July 10, 2008
Due to some of the news I have been following recently, I have paid closer attention to the developments surrounding Yahoo’s! bid to save itself.
Today’s CNNMoney.com article discusses the latest bid for self-rescue. What I found intriguing about this development is the faith that Yahoo! is investing in the “wisdom of crowds” and the benefits they will gain from mass collaboration as it encourages the building of a search engine based on Yahoo’s! infrastructure.
Of course, I’m not sure it’s faith but more of last ditch effort to make progress before the shareholder vote on August 1st when a change in management seems inevitable.
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Posted by answermaven
July 9, 2008
Every summer that I taught the law firm summer associates legal research class I reminded them that the telephone was a research tool.
Yesterday, a friend IM’d me to ask where to find some statistics related to a specific public service. I did not know for sure that the statistics would be available online. What I did know is someone who worked with the public service.
So…I picked up the phone, made a call to my expert resource and within minutes I knew that the data was collected but that a requestor would need to contact the public service department.
I emailed my friend this information with the warning that a specific geographic area would need to be defined or the open records request would might get lost in the shuffle.
What is your secret weapon of research? Do you network with people across industries to be sure you have an ace in the hole?
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Posted by answermaven
July 7, 2008
This Legal Technology article speaks to the success of collaboration between attorneys, IT staff and clients.
“It’s not enough to hear client requests filtered through lawyers — IT professionals need to be present at the substantive discussions of client needs and how they might be addressed.”
Filtering user needs through third parties who may not quite understand the technicalities usually leaves something to be desired in the final product. As a librarian I would push the need for collaboration even further. Often times IT staff understand the how to make it work part but lack a full understanding of how clients will use the products.
There is a proliferation of literature about the need for libraries and IT departments to work together. This need to work together should overcome territorial concerns and take into consideration the client needs. Finding the right information when it is needed and in the format that the client will use it is critical for business success.
IT knows how to make the technical parts work, librarians understand how the searches will occur and how the data will be recycled for new uses. To really make your clients happy make sure you have IT, Library Staff and attorneys at the table.
Mass collaboration has been successful for multi-billion dollar corporations in today’s global economy. If law firms want to grow and retain clients they must understand the changing world and embrace this shift in doing business. Small steps such as cross-departmental collaboration is a good safe step for firms who want to test the water first.
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Posted by answermaven
July 3, 2008
Last night, I had the pleasure of joining a friend at the Louisville Bats game for ladies night. I met a new person and got reacquainted with someone I had not seen for several years.
We all know that the old boys network has been the all powerful system of getting things done for ages, but I think that gives an unfair reputation to men and women alike. Networking is a powerful tool and everyone who networks benefits.
The new lady I met last night was able to provide me with personal contacts for some people who might be in need of a librarian’s skills. I found a contact who might be able to sell me a car, when the time is right. Over shared funnel cake we found that this was definitely an added bonus to a great night at the ballpark.
Every meeting, every connection provides me with an opportunity to learn and grow. So cheers to Baseball, Beer and Networking.
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Posted by answermaven
July 3, 2008
This Fulton County Daily article and a conversation with a respected advisor prompted me to ponder upon the efficiency or myth of efficiency in multi-tasking.
Generational differences certainly attribute to how well a twenty-something versus a forty-something can handle incoming and outgoing information through multiple tools. I personally tend to need a nice balance. When I’m reading and trying to stay alert to updates about news I want multiple sources but I want to manage those sources to fit my own needs. I need to focus on a single task at a time to accomplish my goals.
This need to focus doesn’t mean I’m not capable of completing multiple tasks in a short time frame. In fact, what I have discovered is that the more tasks I have to finish, the more efficient I am. Those tasks just have to build upon one another.
The best organizing tool I have in my possession is a pen and notepad – I can make a quick list of the things that have to be done. Then, I sign-in, tune up, turn on, the tools necessary to gather the data and deliver the answer.
What is your best organizational tool? Do you function well with many things at once or do you slow everything down enough to accomplish one goal at time? How do you train your employees, how do they train you?
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Posted by answermaven
