Remembering Past Conversations

I had a conversation this week with a pretty important personal advisor wherein he proceeded to give me advice that was exactly the opposite of advice I had received on the same subject a few weeks ago.

It got under my skin a bit, and it brought to mind the importance of remembering past conversations with people.  There is an immediate credibility issue if I hear one thing from you today and something different tomorrow, especially if the subject matter is important to me.

It’s OK to change one’s mind, but it should be communicated clearly in the conversation.  ”I know last time we spoke about this I said X, but I now think Y, and these are the reasons.”  Now I know you were engaged the last conversation.  If it doesn’t happen, I doubt the other things you are telling me.

Take notes or whatever is required to ensure that the story is consistent.  I frequently recap the salient parts of a conversation in an email and / or in Evernote immediately following the conversation, and then review my notes ahead of the next one.  I forget a lot more than I used to, so I write a lot more down than I used to.

What are some tips or tools you use to remember past conversations?