I attend most Richmond Group sessions and I certainly could not resist attending one with the title “Speed through your workload”. The session, last Monday evening, presented by Helen Whitten, MD of Positiveworks left me with several good intentions for improving my efficiency (sadly, I have a very long list of good intentions). The session focused on techniques for speeding up your efficiency at reading documents and reports and on helping you to remember the content and facts and figures generally.
The efficient reading element explained how we often fall into the error of trying to read every word in the order written when an initial scan of the contents to learn the shape of the document would allow a more selective, and speedier, reading. The remembering part centred on the use of mind maps to structure information. I do use mind maps when planning proposals or reports but am the first to acknowledge that I have only dabbled and resort to a normal page-based list of headings and bullet points at an early stage. I have now resolved to persevere for longer with the full-blown multicolour variety and to become more proficient in using the software that I have.
