Social Media and Google Scholar: The flash is not just in the pan Law Firms Beware

November 30, 2009

I have been so busy with projects and family that my blog reading and posting has fallen to a slow pace in recent weeks.  Over the holidays I pecked out a few things that I really want to spend some time pondering and even perhaps comment in-depth on soon.  Until then I thought I would share a few links with you so that you can turn your wheels of thought on how these evolutions will impact law firms.

Google is attacking case-law.

My quick thought on this development is that the movement for open access to information just took a huge leap forward.  My second thought is that Reed Elsevier and Thomson Reuters have just added a strong competitor to their mix that will diminish their lower tier customers and cut into their revenue streams.  Stephen Arnold has taken a close look at this development and I plan on spending some more time thinking about this in terms of Fastcase and Loislaw too.

Social media in law firms is growing faster than we know. It is causing a shift in how business is, and should be done.  It’s causing law firms and businesses to look for people who can manage social networks for the business adeptly.

Take a look at a few things that blipped on my radar recently:

A job posting on Craig’s List

A discussion about ideal skills for social Media

Generation Y – How do law firms market?

The new age of social media for lawyers

My co-presenter on Social Media over the past few weeks Stuart Adams began a Linked-In group dedicated to  Social Media Search and Forensics. His newest blog SociaLies offers a forward thinking look at Social Media from an entrepreneurial and legal viewpoint on electronic communications and more.

Social media is a force to be reckoned with in all businesses and law firms can not and should not ignore the reality.  There are opportunities and responsibilities that will benefit the bottom-line if handled appropriately.

Google’s move into case-law and social media have geared up the access to information and the way information is shared and managed and law firms need to catch up fast to stay in the race.  Customer expectations are and will continue to shift as the open access movement gains traction.

Constance Ard November 30, 2009

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Females Still Struggle and Falter on Their Way to the Top: Seed 2020 Works to Smooth the Path

November 19, 2009

A study released today by UC Davis on California Women Business Leaders reinforces the commitment of Seed 2020 organizers to provide networking opportunities for women owned businesses.

Of the 400 public California companies surveyed a few key facts  came to light from the study.

  • 118 have no women board directors and no women executives
  • 15 have female CEOs

It’s interesting to note that this study has been conducted for the past 5 years and there has been little change in the numbers  10.6% of top positions are held by females.

This indicates that there is still a corporate cultural reluctance to move women up the ladder.  This article discusses the study.  Wendy Beecham, chief executive of  Forum for Women Entrepreneurs and Executives talks about why the upward mobility has stalled.

The most interesting point Ms. Beecham makes is:

Women don’t always have role models or mentors to help them advance in corporate careers.

That is a distinctive disadvantage.  I agree with Ms. Beecham’s statement that people tend to hire like people.  Thus there exist multiple obstacles  to overcome in the continued struggle to move into powers of position.

Seed 2020 is designed to connect women and minority owned businesses to other business people who can help them grow.   This movement offers live networking opportunities.  As the program evolves and our supporters voice their needs and share their struggles our purpose will evolve to meet those needs and shared expectations.

One event we will be planning for in early 2010 is an event designed to allow small groups to solve real problems presented by our members.  We hope that as we listen and design programs that meet real needs, the connections we make will help women owned businesses overcome the challenges that their counterparts in California experience.

Mentoring is one of our goals.  It’s amazing to me that as far as women have come since the suffrage movement began there is still so far to go.  No, I’m not a rabid feminist, I still like it when doors are held open for me.  Nevertheless, I want my work to be judged on my ability, my intelligence, and my client’s satisfaction.  I want to accomplish what my male counterparts accomplish, especially if I’m putting in the same effort.

Giving voice to methods women can use to break the glass ceiling and succeed in the corporate world makes being a part of Seed 2020 exciting and inspiring.  I have had and continue to meet great role models, both male and female. Using their  knowledge and experience and learning the ins and outs of how to relate with all levels of company workers has been invaluable.  Seed 2020 offers the opportunity for women to benefit from the collective knowledge and experience that has allowed our members to succeed in much the same way.

Matching members to mentors, providing methods to navigate the corporate minefield and offering practical advise that is easily applied is just one more way for Seed 2020 to contribute to the success of women and minority owned businesses.

Constance Ard November 19, 2009

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Growth Spurts Strain Information Management Processes

November 10, 2009

Many times, companies that grow organically continue to use their information management processes that were in place before their adolescent growth spurt.  Using different buckets for shared content and locking down content is sometimes an obvious answer to information security issues.

Sometimes, those lock downs decrease productivity more than secure information.  Collaboration is an important part of content companies and in today’s world most companies are content companies.  That doesn’t mean that security isn’t important to companies with valuable patents or confidential client information; those firewalls remain critical parts of your information processes.

