In Overload, Schmoverload Stowe Boyd asks whether we’re faced with information overload, and says the answer depends on your approach to information – focus or flow. He makes the case that if you focus too much you’ll feel overloaded, and suggests it’s better to treat it as a constant flow. You can quickly learn to ignore what’s not important, and the information that’s critical to your work will make its way to you.

So how can you do this? Use a wiki! It changes information from the notion of objects (emails, documents, files, folders, etc.) to flow. The wiki page is a place you go to see and contribute to the flow of information on a topic. The advantage of a flow is you’re less likely to be “hit” by something. For example, in the world of object thinking, you might be hit by an email out of the blue with surprising information, but in the flow world you’re less likely to be surprised when you’re constantly monitoring the flow of information.

In the flow world, a project is less likely to fall behind or lose focus because it will be apparent very quickly that something’s not working properly, and you can fix it long before it becomes a major problem. Being tuned into the flow means you can respond faster to a new trend, adjust a project incrementally as needs change, and contribute to what others are doing when your input will have the most impact – during the work, not after the fact.