Office Clutter - Is Yours Multiplying?
Office Clutter - Is Yours Multiplying?
Now, you may not be an expert at organizing, but making sure that your business is better organized should still be a strong consideration, especially if things are starting to get out of control.
Despite the great things that technology has brought to businesses large and small, the need for paper lives on. Most business owners are on info overload. They work long hours and do not think that much about simple productivity issues or about how or why things get done.
Many of my business clients end up with a back log of paperwork because it is just the last thing for them to look at. Sometimes it is important paperwork and sometimes it is not. Usually, it is all jumbled together and the client is not really sure what is important and what is not. This causes concern in the back of the mind.
In the past, I have introduced various strategies for going through your backlog of paper and making decisions. Different strategies resonate with different people.
Here is a five-step approach to dealing with office paperwork : DRAFT, for Discard, Refer, Act, File and Table.
1) Discard:
If it's something you'll never look for again, get rid of it, don't file it. Your files should be a "resource haven," not a dead storage place.
2) Refer:
If this is information that someone else needs or you can delegate, pass it along.
3) Act:
If it requires action by you. Is it something that will take 30 seconds to do? Do it now! If not, put it in your action system.
4) File:
If it's important and you will truly need it later, file it in a complete filing system. A "complete" filing system is one that will allow you to find things quickly later.
5) Table:
If it's something you'll need in the near future (but not today), place it in a simple follow-up system for easy, quick access. You can use your action system for this one as well.
I want to spend just a moment more on this last one. This does not mean, "I don't want to decide, so I'll table it." It means that you have information that you need for a project or event but you do not need right now. For example, if you have tickets to an event for a month from now. You don't need to take action because the tickets are in your hand, but you don't want to lose them either.
What do you think of this system? Have you done anything similar? Let me know by commenting in the comment section!
Office Clutter Is Yours Multiplying - To learn more about this author, visit Stephanie Calahan's Website.
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Office clutter tends to multiply like bunnies or grow like weeds. It is not all about the way things look. Excessive clutter makes your business less productive and less profitable.
Now, you may not be an expert at organizing, but making sure that your business is better organized should still be a strong consideration, especially if things are starting to get out of control.
Despite the great things that technology has brought to businesses large and small, the need for paper lives on. Most business owners are on info overload. They work long hours and do not think that much about simple productivity issues or about how or why things get done.
Many of my business clients end up with a back log of paperwork because it is just the last thing for them to look at. Sometimes it is important paperwork and sometimes it is not. Usually, it is all jumbled together and the client is not really sure what is important and what is not. This causes concern in the back of the mind.
In the past, I have introduced various strategies for going through your backlog of paper and making decisions. Different strategies resonate with different people.
Here is a five-step approach to dealing with office paperwork : DRAFT, for Discard, Refer, Act, File and Table.
1) Discard:
If it's something you'll never look for again, get rid of it, don't file it. Your files should be a "resource haven," not a dead storage place.
2) Refer:
If this is information that someone else needs or you can delegate, pass it along.
3) Act:
If it requires action by you. Is it something that will take 30 seconds to do? Do it now! If not, put it in your action system.
4) File:
If it's important and you will truly need it later, file it in a complete filing system. A "complete" filing system is one that will allow you to find things quickly later.
5) Table:
If it's something you'll need in the near future (but not today), place it in a simple follow-up system for easy, quick access. You can use your action system for this one as well.
I want to spend just a moment more on this last one. This does not mean, "I don't want to decide, so I'll table it." It means that you have information that you need for a project or event but you do not need right now. For example, if you have tickets to an event for a month from now. You don't need to take action because the tickets are in your hand, but you don't want to lose them either.
What do you think of this system? Have you done anything similar? Let me know by commenting in the comment section!
Office Clutter Is Yours Multiplying - To learn more about this author, visit Stephanie Calahan's Website.
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John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan'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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Productive and Organized - Stephanie is a nationally known speaker, productivity consultant and founder of Calahan Solutions, Inc. She has worked with hundreds of clients, and understands that every person is unique and requires systems that work for them.
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