However, there are times when a company grows by baby steps, and then suddenly they have an adolescent growth spurt that pushes the fit of the old processes. Often the growing company is so focused on the product that is causing that stretch that the infrastructure is overlooked.  A lot of things contribute to the successful delivery of the product.  While you may be able to stumble along for a few years without paying attention to your technology  upgrade plans, your content production and information sharing processes and your employee promotion and transfer opportunities, eventually all of that will catch up with you at a time when it is most critical to your continued success.

information management processEven if your company operates in the typical teenage manner, drifting through the days from activity to activity, forward movement is ongoing.  The teenager finally realizes its time to think about “the future” and plans are made and executed for college applications, moving into an apartment with their friends etc.  The company too can drift forward until its time to think about “the future” and suddenly have their attention grabbed by the inefficient processes.  Once that happens, thinking critically about how to share information and with whom is a necessary first step. Decentralized files in a collaborative environment is a handicap that is easily overcome.  In a later post, I’ll discuss some of the solutions that are available to you for this first step from company adolescence to adulthood in information management.

Constance Ard November 10, 2009

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The More Things Change, The More Important the Basics Are

November 7, 2009

Earlier this week I was presenting with Stuart Adams in our next to last Kentucky Law Update Social Media tour of the state.  When we finished the presentation we looked at each other, two months after the first presentation was done and said, this is out of date.  Our final session will be in Louisville KY on December 3 and we will definitely be updating the slides for that session.

During the time we have been doing these presentations a few significant things have changed:

  • Bing, Yahoo and Google have all announced plans to add Social Networking Content to search results.
  • Case law has exploded on the issue of Social Media
  • Google Wave has been introduced to the wider public impacting the new “wave of  communications.

Google Wave Today, I’ve been exploring my Google Wave account, getting familiar with exactly what it is, how it can be used and thinking about what its impact may be.  The biggest advantage I see to it right now, is as a replacement for that ongoing email exchange between people working together on a project and the ease of sharing items beyond documents as attachments for which email is so often used.  The rich content that can be embedded into a wave is a useful component of this collaboration.  The “ping” feature seems to be an evolution of instant messaging.

I’ve not yet begun or participated in a wave yet.  My contacts are slowly starting to get their accounts and as the people I work with  on various projects get into the Google Wave space I suspect more collaboration in that space will occur.  This collaboration is intriguing.  The information  and content management involved with my email accounts on different projects frustrates me at times, I wonder if Google Wave will improve that process and decrease my frustration.

The Social Media tools of the Web 2.0 and 3.0 world continue to evolve quickly.  Still a few things remain constant in the effective use of these evolving tools.

  1. Contacts – People you work with and for must also be in the space you want to use.
  2. Strategy – Participants must be clear in how they will use the tools and if truly will be an effective means of collaboration and communication.
  3. Comfort – If 3 out 5 are comfortable using the chosen tool but two are not, then the tool is negated.

I have a client that continues to use an early email address to contact me rather than my answermaven account, no matter how many times I remind him of the personal vs. professional space.  Is this a bad thing?  No, but as we collaborate with new people, they too are directed to my personal account and not the business account.  In then end it doesn’t matter because the work gets done.  It does demonstrate the need for you to meet clients and collaborators in the space they are comfortable with.

The bright shiny, new toy is not for everyone.  In fact, I’m a bit early on the Google Wave bandwagon for my normal practice because I usually leave the testing and exploration of these new tools to trusted colleagues who know me and inform me that now is the time for me to expend the energy to use it.  A few of those colleagues are there but not all.   I’m interested in figuring out if this change truly is an advantage to my time and energy or if it’s a bright shiny tool that doesn’t improve on the basic processes.  Thus my desire to ride the wave and see how this contributes positively to my own business practices led me to be an early adopter in my circle of colleagues.

The underlying factor for my true adoption of this tool will be is it a time waster, frustration causing technology or does it make it easy for me to stay on top of my work.  When I update the presentation for Louisville Google Wave will be discussed and by then I’m sure some other bright shiny innovation will be emerging too.

Constance Ard November 7, 2009.

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Women and Minority Owned Business: The Key to Economic Stimulus

November 5, 2009

Last night was the culmination of a month and some change worth’s planning and organizing for The Seed 2020 event in Louisville KY at the Muhammad Ali Center.  This event was conceived with the sole purpose of offering women and minority owned businesses a strong voice and networking opportunity to promote themselves and their business in the local area.

A lot of people helped make the night a success.  We have over 70 RSVP’s attendees and many walk-ins.  (Official event wrap-up is not complete, I will update official numbers when that occurs.)  10 local women and minority owned business speakers presented and the keynote address by Dr. Emeka Akaezuwa was inspiring.  People in the room met each other and only towards the end did the energy begin to fade after two and half hours of the doors opening.

I left with the sense of accomplishment in that the concept we discussed in late September had truly come to life.  The room was filled with people from all walks of business and they were succeeding.  Some people who attended were looking for job opportunities and they found them.  Small business is flexible, creative, and innovative.  These three keys to business success in challenging times will lead to economic stimulus.  Our attendees, organizers and speakers demonstrated their ability to profit  by employing those keys to success.

Our sponsors, Frost Brown Todd, Louis Roth and Arnold IT funded a truly special event that connected people within a community that will benefit all.

Constance Ard November 5, 2009

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