Time Management
Dealing With the Flood of Paperby Jeff Davidson
Each day you are inundated by paper in our over-information society. This article gives advice for dealing with all this paper in order to free up time and space.
Even with the advent of the PC, the fax/modem, e-mail, and downloading on-line files, paper is both the dominant means of communication in our society and the scourge of your career. The most repetitious task you face day in and day out is handling paper. It could be argued that to win back your time is to win the battle over paper. Your goal is to stay in control of the paper that comes your way.
When you receive a magazine, newspaper, or other thick publication, strip it down to its essence. What are the few articles, pages, or items of interest to you? Once you identify those, recycle the rest, thereby reducing office glut.
Immediately reduce books, manuals, and long reports to their essence by visually scanning them. Copy the few pages you wish to retain along with the title page, table of contents, and any critical address, phone, or fax information. Recycle the rest.
The same process holds true for catalogues, flyers, and brochures. Scan them, glean the pages of the relevant information, then chuck and recycle the rest.
Let Your Copier Help You
When new items arrive, consider the creative ways you can strip them down to their essence by using the copier. Can you create a single sheet that captures the essence of the larger document? Can you capture the essence of the larger document with only several small tidbits you wish to retain?
When I speak at conventions, I sometimes ask everyone in the room to hold up their wallets. They chuckle, but the exercise is worth undertaking. If their wallets are thicker than a half inch, they're carrying too much in them. When confronted with too many scraps and information tidbits, it's easy to fall in to the habit of parking them in your wallet, on your desk, or in your drawers. By using your copier to create a page of scraps and tidbits, you move one step closer to keeping your office in shape and keeping paper in its place.
Lakein's "C" Drawer
Alan Lakein, a management specialist of yesteryear, had a nifty idea about what to do with the mounting piles of stuff you can't deal with at the moment, but would like to eventually review. He suggested putting everything in what he calls a "C" drawer, meaning it's not an "A" or "B" item. You can't throw it away at the moment, but you certainly can't deal with it either.
In this drawer, temporarily house what you want out of sight and out of mind. Go back to the drawer when you have the strength to take out the items, decide what to put in your file system, what you can chuck or recycle, and what goes back into the C drawer. I maintain a C drawer and find it helpful, particularly days when I'm working towards a deadline, and I encounter something I would normally review upon reception.
Assessing the Paper That Comes Your Way
Here are some key questions you can ask yourself when confronted by yet another report or document:
* What is the issue behind this document? What does the paper represent? Is it an information crutch which provides information that you already know? If so, get rid it. Does it represent something you think might be important in the future? If so, then perhaps put it in the C drawer. Alternatively, there are a variety of files you can create to house such documents.
The issue behind paper that often confronts you is something that, in retrospect, is too minor to merit your attention. It looms large at the time, but doesn't everything if portrayed in screaming headlines? For years newspapers have been able to sell their wares by using language and font size. The issues addressed often have little to do with the typical reader
* Should I have received this at all? This is an insightful question because in many cases, the answer is no. This means you don't have to spend another second on the item. Now and then something that you didn't need to receive comes your way that is of interest. Most items, however, can be chucked.
* How else can this be handled? Can you delegate what needs to be done regarding this new piece of paper? Is there someone in your cosmos that can handle this so you can free up your time for more important things?
If there is no one else but you, how can you deal with it so as to have quick and easy throughput? Can you fax instead of mail? Can you e-mail instead of fax? Can you pay by check instead of in person? Can you pay by credit card by fax instead of by check? Can you read a good book review instead of the book? Can you highlight the five items in the important company memo that merit discussion at the next meeting instead of trying to have a handle on all 22 pages?
* Will it matter if I don't handle it? Much of what confronts you requires no action. For example: announcements regarding upcoming publications, advertisements concerning prices or services, and anything addressed to "current resident." If you don't pay your rent or your mortgage, you'll be contacted by someone interested in collecting the money. If you don't participate in the office pool, attend the local charity ball, make an extra copy of that recipe, or learn about that software game, your life WILL NOT CHANGE.
Information is power. If you can't find what you've retained, it's of no value. The time you took to read and file the items is wasted.
Items to Discard
Go through your office on a search and destroy mission. Discard anything that fits the following categories:
* outdated manuals
* back issues of publications you haven't touched in more than two years
* drafts, outdated versions of letters, correspondence, memos, reports, and documents that have already been produced as final (unless you're in the legal department of your organization; then it's your job to hang on to them)
* business cards where the vital information has been logged into your database
* all scraps and tidbits of information, and Post-It pads that have accumulated around your desk, and in your wallet. Get them on a single sheet or logged into a computer file
* excess catalogs
* manuals you will never open
* outdated catalogs, flyers, annual reports, brochures, promotional materials
* writing utensils you never use
* push pins, pennies, and paper clips that pile up in the corners of your drawers
* take-out/delivery menus from restaurants you never visit or visit so frequently that you have them memorized
* lingering stacks of irrelevant documents or extra copies of relevant documents
Items to Acquire
There is nothing mandatory for you to acquire, though the following may help you keep your office in shape:
* color-coded file folders, tabs, labels, and long-life stampers
* magazine box holders, as previously discussed, for your shelves
* a few three-ring notebooks, since these could serve as useful storage containers for maintaining like items
* a mechanical arm that hoists your monitor over your desk, giving you the ability to bring your monitor closer or move it completely to the side, depending on what you're working on and how much room you need
* a larger wastebasket
Near your desk--Near, but not on, your desk goes the loving and familiar‑‑pictures, plants, and motivators. Install any supporting accouterments, from Vitalities to ocean wave music, if they support your productivity, efficiency, and creativity.
There you have it: the cook's tour of the kitchen, so you can stay in control of your desk and office!
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Jeff Davidson, MBA, CMC, is a popular conference speaker and author of 28 books, including Breathing Space (Feb 2000). For books, videos, cassettes, or presentations, visit http://www.BreathingSpace.com, FAX (919) 932-9982, or call (919) 932-1996.
