| Why do we need to speed read? Aren't we | | | | in the document at a rate of one or two seconds |
| under enough pressure at work already? If this is | | | | per page. |
| your premise then it is time to think again. Speed | | | | What this technique provides is a greater insight |
| reading is not about forcing you to work harder. | | | | into the flow and content of the document |
| On the contrary, by enabling you to improve your | | | | without going into too much detail. It allows you, |
| reading speed by up to 300 per cent, it is much | | | | the reader, to make a note of parts of the |
| more about helping you to handle your time and | | | | document that might be interesting and to |
| your workload more efficiently. | | | | determine whether all, some, or none of the |
| In this article it is my intention to highlight some of | | | | document should be read in more detail.o |
| the key issues that surround speed reading as | | | | Skimming is a slightly different assessment |
| well as outlining some of the ways in which you | | | | technique to those above but will also help |
| can start to build your reading speed. More than | | | | readers to assess their material. In this case you |
| this, however, I want to underline what I think of | | | | are rapidly reading the headlines of the document, |
| as the key aspect of this approach. It is in | | | | identifying main themes, trying to get a sense of |
| nobody's interest to read faster if you can't | | | | the story being told. The practise of skimming |
| remember anything of what you have read; so | | | | takes advantage of all those devices put in by |
| here I want to point to the ways in which you | | | | editors and authors to break up the text such as |
| can speed read and improve your ability to recall | | | | headings and sub headings, illustrations and |
| information at the same time. | | | | captions, summaries and conclusions, panels and |
| How can speed reading help you? The most | | | | bullet points.o Scanning is the way you look for |
| common reason which drives executives towards | | | | specific pieces of information. You naturally do this |
| speed reading is their desire to find better ways | | | | when, for example, you are looking up someone's |
| to manage and cope with information overload. | | | | name in a phone directory. All scanning does is |
| Today's corporate executives are having to take | | | | build on this skill by ensuring that you are |
| in, absorb and recall more information than ever | | | | absolutely clear what you are looking for, by |
| and, of course, most of this data arrives in | | | | letting your eyes move to familiar phrases and by |
| written form - through minutes, reports, | | | | using clues or structures within the document to |
| proposals, brochures and, of course, texts and | | | | guide you to the places you need to go. |
| emails. | | | | All of these techniques allow you to assess your |
| However, speed reading should not be seen | | | | material for relevance or interest and, as such, |
| simply as a reactive technology. Many participants | | | | provide you with a powerful way of managing the |
| on our courses report that one of the main | | | | information that you get sent every day which |
| drivers for them is to be able to find a way to | | | | will otherwise clog up your in-tray or in-box. |
| read those books that have been sitting on their | | | | Reading faster The second aspect of this |
| shelf for too long or those magazines that come | | | | approach is to improve your actual reading speed |
| every week and which they never seem to have | | | | and here again there are a number of techniques |
| time to open. These managers and executives | | | | to learn. |
| recognize that knowledge is the fuel of career | | | | One extremely useful technique is to use a guide |
| success and in this respect speed-reading is a | | | | such as a pencil, a cursor or even your finger to |
| step forward in efficiency, providing people with a | | | | underline the words as you read. Your guide in this |
| real edge in a competitive world. | | | | context is your pace-setter and keeps your eyes |
| So, in brief, here are the benefits of speed | | | | moving along the line smoothly. On its own people |
| reading. Ito massively reduces the time it takes | | | | find that this one technique can sometimes double |
| you to get through your workloado enables you | | | | their reading speed because it simply helps them |
| to learn fastero helps you to be more | | | | to improve their focus. Another technique which I |
| competitiveo provides you with more free time | | | | have already alluded to is to maintain momentum. |
| thinking timeo reduces your stress | | | | So when you have the urge to go back over |
| On top of this it also aids comprehension and | | | | something you have just read - don't do it. Stop |
| recall. The logic for this last detail is important. | | | | yourself. Instead keep reading forward. Rereading |
| Most people when reading continually find their | | | | text is just a bad habit that you have to learn to |
| attention wandering. As a result they have to | | | | break. |
| reread paragraphs or whole pages and this | | | | Now part of what this implies is the need for |
| disrupts the flow and sense of what the writer is | | | | commitment and practise. I have only briefly |
| trying to communicate. More than this, | | | | touched upon two important techniques here but |
| researchers have found that most of this back | | | | neither of them are hard to learn. Nevertheless |
| skipping is completely unnecessary i.e. it doesn't | | | | many people find it hard to break habits and |
| improve our understanding of what we are | | | | make a change. Their commitment falters, their |
| reading. | | | | habits are too ingrained and that is why the last |
| In contrast to this, speed reading forces us, the | | | | part of this article focuses on how we can get |
| reader, to maintain momentum and keep reading. | | | | behind ourselves to make learning occur. |
| In doing this we gather large chunks of | | | | Beliefs and attitudes When it comes to speed |
| information and we fill in much of the detail | | | | reading I suggest that our challenges stem as |
| because, typically, we know some of the | | | | much from our beliefs as from our capability. For |
| background to the subject anyway. | | | | example, do you believe that you can read more |
