Barb's Favorite resources of 2012

To be honest, I enjoy the end-of-year summaries. We hear the top news stories, songs, notable people, books, and many more. I take the first of the year to review my organizational strategies and see what needs tweaking (this year I created new categories to reflect my change in work). In looking at when needs to be changed, I also see what has worked. That led me to consider my five go-to resources for information, inspiration, and support. Where possible I have included a link so you can check it out for yourself. Let me know what strikes you when you look at this list.

Books to Read:

My favorite source of new books to read comes from the RSS feed in Fast Company (here is a link to one of the recent entries). This RSS feed is very busy and has a lot more than book reviews. I have the feed entries  go to a folder so I can pull it open when I want to look at it, not filling my inbox with low priority messages. Many other entries in the RSS feed are interesting too; stimulating ideas about new start up organizations and creative artists.

Reading efficiency:

During the last few years I have been averaging 2 or more books per month. One of my favorite ways to read a book is through audio books. There are a number of sources to get audio books, including the public libraries. For the last 5 years I have had a subscription to www.audible.com . With audio books I use the time in my car to hear the book. It works well with most books, and great with a few. Listening to a book is particularly great if the names are unfamiliar. In an audio version they are pronounced correctly (while they would be wrong in my head) and for me it seems easier to keep the characters/locations clear in my memory if spoken clearly and consistently. The format is also great when the actor(s) reading the book are able to contribute their skill to the narrative. This was particularly true for the book The Help where the actors made the story come alive in a profound way. The only books where an audio version does not work well for me is if the book has a lot of illustrations you need to see to understand the content. Often these illustrations are available with the audio file as a PDF, but that is not helpful when I am driving my car. In addition to audiobooks I have a Nook and ever-present paper book. It is a passion.

 Health Information:

A particularly good source of current health information comes from MedPage Today. This is a free news subscription that summarizes professional meeting topics, research publications, and public health-related items. I particularly appreciate the research articles. Often they help address popular press misunderstandings because the reader can see what was really published, and often mangled by the press.

Targeted health information:

While MedPage Today covers health topics broadly, I also want to keep up to date on the information specific to my interests. The best source I have found is Google Alert. Using a Google Alert is a simple as creating search criteria and waiting for the results to show up in your email. A Google Alert will not just look for journal articles published on a topic, it will also give links to blogs, press releases, and anything else on the web that matches the criteria. I set one up for each of my projects and areas of interest. Some topics will generate weekly notices, while others might be monthly or less. If the alert is not on the right path, you can refine them with additional criteria. All the directions are on the Google page under “More”, “Even More” and “Specialized Search”.

Networking Information

Since this is being posted to LinkedIn I would be remiss to not mention it as a resource. I find LinkedIn a great way to know what is happening with my network of colleagues (promotions, new positions, and project status) and find out who might be able to make an introduction to someone with skills I need. While I am not particularly active on Twitter, my LinkedIn account is connected to Twitter so I can post once and it goes to both venues. I do scan Twitter comments, watching particular posts because of their humor, insight, and interesting tidbits.

Communication Tidbits

A blog (and website) that has really great information on how to communicate numerical information is Katherine Rowell & Associates. The focus of her blog is on health care data and how to make the information meaningful and informative. She introduces new ways of using Excel and different types of graphing. I look forward to each new entry.

Inspiration

There are many places to get new inspiration; books, movies, conversations, and games. My recommendation here is not to say this is the ONLY place, rather it is a place where I have found inspiration. Maria Popova has a blog that covers may topics. She is a good writer and thoughtful in her analysis. I particularly like that she draws from other sources to make her point, while not getting too academic. Just the right balance. Some of her thoughts are edgy, while others practical. 

Here is wishing you a healthy and happy year. I look forward to our conversations.