How to deal with information overload

As I was mulling over various topics to cover in this blog post, it struck me by just how much available information there is in today’s multimedia world. Assuming we limit our focus solely on the rather narrow field of law firm management, one would be hard pressed to even attempt to calculate the vast amount of content there is right at our fingertips.

There are hourly posts on LinkedIn and Twitter, daily articles in legal news publications and weekly entries on industry-focused blogs – and I haven’t even mentioned the excessive and generally irritating barrage of emails that I seem to receive every day promoting ‘must-attend’ conferences, ‘must-read’ white papers and on and on.

This extreme array of information has forced me to ask the question – what on earth can I possibly write that is any different from what has inevitably been stated by others (perhaps many) before me?

And that is precisely the point of this post. An overabundance of information serves simply to overwhelm rather than to benefit the reader. The key is to find a viable way to pick through all of the clutter and determine which limited amount of content might actually prove to be valuable, either at the current moment or in future. Then, simply ignore or disregard the rest.

Of course, adhering to this advice is easier said than done. So, to make your task a little bit easier, here are a few easy tips to consider to effectively streamline your information intake.

1. Set reasonable limits to the amount of content you consume

Prioritise your time. You can’t spend your entire day reading about the grand strategies and successful initiatives of competing law firms or other companies. Your time is better spent actually developing and implementing those strategies and initiatives for your organisation.

I realise that is easy to get drawn into feeling the need to read every new report that comes across your desk or hits your screen but, by setting time limits or other boundaries, you will force yourself to select those news sources that are most relevant.

2. Try to read the same news sources on a regular basis

Daily publications often have continuing stories from one day to the next (Part 1 of 2, etc) and weekly publications may refer back to previous editions. Maintaining some consistency for your content over time can be beneficial to providing a clearer idea of the big picture. You will also get a sense of which writers you like better than others, thereby enabling you to further refine your content consumption.

For instance, I have a favourite columnist in The Wall Street Journal who I look forward to reading whenever he happens to be published, and thus I will prioritise his editorial commentary over others.

3. Make sure you have access to both sides of the political spectrum

I generally try to make a point of reading two different daily newspapers each day. One news source skews more left-of-centre and the other news source skews more right-of-centre. I appreciate getting a balance between the two perspectives and feel it makes me better informed overall.

If you read too much propaganda from only one political viewpoint, you are limiting your development.

4. Don’t just consume information online

In my experience and from research I have read, most people consume content online in a much different fashion than they do in print publications. Call me old school, but I personally find that I read many more articles in a print newspaper than I ever would choose to click on in its electronic version.

This isn’t an either/or model – digital certainly has its place and it is an increasingly more important one. But don’t burn all the newspapers just yet.

5. Don’t assume that you will receive helpful advice from anyone who happens to be published

Simply put, some of the information you will read is not going to be beneficial, and in fact may actually be harmful to your development if you accept it as truth. Even more importantly, in cases where consultants actually have legitimate advice to impart, don’t automatically assume that this advice will suit you or your organisation.

This isn’t to suggest that others outside your firm are unable to provide you with guidance that might help lead your firm to success if you follow the steps that they recommend. Rather, it is simply making the point that you are the person who needs to own your organisation – that part of your function cannot be outsourced to another, no matter how wise or experienced they might be.

At the end of the day, you need to trust your instincts on what might work and what might not work for your particular organisation.

Good luck!

By following these simple rules, you should hopefully be able to break free of some of the barrage of information that continually surrounds us. Good luck with your quest and make sure you keep in mind #5 above after reading this blog entry!