Getting Things Done with Google Docs and Spreadsheets

You’ve probably had the misfortune to share in the editing of a document via email. The traditional method goes something like this:

The originator of the document attaches it to email and sends it to others for feedback. The receivers may take several approaches: Some send a reply email with all their comments and edits in the body of the email. Others use the documents editing or review feature to add edits that can be accepted or rejected by the originator. Still others add their edits right into the document, perhaps forgetting to indicate where they’ve made changes. The poor originator—hopefully not you—then has the task of locating, evaluating and working with the feedback and edits. Ugh…I’ve been there too often myself.

But not anymore! There are a sizeable number of collaborative writing services, sites and programs now available, some for a fee and some for free. Today I’m going to discuss Google Docs and Spreadsheets, one of my favorites and another part of my ADR practice management hub.

Google Docs and Spreadsheets allows you to import your existing documents and spreadsheets (from most popular file formats, including DOC, XLS, ODT, ODS, RTF, CSV) or create new ones, edit them online using a web browser, share and track changes made by multiple contributors, and export copies to your own computer’s hard drive. Its interface feels similar to most popular word processing programs, though with fewer bells and whistles…but how many of those do you regularly use?. And, of course, it’s free.

While you may not want to toss your word processing program for day-to-day use, Google Docs is a worthwhile part of an ADR practice management hub because:

• It makes collaborative document creation and editing so much simpler.
• You can control who has access and who doesn’t.
• With Google Apps, you can easily share your documents within your small business or firm.
• It integrates with Gmail as a one-click option to open an attached document within Google Docs.
• No expensive software required…it all resides on Google (though it does mean you need to be connected to the Internet to use it).

For a bit more information, try these articles:

• Gmail Integrates with Google Docs
• Convert Word Documents to PDF using Google Docs & Spreadsheets
• How Educators Are Using Google Docs and Spreadsheets

Copyright © 2007 by Tammy Lenski. All rights reserved.