tech tools to help manage info overload - kathleen brockel's presentation

Tech Tools To Help Tech Tools To Help ManageManage Information Overload Information Overload

Kathleen Brockel, NTAPJeff Sherr, Kentucky Dept. of Public Advocacy

NLADA Annual ConferenceNovember 2008

NTAP NTAP The Legal Services National

Technology Assistance ProjectNTAP provides technology

support to the poverty law community through trainings, direct support, website based resources, and tech guidance

Overview of SessionOverview of Session

Info Overload – What is it?Tools to Reduce Email Reliance

◦Instant Messaging◦Meeting Schedulers◦Web Conferencing◦Project Management◦Wiki◦RSS

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Email OverloadEmail Overload

Electronic OverloadElectronic Overload

Starbucks OverloadStarbucks Overload

Is this your inbox?Is this your inbox?

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Email = Communication.Period.

DistractionsDistractions•Workers distracted every 3 minutes.

•Once distracted, a worker takes nearly a half-hour to resume the original task

•Interruptions and recovery consume 28% of worker’s day

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Result?Result?Workers frustrated, pressured

and stressed

Checking email in meetings? Opportunities for collective creative energy and critical thinking are lost

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What to do?What to do?To make inroads on the deep, messy

work of life, we need to stay focused.

Practice may help.

Creating places or times for uninterrupted, focused creative thought.

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Blawger Dennis Kennedy:Blawger Dennis Kennedy:The real difficulty with email is that we

are asking email to do far more than what was intended for.

The trend to watch is the movement away from email into appropriate tools for the task at hand. *

*From 8 Legal Technology Trends for 2008

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Adopt Strong Email Adopt Strong Email PracticesPractices

Use a strong subject line Communicate informationRequest action Facilitate simple problem-

solvingLeave a message

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Don’t Use Email to…Don’t Use Email to…

Track attachments and documents as a filing system

Manage projects, timelines, or histories

Schedule meetings Engage in heavy problem

solving or brainstorming Ask quick questions

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Using New ToolsUsing New ToolsInstant Messaging for quick check

inOnline schedulers Web Conferencing for problem

solvingProject Management tools for

deadlines and filesWikis for institutional knowledgeRSS for substantive updates

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Instant MessagingInstant Messaging

Get rid of the quick question emails.I’m running 5 minutes late on

another call. Call you when off. What’s Molly’s phone number? Here is the login number for the

conference call. What’s the name of the guy on

Alabama with the cool podcasts?

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Instant Messaging for Quick Communication or Check In

IM Info ResourcesIM Info ResourcesIM options http://lsntap.org/node/1603

Confidentiality issues and IM http://lsntap.org/node/1604

Getting started with IM http://lsntap.org/manage_info_IM

Open versus closed systems http://lsntap.org/spiffytech_enterpise_IM

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Meeting SchedulersMeeting Schedulers

Get rid of the 20 emails it takes to schedule a meeting!

Meet-o-Matic www.meet-o-matic.com

MeetingWizardwww.meetingwizard.com

Doodle www.doodle.ch/main.html

Doodle SampleDoodle Sample

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Web ConferencingWeb Conferencing Use for coordination and heavy

problem solving or one-on-one in-depth meetings

Meet instantly online for discussions, training, technical support or document review.

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Law Office Use of Web Law Office Use of Web ConferencingConferencing

One-On-One document collaboration

Brainstorming SessionsRemote Tech Support Staff Meetings & TrainingBoard, Task Force and

Management Meetings

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LegalMeetings:LegalMeetings:To sign up for services To sign up for services www.legalmeetings.org

Other Web Conferencing Other Web Conferencing OptionsOptions Team Viewer (

www.teamviewer.com) Cross Loop (www.crossloop.com) WebEx™ Meeting & Training

Center Brevient Raindance powered by InterCall Microsoft Live Meetings.

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Online Project Online Project ManagementManagementReduces email because organizes

all aspects of your project using an online system, including deadlines, drafts, communications and more

Many project management tools integrate with other programs, including email

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Law Office Use of Project Law Office Use of Project ManagementManagementPoverty law staffers are involved withmore than casework: ALL of which generate email

communications

◦ Outreach projects◦ Managing grants◦ Substantive task forces◦ Working on staff or website committees◦ Statewide or regional conferences

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Project Management Tools Project Management Tools ◦Basecamp◦Microsoft SharePoint◦Central Desktop ◦Google Sites

Sample BasecampSample Basecamp

Law Office Use of Wikis Law Office Use of Wikis

Helps your program create institutional memory – can significantly reduce emails related to these issues.

HR Guides and ProtocolsNew Hire Guide Case Management GuideDay to Day Tech How-To

Introduction: What is a Introduction: What is a Wiki? Wiki? A website easily edited by multiple

usersProvides a logical, navigable platform

for storing and retrieving informationA cost-effective, paper-free tool Visit http://www.wikimatrix.org/

Wiki SampleWiki Sample

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ResourcesResourcesTraining Material on Wikis & Proj

Mgmt www.lsntap.org/coll105Wikis:

http://www.lsntap.org/bookshelf?tid=10

Project Management:

http://www.lsntap.org/bookshelf?tid=179

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What is RSS?What is RSS?RSS stands for

Really Simple Syndication

RSS brings select information to the user

Helps you stay updated on your field

How does it work? How does it work? Choose a reader

◦Google Reader (web-based)◦iGoogle (web-based)◦Feed Demon (desktop application)◦Net News Wire (desktop application)◦Internet Explorer 7 (browser based)◦Firefox (browser based)

Subscribe to your feeds

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Google Reader

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iGoogle Page

Is there really a lot of Is there really a lot of content out there that is content out there that is relevant to my work? relevant to my work? Legal news sitesNational legal aid organizationsStatewide websitesLaw BlawgsCourtsNational and state media outlets Find a Blawg in your practice

area

RSS Feed IdeasRSS Feed IdeasABA Journal Blawg

Directory: http://www.abajournal.com/blawgs

CLASP Feeds: http://www.clasp.org/clasp_rss.php

Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law: http://www.bazelon.org/rss/news.xml

National Health Law Program: http://www.healthlaw.org/news.cfm?rss

Legal Services NTAP: http://www.lsntap.org/&q=blog

US Government Feed Library: http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Reference_Shelf/Libraries/RSS_Library.shtml

Recent US Supreme Court Opinions: http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/rss/0.91/supct_recent.rss

LSC Updates: http://www.lsc.gov/lscfeed.xml

Step Forward – Shriver Center: http://blog.povertylaw.org/feed/

Technola: http://techno.la/

Questions or Comments? Questions or Comments? Contact information: Kathleen Brockel, kathleen@lsntap.orgJeff Sherr, jeff.sherr@ky.gov