CONTENT
FRESHNESS
USEFULNESS
Thriving on Overload gives you a system and a process that makes processing technical, research, and any other type of information that you come across a breeze.
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If you’re an entrepreneur, chances are you’re constantly bombarded with information. And if you’re not careful, it can quickly lead to overwhelm. But there’s no need to panic.
In his book Thriving on Overload: The 5 Powers for Success in a World of Exponential Information, Ross Dawson provides a simple guideline and framework for processing the fire hose of information entrepreneurs are confronted with daily.
I received a review copy a few weeks ago and thought I’d give it a test run. As someone who is constantly trying to make sense of information, I can tell you this process worked for me.
In fact, when you get into the book, you’ll find yourself thinking “I do that all the time!” But the truth of the matter is that you’ve been doing it unconsciously and not consistently.
That’s what makes this book so practical and worth your time to read. As you go through the book and do the exercises inside each chapter, you’ll find yourself naturally and effortlessly weeding out the golden needles of relevance from the information haystack.
About Ross Dawson
Ross Dawson is a world-leading futurist, entrepreneur, and keynote speaker. He is the founder of Advanced Human Technologies, a company that helps businesses with future planning.
He’s worked with some of the most powerful brands you know such as the Boston Consulting Group, Citibank, Coca-Cola, Google, Interpublic Group, Microsoft, News Limited, Oracle, Procter & Gamble, PwC, Visa, and Walmart.
Dawson frequently delivers speeches to business and government leaders in over 30 countries about the future. He has also been featured on ABC TV, BBC, The Guardian New York Times, and VICE media outlets.
But more than any of these qualifications, I think the one that matters most is how well he communicates this process. I think that comes from the decades of research and observation that he used to create these information processing techniques.
A Quick Outline of the 5 Powers for Success
Let’s get into this magical and intuitive process for dealing with information!
- Purpose: What is your purpose for needing to know this information? How will it help your business in some way? Is there a specific reason you need this data? How will it impact your business strategy?
- Framing: In what ways does this information help support your business goals? Is it customer data that can help you understand what they want and need? Sales numbers that show you which products are selling well? Internal process information that can help you optimize your workflow? Whatever it is, knowing how this data contributes to your company’s success can help you make the most of it.
- Filtering: One way to become a more efficient learner is to develop your filtering skills. Being able to separate relevant information from irrelevant information can save you a lot of time and energy.
- Attention: Which information deserves your attention? This is an exercise in avoiding distractions. Filter out the noise and focus on what’s important. Train yourself to pay attention to the things that matter
- Synthesis: This s all about taking disparate pieces of information and making them work together for your business. It’s about seeing the big picture and putting all the pieces together to create a cohesive whole.
3 Reasons Why Thriving on Overload is Worth Reading
Thriving on Overload is worth reading because:
- You’ll save hundreds, if not thousands of hours weeding through useless information.
- The exercises walk you through each “power” so that you walk away with a set of personal guidelines for consuming information.
- This book will show you how to learn deeper and integrate the information you’re consuming
By the time you’re done reading this book, you’ll be an information processing ninja.
Summary
In this world of information overload, we need to find ways for our brains to prioritize what’s important.
Thriving on Overload gives you a system and a process that makes processing technical, research, and any other type of information that you come across a breeze.
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