In today’s workplace, professionals are drowning in information — from emails and reports to policies, presentations, and endless browser tabs. Many spend hours reading, but retain very little, re-reading lines, losing focus, or struggling to extract key points. And while AI tools can summarise and filter information, they can’t replace the ability to read with intention, speed, and comprehension. At the same time, ageing and mental fatigue make it harder for the brain to process information efficiently.

The result: more time spent reading, but less value gained.

This practical one-day workshop equips you with Tony Buzan’s proven speed reading techniques, updated with today’s best practices in visual reading, digital text navigation, and comprehension tools. Learn how to double and triple your reading speed, improve your retention, and regain control over your time and attention. Whether reading business reports, technical content, or industry news, you’ll walk away with lifelong tools to read smarter, think faster, and perform better at work.

Pain Points Addressed

• Reading slowly and forgetting quickly
• Digital fatigue and shallow reading habits
• Struggling to stay focused or retain details
• Mental slowdown from ageing or multitasking
• Ineffective reading habits from early education
• Over-dependence on AI summaries without comprehension

Key Benefits

• Double your reading speed while retaining key ideas
• Read technical documents, reports, and emails faster and more effectively
• Learn how your brain and eyes work together for comprehension
• Master new strategies to focus, absorb, and recall what you read
• Save time and reduce stress by managing reading overload
• Improve performance in meetings, decision-making, and learning

Objective

Participants will be able to:

1. Understand how the eyes and brain process reading differently
2. Apply the Four Core Speed Reading Principles (Fixation, Back-skipping, Group Reading, Guides)
3. Track and improve personal reading speed (WPM) and comprehension
4. Use scanning and skimming techniques for emails, reports, and digital content
5. Apply summarisation and visual recall to retain what’s read
6. Develop a personal speed reading plan for lifelong improvement

Outline

Module 1: Rethinking Reading in the Digital Age
Understand why traditional reading habits no longer work in today’s fast-paced, screen-heavy environment.

• Common workplace reading struggles
• Myths vs truths about reading and ageing
• How digital environments affect focus and comprehension
• Assessing your current reading WPM

Module 2: How the Brain and Eyes Read
Explore the biology and psychology of reading to work with—not against—your brain.

• Eye movement vs brain comprehension
• The role of memory and perception in reading
• How we were taught vs how we learn today
• Why slow reading often leads to poor retention

Module 3: The Four Principles of Speed Reading
Master Buzan’s core strategies for effective speed reading.

• Reading in groups (chunking words)
• Avoiding fixation
• Eliminating back-skipping
• Using reading guides and pacing tools

Module 4: Speed and Comprehension — The Balancing Act
Understand the relationship between speed and comprehension and how to improve both.

• The reading triangle: Speed – Focus – Recall
• Scanning vs skimming vs active reading
• How to retain key details and meaning while reading faster
• Real-time comprehension tracking

Module 5: Practical Speed Reading Drills
Apply what you’ve learned to real workplace materials.

• Technical articles, business emails, reports
• Speed timing with comprehension tests
• Practicing with printed and on-screen formats
• Guided reading and annotation techniques

Module 6: Visual Recall and Summarisation
Learn simple techniques to retain and recall what you read.

• Visual anchors and keyword spotting
• Mind Mapping® for summarising key concepts
• SHINE and other memory hooks
• Turning reading into action steps

Module 7: Personal Strategy and Next Steps
Create your personal plan for lifelong speed reading success.

• Tracking your reading speed improvement
• Embedding new habits into your daily workflow
• Digital tools and apps to support faster reading
• Setting goals for continued growth

Who should attend

This workshop is ideal for:

• Professionals overwhelmed by reports, emails, or policies
• Executives, analysts, and managers who need to scan content quickly and spot key points
• Educators, facilitators, and trainers who read for curriculum and prep
• Mid-career professionals facing focus and memory challenges
• Anyone seeking to improve their mental agility and reduce reading fatigue

No prior experience required. Just bring an open mind and a stack of reading tasks.

