|
Five Technology Trends That Will Impact You This Year
 Page
1: Leading and Managing Change
Of the several major changes and technologies impacting
the legal profession, the Internet is one that few can escape. At a meeting
of the St. Louis Forum in May, Betsy Cohen, Ralston Purina's futurist
and vice president of its Extended Enterprise Group, presented this helpful
advice on five technology trends that will impact you this year.
1) Connectivity. The bar is higher for timely communications
due to the ease of connectivity. With friends and associates available
online, there is an expectation that we will respond to any email, phone,
or fax quickly, probably within 24 hours. In today's world, getting back
to someone in two days is too long a delay. Be aware of this new response
mandate and be sure to change your outgoing phone message or your automatic
outgoing email message if you will be unable to respond to messages quickly.
2) Continuous learning. Every three months it seems there is
another "new tool" to learn. Find out what the new technology is all about
and decide if you need it. Check out wireless options for your personal
digital assistant (PDA), peer-to-peer computing with the ability to download
shared files, and the new applications at http://www.groove.net. Keeping
up is key if your career and personal growth matter. Hire a tutor or a
student to spend some time each quarter with you doing interesting things
like placing an eBay order or ordering a book at Amazon.com from a wireless
PDA.
3) Business techniques. Transformational business tools are popping
on the scene in every industry, including law firms, schools, community
agencies, and businesses. These include new uses of the Internet for group
buying, using reverse auctions to purchase supplies, and online RFPs (request
for proposals) that happen broader and faster than before. This opens
up new relationships with more potential suppliers and users of your products.
Be sure you or someone in your office is assigned to investigate and pilot
these new ways of doing business. This will allow your organization to
keep up with competition and to capture savings or growth.
4) Knowledge overload. With emails, phones, and "always on" wireless
equipment in your pocket, the torrent of incoming communication is bound
to overwhelm you going forward. You need ways to create boundaries for
yourself and those with whom you are in touch, leaving good messages as
to when you will or will not be available. Plus, you need to learn how
to set up "rules" on your applications that will organize or streamline
what you actually see and read in your email in-box. You are the only
one who can add in the breaks you need for body and spirit. The booming
world of self-care has many small indulgences to consider so you can take
care of yourself in this era of knowledge overload.
5) The personal touch. In a world of increased technology, personal
touches matter more than ever. They stand out in an environment where
it is easier to send an email to the person at the desk next to you than
it is to walk over. When appropriate, talk in person or write a personal
note. Spend time understanding the underlying personal sides of issues.
Just because something can be done using technology is no reason it should
be done through technology. At the core, relationships with people matter.
Growth for organizations comes through the relationships we build in person.
Page
1: Leading and Managing Change
|
