Speed Strategies
For anyone involved in formal learning or continuous development
it's time to learn how to speed read. Here Clive Lewis, Managing
Director of Illumine Training, highlights why this technique is
so valuable to managers.
Why do we need to speed read?
Don't we have enough information to absorb at work already? If
this is your mindset, then think again. Speed reading
(http://www.illumine.co.uk/information-overload.htm) is not
about forcing you to work harder. On the contrary, by enabling
you to triple your reading speed, it is much more about helping
you to handle your time and your workload efficiently. In this
article I'm going to address some of the key questions that
surround this approach.
How can speed reading help you?
One main driver for speed reading is information overload.
Today's executives are having to take in, absorb and recall more
information than ever and most of this data arrives in written
form - through minutes, reports, proposals, brochures, texts and
emails. Those who recognise that knowledge is the fuel of career
success understand that speed reading improves efficiency and
provides them with a real edge in a competitive world.
Equally, for those people involved in formal learning or CPD,
speed reading provides them with an effective strategy and a set
of powerful techniques. Speed reading doesn't only help students
to get through larger quantities of text; it helps with
comprehension and recall too.
How does speed reading work?
The essential mechanics of speed reading are these. When asked,
most people assume that they read in a smooth left to right
motion across the page. However, when we read our eye movements
are not smooth at all. Our eyes have to stop at regular
intervals in order for us to take in new data and this means
that we actually take a series of small jumps as we read across
the page. These jumps are known as fixations.
Fixations are the key determinant of our speed reading. If you
take a long fixation, reading each line word by word, you will
be a slow reader. If you skip back over words or re-read whole
paragraphs, as most people do, this will handicap you further.
The skills, therefore, are these - to spend less time on each
fixation and to learn to take in more words with each fixation.
Two key distinctions
There are two quite separate aspects of speed reading that are
helpful to distinguish:
1.Reading better
Speed reading is not only about reading faster, it also helps
readers to assess clearly what they are reading. For example, if
you are given a report then you might not need to read it all.
Speed reading can help you to overview it, to skim it and to
scan it. Each of these techniques provides practical ways for
you to get at the data you need.
2.Reading faster
The second aspect of this approach is faster reading speed. One
extremely useful technique here is to use a guide; such as a
pencil, a cursor or even your finger to underline the words as
you read. Your guide in this context is your pacesetter and
keeps your eyes moving along the line smoothly. People find that
this one technique can sometimes double their reading speed.
Beliefs and attitudes
Reading speed is all to do with the way eyes take in
information - is that right? When it comes to speed reading,
your challenges stem as much from your beliefs as from your
physiology. For example, do you believe that you can read more
than one word at a time, maintain comprehension when you are
reading faster and recall more of what you have read?
These benefits are all within our reach, but they require
practise. Changing your behaviour is not just a question of
willpower; you need to create a positive attitude towards your
subject. If you are in a negative frame of mind, you will find
that you absorb very little. If you can engage with interest,
enthusiasm and creativity then you can learn fast and recall
more.
So should you be learning how to speed read? Is it worth your
time? If you are among the 90% of people who feel that they
suffering from information overload, the real question to ask is
'can you afford not to?'
Ref: IT270106