Renowned author provides tips on organization for students

Mason Weir, Reporter

Esteemed author, musician and neurologist Daniel Levitin provided insights into becoming more organized in the workplace and at school in his speech at JFK Auditorium on Oct. 2 as part of the Zanzuckki Endowed Chair Lecture Series.

After an introduction by Randy Frye, Dean of the University’s School of Business, Levitin discussed how the human brain handles multitasking and offered advice to aspiring managers and entrepreneurs.

He spoke about the content of his newest book, The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload, and signed copies of the book following the presentation.

“Leaders have the ability to ask really good questions,” Levitin told the audience. “They do not just know to ask questions, but which questions to ask.”

The speech revolved around the massive amount of information that surrounds people in the world today. He explained the effects of multitasking as more of a hindrance to one’s productivity rather than a help, and argued that focusing on one task at a time will make workers more productive.

“He had very interesting comments about successful people and their methods for handling their distractions,” said SFU student Andrew Johnson of Roaring Spring. “I learned a few new ways to better organize my time and workload at school.”

Nearly 300 students, faculty, staff and community members attended the event.  One front row seat was occupied by Dr. Albert Zanzuckki himself.  The longtime SFU business teacher was acknowledged with a round of applause from the audience.

Frye said he hoped students walked away with important lessons to assist them in their daily lives.

“He had something to say to everyone in the audience. Both students and adults could learn how to make their lives more organized in the information age,” Frye said.

“There was a lot of practical advice about making your most important decisions in the morning and other ways to organize your life.”

More information about Levitin and his work can be found at http://daniellevitin.com/.