Methodology

This workshop uses a brain-based, hands-on approach that makes speed reading practical and sustainable. Learning strategies include:

• Self-paced reading assessments with feedback on WPM and comprehension
• Mini-lectures on reading science and modern distractions
• Visual tools and hand-eye coordination exercises
• Guided practice with real-world reading materials (emails, reports, articles)
• Group activities and memory recall drills
• Personal action planning to apply speed reading habits daily

Eric Cheong's Profile

BSc(Hons) MSc (HRM)
Accredited ACTA Trainer, Developer & Assessor (SG)
Master Trainer, Buzan iMindMap & AYOA (ThinkBuzan UK)
Certified Trainer, Guerrilla Marketing® (USA)
Certified Trainer & Coach, Identi3® Personality Profiling (SG)
Master Trainer, Click Colours International (AU)
Certified Trainer, Inquiry Institute (US)
Design Thinking Certificate – MITx and DesignThinkers Academy (SG)
Adult Educator Network and Institute for Adult Learning (SG)

Eric Cheong is a corporate trainer and thinking-skills specialist who helps organisations improve critical thinking, decision-making, and collaborative problem solving. With 25+ years across telecommunications, technology, and education, he equips leaders with questioning and mindset tools to navigate complexity and ambiguity.

Previously with SingTel, Pacific Internet, and the National Library Board, Eric understands matrix organisations, public sector systems, and corporate transformation. His experience spans governance, entrepreneurship, and executive education, linking thinking frameworks to real workplace challenges.

As former Managing Director of Buzan Asia, he expanded creative thinking and Mind Mapping programmes across Asia. An Accredited Master Trainer in Click! Colours® EQ Profiling (Click! Colours International), he has trained over 10,000 professionals from organisations including Intel, HP, HSBC, Sony, Far East Organization, Singapore Airlines, and the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

Eric holds a Master’s in Human Resource Management and is pursuing a DBA focused on leadership influence and cognition in complex organisations. Having lived and worked in Hong Kong, Belgium, and the United States, he brings strong cross-cultural leadership insight.

Global Training & Thought Leadership Credentials

Eric’s expertise in critical and creative thinking is shaped by training with leading global pioneers:

• Certified Master Trainer in Mind Mapping, trained under Tony Buzan and co-trained with him.
• Master Trainer, Click! Colours® International, trained by founders Greg Barnes and David Koutsoukis (emotional intelligence and behavioural profiling).
• Trained by Michael Gelb, author of How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci (creativity and whole-brain thinking).
• Graduate of the Chief Questions Officer Programme by Marilee Adams, creator of Question Thinking (Learner mindset and decision-making).

Speaking Engagements & Media

• Guest speaker, Smart Nation 2021 — Prime Minister's Office webinar on Applied Creativity
• Featured expert, BrainTalk 2021 — MM2 Studios parenting series
• Guest speaker, SPH MONEY FM 89.3 — Thinking & Innovation at Work
• Corporate talks for Sony Singapore, UPS, Singtel, Hewlett Packard, and others
• International speaker, 14th International Conference on Thinking (Malaysia)

Testimonials

“I have not come across a Trainer like Eric who takes great lengths to engage his participants, address their inner motivations and going the extensive way to build up his trainees. He is not just a Trainer, but a unique educator who cares for his Learners and stays true to his purpose of educating minds.”
Christie Khoo, Manager, SG Professionals' and Executives' Co-operatives

“Eric makes me understand the importance of being open, flexible and adaptable. If the trainer is rigid and unimaginative, then so will the learners, and they will participate in the training in a dull and unmotivated manner.”
Vinay Rai, Business Owner, Writer and Editor

“Eric has diligently put together this all-in-one programme, making it simple and easy for anyone - even for a beginner to be equipped as a Corporate Trainer very quickly.”
Lui Ng, Senior Vice-President in a technology firm