Synopses & Reviews
More information has been produced in the last 30 years than in the previous 5,000...in 1991, over 15 billion faxes were sent from U.S. fax machines; over 60 billion if you count faxes issued by computers...approximately 1.2 billion E-mail messages are sent by 12.4 million people each year. The sheer volume of this information is enough to drown even the most capable executive.
Maureen Malanchuk's "InfoRelief" throws a lifeline to busy professionals trying to stay afloat in the information flood that threatens to swamp them. "InfoRelief" offers a new perspective on the role and value of information as well as an innovative set of communication skills created to rescue a generation awash in messages and sinking fast.
For those who are in danger of being swept away by the rising tide of data, Malanchuk has developed seven new skills for keeping heads above water:
-- Skip
-- Skim
-- Search
-- "Satisfice"
-- Screen
-- Scan
-- Surf
For those who send out material that adds to the deluge, she offers an additional seven skills to help drain off excess information:
-- Seduce
-- Synthesize
-- Show
-- Sort
-- Select
-- Simplify
-- Shorten
And for everyone who can't tread water another minute, "InfoRelief" includes:
-- Ways to identify the information overload.
-- The many causes of information overload.
-- Practical tips and techniques that can be used immediately to deal with the InfoFlood.
-- How to avoid common relapse traps once change has begun.
-- Super Reading design makes "InfoRelief" quick and easy to read so it won't add to readers' information overload!
-- Charts, graphs, models, diagrams, checklists, and cartoons to illustrate unique concepts.
Synopsis
Here's a guide that will save you from drowning in the daily info flood!In just seven quick, easy steps you'll discover how to use that daily flood of information to your advantage and work more efficiently. Plus, you'll find out how to reduce your contribution to others' overload.
This how-to guide will help you manage information so you can:
- Focus on priorities
- Reduce time trying to find or understand information
- Complete projects on time
- Be prepared to handle problems when they occur
- Reduce your stress level... and more!
InfoRelief provides you with the tools and methods to help you and everyone in your organization manage your three-foot stack of memos, 100 e-mail messages, and 20 urgent voice-mail messages. Written in an easy-to-absorb, quick-to-read format, this guide will help you immediately see the value in information and develop the skills to manage the daily flood.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 121-123) and index.
About the Author
MAUREEN MALANCHUK has spent more than a decade as a communications professional in a variety of organizations such as Bell Canada, Imperial Oil Ltd., and the Ministry of the Attorney General. She has helped organizations inform employees of major company developments, disseminate messages to the media, persuade customers to buy products, and more. Through research, discussions with professionals, and personal experience, she has developed an intimate understanding of the who, what, why, where, and how of information overload. She received a degree in communications from Simon Fraser University, Vancouver. Maureen is currently a communications consultant in Vancouver, Canada.
Table of Contents
Editor's PrefaceAuthor's PrefaceBefore...
1. Are You Drowning?
2. What Causes Information Overload?
3. Stay Calm
4. Assess Your Situation
5. Develop Information-Receiving Skills
6. Develop Information-SAnding Skills
7. Don't Fall in Again
After...AppAndixNotesIndex