Read a Book in 15 Minutes: The 'One-Sheet' Reading Method | Summary Reading for Busy People
Thinking Organization Techniques to Align Your Team with a 'Single Sheet of Paper' Seen from 18 Years in Management ③
'I want to read books, but I don't have the time.'
Many busy business professionals,
likely feel this way.
Recently, terms likereading techniquesandtime-saving readingare frequently heard.
However, in reality,
securing time to read books while working is not easy.
You are tired by the time work ends.
You have time with your family on weekends.
Before you know it, the books you want to read keep piling up.
I myself used to struggle with the same problem.
Even though I like reading books,
I wasn't applying what I read to my work.
That was the state I was in.
However, since adopting a certain method,
the quality of my reading has changed significantly.
That is the reading method called
reading a book on a 'single sheet of paper',
Summary Reading.
Summary Reading is 'Reading Without Reading'
In a nutshell, Summary Reading is
'reading without reading.'
Normal reading involves
reading from the first page in order,
and finishing until the end.
However, for busy business professionals,
reading every book carefully is not realistic.
Therefore, I use a way of reading that
extracts only the essence of the book.
The point is
not to try to read everything.
• Important concepts
• Ideas that can be used
• Only the parts necessary for yourself
I pick out only these.
Read one book in 15 minutes
When I say that in Summary Reading,
you read one book in 15 minutes,
many people are surprised.
However, the important thing here is
that the goal is not to read everything
.
Most business books are composed of:
• The author's arguments
• Important concepts
• Concrete examples
In other words,
there is no need to read everything.
What is important is
to grasp the essence of the book.
And then,
summarize that content on a single sheet of paper.
This is my reading method.
Situations where I have used summary reading
I have 18 years of experience in management in the distribution industry.
In my busy daily life as a manager, I needed
a reading method to absorb the essence of a book in a short time
.
That is why I have been practicing
summary reading.
Previously, when launching a new store, I was in charge of
communication training.
To think about the training content, I bought
five books on communication.
However, there is a problem here.
If I were to read these five books carefully from beginning to end,
it would take a considerable amount of time.
So what I did was
summary reading.
First, I read one book for
only 15 minutes.
While reading mainly the table of contents and headings,
I pick out the points that seem important.
And then, I write out the important parts
on a "single sheet of paper."
I did this for all five books.
Then, from each book,
the common ideas and
important points become visible.
From there, I
re-read only the parts I think
“this could be useful for training”
carefully once more.
By doing this, even in a short amount of time, I was able to
organize the essence of multiple books
.
How to do 15-minute summary reading
The summary reading method I practice is
very simple.
The basics consist of the following 5 steps.
1. Read the table of contents (2 minutes)
First, look at the table of contents to grasp the overall picture of the book.
Confirm the structure the author uses to present their points.
2. Read only the parts that interest you (10 minutes)
While looking at the headings, read only the parts that catch your interest.
There is no need to read everything.
3. Summarize on one sheet of paper (3 minutes)
While reading, write down:
・Important concepts
・Ideas you can use
・Insights
on a single sheet of paper.
4. Finally, write down your 'next step'
What I always write at the end is
“what action I will take from this book”
.
A small step is fine.
For example:
・Try asking this question at tomorrow's meeting
・Use this concept in a 1-on-1 with a subordinate
and so on.
By writing down this step, reading becomes
action, not just knowledge.
The reason for summarizing on 'one sheet of paper'
I combine this reading method with
“one-sheet” thinking.
Open your notebook and
draw 6 lines to create 16 squares.
In the top left, write the
“date” and “book title”.
Then, while reading the book, write down:
・Insights
・Important concepts
・Ideas that could be used for work
The point is
not to try to summarize everything.
It is enough to focus only on the parts that are important to you.
The purpose of reading is the 'next step'
At the end of my reading,
there is one thing I always write down.
That is
'What action will I take from this book?'
.
No matter how good a book is,
it is meaningless if it does not lead to action.
For example,
・Try asking this question at tomorrow's meeting
・Use this mindset in a 1-on-1 with a subordinate
・Try this method at work
Small steps like these are fine.
By writing down that one step,
the content of the book will
become connected to your work.
Summary
For busy business professionals,
I believe reading is about'quality over quantity'.
Rather than reading one book carefully,
absorb the
essence from many books.
And,
put
one action from them into practice.
Even just doing that
will significantly change the value of your reading.
If
you feel like 'I want to read books but don't have the time,'
first,try reading for just 15 minutes.
Then,
summarize it on one sheet of paper.
Just by doing that,
the quality of your reading should change significantly.
Next Time Preview
Next time,
I will talk about the 'One-Sheet Management Method.'
It is the
'exchange diary style daily report' (Everything is O-thinking)that I practice.
Since adopting this method,
・Subordinates have started acting proactively
・The team atmosphere has changed
・An organization where people don't quit
has been built.
I think this content will be
especially useful for managers.
.
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In this series, I introduce the
'One-Sheet Thought Organization Method to Align Teams'that I have practiced during my 18 years of experience as a manager in the distribution industry.
You can find previous articles here.
Part 1
Common traits of companies with long meetings
Part 2
What is one-sheet thinking?
Part 3
What is the 'One-Sheet' reading method: Summary Reading?
Part 4
What is the 'Exchange Diary Daily Report' that gets subordinates to take initiative?
Part 5
What is the 'One-Sheet Planner Method' for running daily PDC?
Part 7
The origin of 'One-Sheet' thinking: What is 'Everything is O Thinking'?