On learning new tools

"If the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem tends to look like a nail." I use that quote a lot, and attribute it to Buckminster Fuller though I'm not positive that's correct. As a proactive response, I generally try to learn new tools on a regular basis. This fits with my strengths profile and value-added proposition. Recently, I've been learning several new tools: MindManager X5 Pro with ResultsManager, DecisionMill and MiniProject add-ins, blogging, Lookout, Newsgator, Getting Things Done, GTD add-in, ContentSaver, ActiveWords andOutlook 2003 (Outlook isn't new, 2003 is, but I haven't really used it much before), and a pocket pc. I've played with OneNote but not found it real useful.

As a result, I've proposed a blog for a new bar committee I'm on, gotten some new ideas about how to improve productivity for the organizations I run, envisioned some new services for lawyers from the Commission, and a caught glimmering of new ways of working for me.

What new tools have you learned in the last year, and how have they helped you see problems differently?

Comments

[Dave Shearon]

Chris, I have to admit that I only played with it briefly and it just didn't grab me, at least not the way MM X5 Pro did. I think the mindmap interface is just so intuitive that it feels like I have better access to my knowledge when it is in a mindmap, i.e., that I spend less energy tyring to "track" the location of that knowledge because the layout does it for me.

[Chris_Pratley]

Dave, I'm curious why you didn't find OneNote useful. We designed it for students (and others) and have had a great response from the academic community. The ability to keep all your information (notes, research, random thoughts) in one notebook, flag items that are important and do roll-ups of those items or just search the whole thing are what people like best (even without a TabletPC). It’s also easy to share notes via email or web sites, and record audio and video in your notebook too. Have you looked at the new SP1 preview? That added a lot of new features beyond what the original release had.

Chris