Articles and News

Is mind mapping a serious business tool? Anthony Landale reports on a technique that is easy to use across a range of business requirements, challenges and tasks.

The nature of perception itself depends on one’s view of the world. Some people believe in a theory known as strong direct realism, which holds that our perceptions are generally accurate. The broad representative theory, in contrast, teaches that what we see and hear in the physical world is only understood through a filter consisting [...]

This philosophical question has been debated by some of the world’s greatest thinkers. Jean Paul Sartre, for example, argued that an individual’s personal development could be limited by other people as they act in ways that interfere with a learner’s ability to absorb and retain information. This scenario, however, only suggests that humans may fail [...]

Manage your information overload by learning how to speed read. Here Clive Lewis introduces us to the first principles of a technology that all business professionals cannot be without!
You are on your way to a key client meeting or presentation. You picked up a huge file of papers just before you left home and you [...]

Now available in e-book formats – the book by Clive Lewis and Anthony Landale that promises to introduce you to a practical reading strategy that will help you become an Extraordinary Reader and eliminate information overload for good.
Everyday information gets in the way – phone calls and emails, pod casts and blogs, letters and magazines. [...]

Despite the current trend in education to treat learners as a homogenous group, there are in fact several different ways in which the human brain processes information. The leading models and theories about thinking illustrate this diversity.

We learn new things every day – at home and at work. Have you ever wondered if you are maximising the way you think and learn?
Most of us think that our ability to learn, read quickly, be creative, and solve problems is fixed. We learned these skills years ago but realise that the qualifications, strengths and skills with which we entered employment [...]

It may never be the new rock and roll but for many people professional study is probably more important.
Of course many of us are required to study – and to keep on studying. CPD (Continuous Professional Development), for example, is here to stay and is mandatory in most professional membership bodies. Furthermore, if you are [...]

A brilliant memory can transform your impact at work and further your career. Here Clive Lewis, MD of Illumine Training explains how.
Most people are hugely impressed by those who have the ability to recall events, statistics or detailed information at just the right moment. People who can accurately recite a quote or who, when asked, [...]

We all know how to think and learn, right? Not according to Clive Lewis, Director of Illumine, the training company that specialises in thinking, learning and creativity.
Being able to think, learn and work effectively used to be regarded as ‘nice to haves’. This perspective was often combined with the view that our ability to learn, [...]

Why Mind Mapping Is The Swiss Army Knife Of Management Thinking Tools!
A new survey of Mind Mapping users in business, sponsored by Illumine training, reveals that Mind Mapping can be likened to the famous Swiss Army knife.

Is Mind Mapping a serious business tool? Here Clive Lewis, MD of Illumine Training highlights the techniques that make Mind Mapping especially valuable for anyone who wants to prepare and deliver compelling business presentations.
Just imagine… you have found a simple technique that helps you pull together and organise all your thoughts for your next project, [...]

Every day we are learning. Whether we are taking a qualification, studying a new client or assimilating the information in a report, learning is import. With the time constraints put upon us by business and personal lives the way we learn can be the differnence between make or break.
The Pyramid of Learning
Learning is a complex [...]

The TEN keys to Accelerated Learning

Give the BIG PICTURE first, then follow up with the details. Some people prefer to think in large-scale concepts while others prefer smaller parts which fit together.
Involve POSITIVE emotions. Examples might include; fun, anticipation, excitement, wonder, challenge.
Maintain RELAXED ATTENTION. Help learners to maintain a relaxed and resourceful mental and physical [...]

Power Mapping - Is Mind Mapping a serious tool? Here Clive Lewis, MD of Illumine Training, highlights the techniques that make Mind Mapping especially valuable for business executives and trainers alike.
We all live with pressure at work but what would you give for a tool that could improve your project management, that could bring your presentations [...]

I heard a story the other day (it may be apocryphal) about an irate BBC manager who walked into his office one morning and noticed that every single member of his staff was reading The Guardian. He flew into a rage. His exasperation, however, wasn’t caused by his disapproval of that particular publication but by [...]

Mind Mapping is an ideal resource for project managers and teams. Here Clive Lewis, Managing Director of Illumine provides some helpful advice on how it can be applied and how Mind Mapping software adds another dimension.
Project management is a specialisation brimming with models and methods, so why am I suggesting that Mind Mapping has something [...]

Parallel Process - Is mind mapping a serious business tool? Anthony Landale reports on a technique that is easy to use across a range of business requirements, challenges and tasks.

If you are one of those people who still takes notes in meetings, or you use notes as an aide memoir for training, for course revision or [...]

Accelerated learning (AL) provides executives with a range of rapid response tools. Here Clive Lewis outlines what these are and why they are so important.
So you are familiar with accelerated learning (AL). Good for you. But take note; if you are a trainer or a training manager the issue isn’t about how AL can help [...]

Clive Lewis, MD of Illumine, argues that managers start applying AL techniques to the everyday challenges they face.
Accelerated Learning (AL) is a must for managers. Why? Because of information overload. For our personal and business lives we simply have to find smarter ways to sort, absorb and handle the increasing quantity of information that comes [...]