the other skills you want to develop to make good use of the talent. Try completing the following sentences.

The skills I already have in the situation where I have a photographic memory are:

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The skills I want to develop in order to capitalise on where I have a photographic memory are:

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* You can keep putting yourself into the kind of situation where you have a photographic memory.

Nicky had difficulties at school - but then it was discovered she had a form of dyslexia. Backed by supportive parents, however, she excelled in drama and organising social events. Leaving college, she took a job selling over the phone, before joining a fledgling computer company. Showing a great aptitude for sales, she has become their top account director. Nicky knows everything about her customers and puts together packages that enable them to achieve success. She can recall virtually every deal she has done in her life - both inside and outside work. She is committed to constant improvement, however, and continues to build on her ‘A’ talent. One day Nicky may run her own company, but for the moment she is aiming to become the ‘best account director in the world’.

How can you keep putting yourself into the situations where you have a photographic memory? How can you keep developing? How can you deliver peak performance? Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to keep putting myself into the kind of situation where I have a photographic memory are:

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