It’s 2021! Time to Break Some Eggs!

It’s 2021! Time to Break Some Eggs!
Written by Doug Austin, Editor of eDiscovery Today

If that title seems confusing to you, it will (hopefully) make more sense by the end of this post!

After the crazy year in 2020 that we all just experienced, perhaps no year has represented a better chance for a fresh start than 2021.  Most of us can’t distance ourselves from 2020 soon enough and look to this year for growth and improvement in all areas, both personal and professional.  This is the time of year when we make New Year’s resolutions as individuals.  For many of us each year, the resolution is to “get in shape” – which is why you’ve probably noticed so many ads these days for diet plans and exercise equipment!  Personally, I’m glad right now that Zoom meetings only show me from the shoulders up!

It’s a time for organizations to “get in shape” as well and look to become more efficient and effective in their business operations.  New year beginnings are often the best time to embrace innovation, including the use of best practices and technology to help achieve those goals.  But many organizations resist because change is difficult and it’s more comfortable sticking with established manual processes that may not be near as efficient as they could be.

“Ne saurait faire d’omelette sans casser des œufs”

Didn’t expect a French lesson in this post, did you?  So, what does that phrase mean?  Translated into English, it means “you can’t make an omelet without breaking some eggs”!  That phrase which you’re probably much more familiar with was originated in the 1700s by French Royalist soldier and politician François de Charette.  The idea behind that famous phrase is that to achieve a goal, something else often must be destroyed to do so.  Disruption is necessary for growth.  From a personal standpoint, that means we must change our habits to diet and exercise more if we want to get in better shape.  From a business standpoint, that means that we must get out of our “comfort zone” to achieve innovation.

I’ll Do You a SOLID

However, that doesn’t mean you have to do it without help.  There are many resources out there, such as blogs (including this one), webinars and more.  And there are also several eDiscovery events to learn more about best practices, technology and innovation.  Earlier this week, I covered a list of 2021 eDiscovery-related events, conferences, and meetings courtesy of Rob Robinson’s Complex Discovery blog (link to his list here).  It’s a great resource that continues to be updated regularly as events are added or dates for events are announced, so I highly recommend that you consider bookmarking that link to stay current on event updates.

Currently, the first event on the list is SOLID Winter 2021 on January 28 and 29.  Founded by David Cowen (who also founded The Cowen Group), SOLID events are summits where speakers give TED-STYLE talks around the intersection of innovation, advanced technology and the business of law. They share what they are doing, how they are doing it, and the business impact it has.  Those talks are then followed by facilitated table talks, sprint panels, and town hall discussions, where participants discuss what they’ve learned and how to apply these lessons to their own organizations.  SOLID provides participants with maximum interaction with peers and colleagues in a round table, workshop environment to assess current challenges and design concrete solutions.

Normally, of course, SOLID is an in-person event conducted a couple of times a year, but, in these pandemic-influenced times of social distancing, the Winter event (at least) is being conducted as a virtual event.  And IPRO is a sponsor and participant of the SOLID Winter 2021 event!  You can register for it here on the IPRO events page.

Are You Hungry for Innovation?

A new year is about new beginnings and that includes being shaken out of your “comfort zone” to try new ways of doing things, whether that’s related to personal or professional situations and goals.  From a legal technology standpoint, it’s about innovating to leverage best practices and advanced technology to improve workflows and processes.  eDiscovery is about workflows and, sometimes, you’ve got to “break a few eggs” to update those workflows to incorporate those latest innovations.  There’s never been a better time to innovate than right now.  If you don’t, you might wind up with “egg on your face”.

For more educational topics from Doug Austin related to eDiscovery, cybersecurity and data privacy, follow, eDiscovery Today! And as part of the continued educational partnership between IPRO and eDiscovery Today, he’ll be here in the IPRO Newsroom next week with more educational content!