Learn, Absorb & Understand
Information overload is a challenge for every business professional. The volume of information available to us these days is overwhelming. Being able to assimilate it, remember it, use it effectively and 'do more with less' time and resource is a growing challenge for all of us.
...the general causes of information overload include:
- Rapidly increasing rates of new information being produced (more people writing articles, producing white papers, writing emails, etc).
- More ways to distribute and duplicate information (business press article also published on multiple websites with excerpts in partner e-newsletters, etc).
- Increased number of information channels (business press, national press, internet, intranet, email, direct mail, etc).
- Large amounts of historical information available (old reports, old campaigns, filed brochures, recommended books, etc).
- Content inaccuracies (typos and grammatical errors changing the meaning, fuelling the reader's desire to find accurate evidence).
- Contradictions in copy when trying to compare information.
- Distractions (more information, colleagues, telephones, personal situations, etc).
- Insufficient knowledge of the tools and techniques available to combat information overload (Mind Mapping, Speed Reading and Memory Techniques).
We offer three techniques to help you assimilate information and deal with overload and overwhelm:
Mind Mapping for Business
One of the most adaptable tools we have in our business arsenal is Mind Mapping. It can be used as a note-making and note-taking system which is designed to help people work, think and learn more effectively. Mind Maps® enable people to access their own creativity and to learn in a way that is efficient, effective, enjoyable... and on one page. Take a look at our detailed map on the uses of Mind Maps...
We recommend the following courses:
- Mind Mapping for Business (public workshops, in-house courses, webinars and e-learning options available)
- Advanced Thinking and Learning (public workshops also available)
- Mind Mapping for Education
- Becoming a Mind Mapping Trainer
Mind Map® and Mind Maps® are registered trademarks of the Buzan organisation.
Speed Reading
Also known as Rapid Reading and Power Reading, Speed Reading is not just about developing your reading speed; it's also about comprehension and recall.
- Speed - There are techniques that will help you to read faster, reading only what you need to read. Techniques that will help you to power through reading without losing comprehension. Test your reading speed and comprehension here...
- Comprehension - It's all well and good being able to power through the many business journals, emails, reports, newsletters... the list is endless, but you still need to understand them. Understanding and remembering the important information is the reason you started to read the document in the first place. Test your reading speed and comprehension here...
- Recall - Don't you just hate those people who can recall those minute but important facts from a document that's still in your in-tray? Speed Reading helps with this.
Our Speed Reading courses include the INSEAK® approach to reading.
We recommend the following courses:
- Effective Speed Reading™ (public workshops also available)
- Advanced Thinking and Learning (public workshops also available)
- Improve Your Memory
- Accelerated Learning for Trainers
- Speed Reading Essentials™ (90 minute in-house bite-size session)
The Intelligent Strategy for the Effective Acquisition of Knowledge (INSEAK) is a powerful strategy that can be applied to ALL of the documents we choose or have to read. It is based around the principle that we do not need to read everything that we are sent or given. On the contrary, one of the first freedoms that INSEAK allows us is the recognition that a great deal of the information that we receive, and which then piles up on our desks, shelves and email boxes, may not be relevant or appropriate for us to read at all. Find out more about INSEAK...
INSEAK® is a registered trademark of Illumine® Limited.
Memory Techniques
We all forget things, it's a natural process every day. With our busy lives, pressurised jobs and daily distractions we cannot remember everything.
When learning, the greatest losses occur within the first 24 hours. You can, after day one, forget nearly half of what you were reading or learning. There are memory techniques that can help you remember more through structuring your thoughts. Good memory is not exclusive to a fortunate few; anyone can learn to use their memory to its full potential.
We recommend the following courses:
- Advanced Thinking and Learning (public workshops also available)
- Improve Your Memory
- Accelerated Learning for Trainers
- Names & Faces... and other stuff™ (90 minute in-house bite-size session)
