Keeping track during your first weeks in post

The first few days and weeks in a new post can be extra! New faces. New names. New places. Everyday can feel like an assault on your senses.

Then throw into the mix all the weird and wonderful information that will be coming your way.

Everyone you meet will have 101 things to share with you.

Every question answered will raise a whole load more.

Feeling overwhelmed yet?

Part of the art of planning for your new role is figuring out what you're going to do with all the stuff that is thrown at you.

Things to consider:

• tracking all the places you visit and people you meet - you can use it to map your visibility, make sure you're getting to see a good enough cross-section of your business, and to start developing your network of contacts

• jotting down interesting facts and stories - these can come in really useful when developing your ongoing communications and will help you to connect

• logging the answers to your key questions (which you will have already developed as part of your 100 day plan) - you can then more easily look for themes that start to emerge and may form part of your longer term strategy

• capturing all actions or points to follow-up - to make sure you follow through on things you promise to take away. It may also help to have a system in place to identify which are quick wins and which will need to feed into a bigger plan.

• how will you manage all of this - is it something you will need to do personally or can your PA or office support? how are you physically going to capture information as you go?

If you start with the end in mind - what you want to achieve from all the information you are given - it will help you to structure and prioritise both what you do and how you capture it.

What techniques have you found helpful when starting a new job?