| How does speed reading work? Let me move on | | | | than one word at a time, maintain comprehension |
| now to the mechanics of speed reading. | | | | when you are reading faster and recall more of |
| The essential processes of speed reading are | | | | what you have read when you are reading |
| these. When asked, most people assume that | | | | faster? |
| they read in a smooth left to right motion across | | | | These benefits are all within reach - but your first |
| the page. However our eye movements when | | | | challenge is to believe that they are possible for |
| we read are not smooth at all. Our eyes have to | | | | you. |
| stop at regular intervals in order for us to take in | | | | Now we know that our beliefs drive our |
| new data and this means that we actually take a | | | | behaviour. So if you don't believe that the benefits |
| series of small jumps as we read across the | | | | of speed reading are within your reach then guess |
| page. The jumps are known as saccades, the | | | | what, they will not occur. It's a self-fulfilling |
| pauses are known as fixations. | | | | prophecy. So in order to break your patterns of |
| Fixations are the key determinant of our reading | | | | thinking and behaving you need to be both willing |
| speed. If you take a long fixation, reading each | | | | and committed to changing yourself. |
| line word by word, you will be a slow reader. And | | | | In this respect the first part of the process is to |
| if you skip back over words or re-read whole | | | | create a positive attitude towards your task. If |
| paragraphs, as most people do, this will handicap | | | | you are in a negative frame of mind you will find |
| you further. The skills therefore are these - to | | | | that you absorb very little of what you are |
| spend less time on each fixation and to learn to | | | | reading. So what beliefs do you need to have in |
| take in more words with each fixation. | | | | order to become an accomplished speed reader? |
| There are, however, two quite separate aspects | | | | One surprising insight about beliefs is that they are |
| of speed reading that are helpful to distinguish | | | | not fixed. You may tend to act is if they are but |
| here and they are these: | | | | upon examination you will find that over time your |
| Reading more efficiently Speed reading is not only | | | | beliefs will have changed considerably. So can you |
| about improving reading speed. It also includes a | | | | change your beliefs around speed reading? Can |
| number of techniques which help you to read | | | | you, for example, try out this belief...'I believe that |
| more efficiently and adapt your approach to what | | | | I can learn speed reading very easily' or perhaps |
| you are reading. For example if you have a large | | | | this one 'I believe that in three weeks I will be |
| report to read then, to start with, you will | | | | able to read at least three times faster than I |
| probably need an overview. So speed reading | | | | read now'. |
| includes a range of what I call 'assessment' | | | | In essence then if you want to develop your skill |
| techniques which provide you, the reader, with | | | | as a speed reader you will need to do more than |
| the relevant information that you will need in | | | | simply learn about the techniques. You will need to |
| order to determine whether, or not, you need to | | | | apply yourself to learning with commitment and |
| continue reading a particular document. | | | | with a positive belief until you are reaping the |
| This 'assessment' aspect of speed reading | | | | benefits of this approach. In this respect you can |
| surprises many people who typically have it in | | | | help your self by:o being clear what outcomes |
| mind that speed reading is just about reading | | | | you want to get from becoming a speed readero |
| everything faster. But in effect it is about having | | | | choosing the attitude that will help you to become |
| the right tool for the job. There is no point | | | | positively engaged with the material that you are |
| reading a document that is not interesting or is | | | | about to reado suspending disbelief and working |
| better read by someone else. That is the purpose | | | | towards a belief that is consistent with your |
| of developing some of the powerful assessment | | | | goalso taking account of your energy and your |
| techniques that are now available. | | | | own rhythms of learning and, when necessary, |
| In this respect here is an outline of four | | | | taking breaks and relaxo managing your |
| techniques which are available to you, each of | | | | environment so that you are not disturbed or |
| which can deepen your understanding of the | | | | interrupted |
| material that may be sitting in your in-tray.o The | | | | Conclusion |
| structured overview is a way of finding out what | | | | For all of us learning to learn is becoming less of a |
| the document you have picked up is all about, | | | | choice and more of a necessity. It is not only a |
| what ground it is covering and what its promise is | | | | response to an accelerating world but it is also |
| to you. You have probably unconsciously adopted | | | | about harnessing our potential and becoming truly |
| this strategy yourself when you've picked up, | | | | effective in the world in which we work. |
| say, a new magazine at a newsagents. You filter | | | | So should you be learning how to speed read? Is |
| for key information by looking at the cover, | | | | it worth the investment of your time and |
| assessing the layout, reading the contents and | | | | energy? Only you can assess how much |
| perhaps the editorial. As you flick through the | | | | information you have to take in every week and |
| magazine you are looking for those signposts that | | | | how much pressure you feel as you try to keep |
| can orientate you and help you determine | | | | abreast of all the latest advances in your industry. |
| whether you want to buy it.o The rapid pre-read | | | | But if you want to improve your ability to |
| is another assessment technique where you | | | | manage information overload and keep your |
| determine a short period of time, say ten | | | | knowledge up to date then I believe that speed |
| minutes, and deliberately run through all the pages | | | | reading is part of that answer. |