How Adding Pull Dates To Files Saves You Time
August 21, 2007
Adding “pull dates” to files saves time when purging or archiving your active file drawer.
80% of what we file away, never gets looked at again. That means that at any given time, 4 out of 5 of our files are basically useless.
I can almost hear the protests now, “But this one time I really needed to find an important file … after 30 minutes of looking I finally found it - now, I’m scared to throw anything out!”. Hey that’s ok by me, as long as you’ve got enough room and are so inclined - keep everything!
However, if you take that approach, you should develop a systematic approach for archiving folders you’d like to keep - but rarely access. That way, the next time you go hunting for that special file, you’ll be wading through far fewer “useless” files. Thus saving you all kinds of time.
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We Aren’t Done Cutting Down Trees … Yet!
August 15, 2007
The not-so-extinct printer is bound to be around a while longer … so it’s a good idea to have a strategy for dealing with paper.
Every so often, I come across an article about the digital revolution. Invariably, the author expounds on the marvels of modern technology, and points to a day “just around the corner” in which we will all be paperless. Well, to quote the former president Teddy Roosevelt “Bull Feathers”.
Obviously, it must escape the attention of such authors that attached to every network, somewhere, is a really cool machine that transcribes all our digital words and imprints them onto individual pieces of paper … it’s called a printer.
Sarcasm aside, I’m all for achieving the “paperless zen” they’ve been promising for years, but we aren’t there yet friends. So in the mean time, let’s discus some useful strategies for dealing with paper.
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Stock up!
August 14, 2007
You can use a shoebox or an expandable file like this one to organize your “stocked up” greetings cards.
I recently found myself at the market looking for a birthday card for a friend. As the clerk was ringing me up, he mentioned he’d never seen anyone spend over a hundred dollars on greeting cards before - joking that must be one special friend I was buying all those cards for. Actually, I have lots of special friends, and that’s why I follow the “stock up” greeting card strategy.
Since most of us are busy people these days, doesn’t it make sense to stock up on things like greeting cards? That way you’re not making a special trip every time another friend has a birthday, graduation, is sick, etc.
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File Systems for Newbies … Getting a Handle on File Systems Through the Use of the “Flow” Strategy.
August 7, 2007
You’re not likely to have everything figured out your first day on the job … So use the “flow” strategy to get you through in the meantime.
Occasionally, I work with clients that are brand new to an organization. Without a doubt, the most common question newbies ask is “what kind of file structure should I have?” I think it shocks them when I shrug my shoulders and tell them, “Beats me.” But that’s the most honest answer I could give. You see, the hard part about being new to an organization is that you don’t have any idea what you’re going to need to keep. So how would you know how to keep it?
What I usually recommend is for them to use the “flow” strategy to help determine the best file structure for their needs. Basically, the flow strategy asserts that we should allow the flow of information help us determine how to organize it. Since new folks have no clue as to what’s coming their way,or what they should keep … there’s no way they could create a detailed file structure on their first day on the job. So I recommend, don’t even try!
