PAPERWORK Making molehills out of mountains
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PAPERWORK Making molehills out of mountains
I have a good system to manage my paperwork – but I’m not infallible. Over the last few weeks I have been busier than usual and so last week I had the experience of going through my mountain of ‘unprocessed’ papers many times. Each time I thumbed through it, I was aware of my frustration and the waste of my time. It also left me feeling slightly out of control. Yesterday after finally catching-up, I vowed (again!) to keep on top of it.
In an ideal world we would deal with all of our paperwork on a daily basis. In the real world it’s often not possible. No-one has every said to me: “Jennie, I love sorting my paperwork out!” For almost everybody, it feels like a chore. But not doing it costs time, energy and sometimes money if unpaid bills hidden in the pile start to incur additional costs.
And paperwork isn't just confined to the office. At home are you clear on who deals with what? If you are the one dealing with all of the paperwork, is that OK with you? Or would you like your spouse/partner to take over some of it for you? I know it isn’t the sexiest of subjects, but talk about it. Decide who does what and when.
If you are in business is there someone else who would make a better job of looking after the paperwork than you? Consider what it’s costing you to be tied up in admin vs. not doing your ‘real’ work. If you are a one-man-band, know these days there are virtual assistants and agencies that offer this type of help: you don’t need to employ someone to get help with your paperwork and admin.
Sometimes having an interim filing system helps rather than just letting one pile grow. I do this. I have several coloured ‘clear’ plastic slip files – each one for different things. My blue one for example is for money stuff – any invoices in the post go straight into this file. This process means there are less unsorted papers to go through at any one time. If I am looking for an invoice – I know to go straight to the blue file. When I’m ready to deal with my invoices, bills and bank statements they are already in one place.
Finally, I know this sounds so obvious, but it's often overlooked – allocate a time and/or a day for sorting paperwork - and stick to it. As I said most people don’t enjoy doing this, but leaving it until it reaches crisis point makes the chore seem even bigger than it is. By allocating a time on a regular basis means you stay on top of the paperwork, and it stays as a well-managed mole-hill and not a mountain on the verge of an avalanche!
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To receive more coaching tips and/or to receive them monthly by email, please see www.reddandelion.co.uk/tips.php
PAPERWORK Making molehills out of mountains - To learn more about this author, visit Jennie Bayliss's Website.
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The idea of a paperless society may have been predicted in George Orwell’s 1984 – but we are still a long way off achieving it. Most of us regularly go into battle with our paperwork. Letters, quotes and information arrive in the post, colleagues give us print-outs, and, of course, we print out stuff too. I used to wish for all of my paperwork to be dealt with: to have no paperwork outstanding. But then I realised that if this ever became true, it would be because I had too much time and not enough business keeping me busy! So it's not about having no paperwork, it's about having a process so that the outstanding paperwork is manageable - a molehill of papers instead of a mountain is very desirable.
I have a good system to manage my paperwork – but I’m not infallible. Over the last few weeks I have been busier than usual and so last week I had the experience of going through my mountain of ‘unprocessed’ papers many times. Each time I thumbed through it, I was aware of my frustration and the waste of my time. It also left me feeling slightly out of control. Yesterday after finally catching-up, I vowed (again!) to keep on top of it.
In an ideal world we would deal with all of our paperwork on a daily basis. In the real world it’s often not possible. No-one has every said to me: “Jennie, I love sorting my paperwork out!” For almost everybody, it feels like a chore. But not doing it costs time, energy and sometimes money if unpaid bills hidden in the pile start to incur additional costs.
And paperwork isn't just confined to the office. At home are you clear on who deals with what? If you are the one dealing with all of the paperwork, is that OK with you? Or would you like your spouse/partner to take over some of it for you? I know it isn’t the sexiest of subjects, but talk about it. Decide who does what and when.
If you are in business is there someone else who would make a better job of looking after the paperwork than you? Consider what it’s costing you to be tied up in admin vs. not doing your ‘real’ work. If you are a one-man-band, know these days there are virtual assistants and agencies that offer this type of help: you don’t need to employ someone to get help with your paperwork and admin.
Sometimes having an interim filing system helps rather than just letting one pile grow. I do this. I have several coloured ‘clear’ plastic slip files – each one for different things. My blue one for example is for money stuff – any invoices in the post go straight into this file. This process means there are less unsorted papers to go through at any one time. If I am looking for an invoice – I know to go straight to the blue file. When I’m ready to deal with my invoices, bills and bank statements they are already in one place.
Finally, I know this sounds so obvious, but it's often overlooked – allocate a time and/or a day for sorting paperwork - and stick to it. As I said most people don’t enjoy doing this, but leaving it until it reaches crisis point makes the chore seem even bigger than it is. By allocating a time on a regular basis means you stay on top of the paperwork, and it stays as a well-managed mole-hill and not a mountain on the verge of an avalanche!
-------------------
To receive more coaching tips and/or to receive them monthly by email, please see www.reddandelion.co.uk/tips.php
PAPERWORK Making molehills out of mountains - To learn more about this author, visit Jennie Bayliss's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Cheryl MatthynssensCheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur. Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well. A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles. She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide- to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being. Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com - Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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