book cover
Many workers today are sinking under a deluge of data they cannot convert into useful knowledge. Overwhelmed by information, unable to access all that is available, yet terrified that competitors may know that vital little bit more, they become stressed out, reckless, paralysed by analysis or victims of the newly identified Information Fatigue Syndrome (IFS). Fortunately, there are ways to cope. In this incisive, pioneering text, David Lewis helps you assess whether you are at risk of IFS and then offers concrete practical advice on how to:
# Ensure your office is not harming your health
# Discover and exploit your own personal learning style (are you a serialist or a holist, a verbalizer, a doer or a dreamer?)
# Develop your "metaknowledge", so you know instantly where to turn for any information you require
# Construct memory makers and build up memory banks
# Decide the right level of risk and avoid all the classic decision-making traps
# Streamline your problem-solving with PUBs (Probem Understanding Boxes), Creative Carving, Solution Trees and brainstorming techniques.
Full of stimulating puzzles and revealing examples drawn from medical research, military planning and many different fields of business, this is the essential guide to surviving in a world of "info glut".
Synopsis
We are all bombarded with information from an ever-increasing number of sources, from books and magazines to e-mail and the internet. In a frenzy to acquire ever more knowledge, firm in the belief that the more we possess the more powerful we become we find that unfortunately the exact opposite is true. When faced with "information stress", our performance is undermined, making it harder to think clearly, or act sensibly. These practical strategies help not merely to stay afloat but to swim confidently and profitably with the surging tide. It explains how to shut yourself off from what is irrelevant and how to determine the core message in any piece of information quickly.