Dealing with Information Overload and Improving

Effectiveness

Scott HanselmanPrincipal Community ArchitectMicrosoft Corporation@shanselman on Twitter

Adria RichardsTechnology ConsultantButYoureAGirl.com@adriarichards on Twitter

About MeBlogging since April 2002

Software Engineer 20 yearsAuthor, Speaker, Professor

2rd Blogging while BrownLive in Portland

Tech, Diabetes, Parenting, Race, Linguistics, Fashion,

Podcasting, Media, Culture, Code, Ratchet.

Biggest accomplishment: Happy Family

I help companies select the right tools to be more productive.

CommunicationData flow

Tools

SupportInfrastructure

Training

Technology malfunction

About MeBlogging since 2008

Information Technology 12+ years3rd Blogging while Brown

Live in San FranciscoLove Bacon

Biggest blogging accomplishment: Interviewed on The Rachel Maddow

Show

The Quantity of Information…has changed

http://www.flickr.com/photos/anotherpintplease/4093428787/

The Quantity of Information…has changed

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jypsygen/3922750879/

The Numbers

*Xerox http://www.xerox.com/information-overload/enus.html

“Every two days we create as much information as we did from the dawn of civilization up until 2003” Knowledge workers spend 50% of their day on unproductive tasks such as scheduling, duplicate communication, trying to get in touch and filtering spam.

Danger Signs

Missing deadlinesFeeling like a failureFamily complains“I just need to work lateto catch up.”

Right Tool For the Job

Phil hack story…

* David Allen

Effectiveness

Effectiveness

doing "right" things, i.e. setting right targets to achieve an overall goal

Goal-oriented

Efficiency

Efficiency

doing things in the most economical way (good input to output ratio)

Process-oriented

Effectiveness vs. Efficiency

Effectiveness is doing the right things. Efficiency is doing things right.

Effectiveness

Inbox Issues

Information coming in…Needs to be triagedAnd acted on.

Triagefrom the French verb trier, meaning to separate, sort, sift or select

Triage

from the French verb trier, meaning to separate, sort, sift or select

Three-Fold Nature of Work

Pre-defined WorkWork as it AppearsDefining Works

* David Allen

4 “D’s”

• Do It• Drop It• Delegate It • Defer It

* David Allen

I II

III

IV

Do It Now

Decide When To

Do It

Delegate It Dump It

URGENCYIM

PO

RTA

NC

E

I II

III

IV

Crises Preparation

Interruptions Trivia

IMP

OR

TA

NC

EURGENCY

I II

III

IV

Phone,In

person

Project Email

IM, Texts, Most Email

Twitter,Web, News

URGENCY/IM

PO

RTA

NC

E

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rgewing/4104932476

All Systems that work need to have Flow Control,

so Drop Packets.

Communication is Fault Tolerant.

Sometimes Dropping the Ball is the right answer

Communication is Fault Tolerant.

“Psychic Weight”

Let it go

My Vision Board

Vision Board

Efficiency

Identify Data Streams

• Twitter, Facebook, Google Reader, Email, Snail Mail, SMS, Skype, GChat, Comments, Contact Form, Voicemail, etc.• Sort by Signal vs. Noise• Which packets can be dropped

Identify Data Streams - SORTED• Phone• Work Email

• Bosses• CC:ed vs. To:

• Personal Email• Wife, Parents, Family• All Others

• Twitter• Google Reader• My “Tivo”

Email Rules/Filters

Email

Don’t check email in the morningIf you respond, they will respond…You teach people how to treat you.

Don’t put energy into things you don't want more of.

* David Allen

Conserve Your Keystrokes

* Jon Udell

Find a Trusted Source

and put stuff there

The Trusted Source

• Pick one location for a medium

• Keep it…• open all the time• updated all the time

Schedule Work Sprints

* David Allen

Recognize Internal Interruptions“The first objective is to be aware of the number and type of internal interruptions.

Observe them, accept them, and schedule them or delete them…”

Scott Hanselman

Scott Hanselman

Recognize External Interruptions“The second objective is to be aware of the number and type of external interruptions.”

Interruptions

• Targeting• Discovery• Delivered

* Office Space

Principles of Flow

Everything important will find its way to you many, many times: don’t worry if you miss it.

Remain in your flow: be wrapped up in the thing that has captured your attention.

* Stowe Boyd http://saunderslog.com/2007/02/27/communications-underload-stowe-boyd/

Multitasking

The optimal number of threads in any system is one. This includes humans.

Multitasking

The optimal number of threads in any system is one. This includes humans.

Feasible Multitasking

• Walk and Chew Gum• Workout and listen to Podcasts• Drive and do Email by Voice• Commute and Read• Utilize Idle/Waiting Time

* LifeHacker

Multitasking

* Kathy Sierra

Multitasking

You can't simultaneously be current on:

TechnologyCurrent eventsPop cultureProfessional practicesHealth/fitness/diet trends

* Kathy Sierra

Let someone else aggregate

Finding the right person, business, web site, etc. who does the best job of filtering (attenuating) in a specific area adds time to your life.

* Kathy Sierra

News Tips

Audit Your News Feeds for NoiseIf there’s another 9/11, you’ll hear.

Let someone else guide

Find a person who can tell you what is:

Must knowShould knowTrivia

* Kathy Sierra http://headrush.typepad.com/creating_passionate_users/2006/04/the_myth_of_kee.html

* Kathy Sierra http://headrush.typepad.com/creating_passionate_users/2006/04/the_myth_of_kee.html

Tools

Right Tools For the Job?

* Paul Chin

* Paul Chin

Shoeboxed Scan Business Cards

• Physical Trusted Source

43 Folders“Reminders”

Get Paid With Harvest

Sync To Paper

Echosign Electronic Signatures

Evernote

OneNote & OneNote for iPhone

Secure Passwords in one spot

http://Keepass.info

Instapaper and Bookmarklets

Instapaper and Bookmarklets

Remember the Milk

DropBox

Google Apps: Spam free Email, Calendar & shared docs

Office365.com - $6 per month.

Throw it out?

If it’s not helping me to make money, if it’s not improving my life in some way, it’s mental clutter and it’s out.”

- Christopher Hawkins

Conclusion

Audit and Sort your SourcesSchedule Work SprintsTurn off distractionsHow are you triaging your inbox?

Are you effective?Are you efficient?

Consider your personal Toolbox

Be well,do good work,

and stay in touch

@shanselman@adriarichards