Articles and News

It’s a part of daily business life to have to take in, absorb and recall more information than ever and, of course, most of this data arrives in written form – through minutes, reports, proposals, brochures and, of course, texts and emails. A solution to this is to learn how to [...]

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. [...]

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 [...]

You know that information is more freely available than ever before. But all this information from all these sources can confuse and overload… Clive Lewis, author of ‘The Extraordinary Reader’ and Director of Illumine, gives us some tips on how to read faster and remember more.
 Did you know that a staggering 80% of executives occasionally or often suffer [...]

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 [...]

Training specialist, Illumine, has found that its speed reading courses are not only helping to improve delegates’ reading speeds but also helping them overcome the stress of ‘information overwhelm’.
Although most of the literature on reading speed suggests that an average reading speed is between 240 and 250 words per minute (wpm), individuals attending Illumine’s first [...]

Information overwhelm is a growing problem. People are struggling to cope with all the information that’s overloading them today, making mistakes, forgetting things and losing sight of what’s important.
Information overwhelm is when the quantity of information we receive exceeds our capacity to deal effectively with it. This situation arises most obviously when people are trying [...]

Firstly get control of the ‘task’ – a rapid browse of the whole paper to see what is in it helps enormously. The browse should be no more than 2 seconds per page – looking for stories of interest, understanding how much space is devoted to main stories. You are simply trying to understand what [...]

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 is engagement so important at work? Because it inspires others to follow your lead. But you can’t engage other people unless you are engaged yourself. Here Anthony Landale looks at how you can bring your best to your business in 2009.
What state of mind do your colleagues typically bring to work? Are they full [...]

Arguably the No.1 management skill is to be able to engage, motivate and inspire people at work. Achieve that small matter and both great performance and outstanding results are inevitable; fail in this area and you will notice how quickly talent and knowledge leave the organisation. So how can managers develop this essential skill?

Don’t be defensive minded; use smart thinking to underpin your career success. In this article we highlight five essential skills which can help you to stay on the front foot.

There is a temptation when people are under pressure to come to the conclusion that if only they were clear about their priorities, if only they learned to distinguish the urgent from the important and if only they practised saying ‘No’ more assertively, all their struggles would be over.
But for many of us time management isn’t [...]

A new book by Clive Lewis promises to help you become an Extraordinary Reader and eliminate information overload, for good. Here Anthony Landale reports on a new reading strategy that will get you the knowledge you need, fast.
“We have met the enemy and he is us” is the evocative title of a new report into [...]

… if you spend 40% of your day reading (reports, email, journals, books for qualifications etc) and you double your reading speed – you save a day a week… just think if you trebled your reading speed!
At the moment things are changing daily… inflation up… gloomy annual reports published… new reports into how we are [...]

Most of us start learning to read when we are very young. We also stop learning to read when we are very young! Which is fine if your lessons taught you how to read quickly and assimilate information efficiently. It is fine if your lessons got you into the habit of setting out your objectives [...]

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 [...]

There is a lot of discussion about the need for all organisations to equip managers and staff at all levels to be able to continue to learn and develop throughout their careers and lives. Here Clive Lewis, Director of the training and consultancy company, Illumine Limited, which specialises in learning, thinking and creativity, explains why [...]

Speed reading is an area of corporate training which Tony Buzan has just handed over to Illumine Training. Here Clive Lewis, MD of Illumine, highlights why it is such a valuable skill for business executives to learn.
Why do we need to speed read? Aren’t we under enough pressure at work already?
If this is your premise [...]