Have you seen Memento? Of course you’ve seen Memento. Because it’s awesome. Non-linear storytelling, intelligent writing, hot shirtless Aussies with tattoos — what’s not to like? I caught a glimpse of it the other day while channel surfing and it got me thinking.

Thinking morbidly, but thinking.  

There’s a saying erroneously attributed to Charles De Gaulle: “The cemeteries are full of indispensable men.” And it’s true. None of us, no matter how loved or needed, are immortal. And when we go, all our experiences go with us.

You, yes you, have a vast store of knowledge — and that’s just at work. You know which copier hates to have paper in the top tray but will print happily if the bottom tray is loaded up. You know which of your contacts or clients will need extra hand holding in case of problems. You know when to do your best Jessica Fletcher and dig into the mystery of What Went Wrong This Time because you’ve got to fix a recurring problem, and when it was just a weird fluke.

So what if, like the fella in Momento, you lost that? If we’re a summary of our experiences and memories, are we still ourselves without that knowledge?

Think of this as a more in-depth version of one of my Thought Experiments. Here’s your assignment.

You have 30 minutes. You have one sheet of paper. What would you write down so your biz can function? What vital memories would you save?

If you can isolate what you’d pass on in case of (spoiler alert!) extreme-anterograde-amnesia-and-revenge-spree, then you’ll have found the core of your business. The bits that are vital.

Sounds like useful intel, mm?