Today’s high-tech society is taking in and putting out more information than ever imaginable. Looking for an e-mail or searching for an electronic document is as big a challenge as finding our paper files, and, in spite of all the promises of the paperless office, statistics show that exactly the opposite is happening. It is projected that by 2005 there will be 50% more paper than there was in 1995! How many lunches have you missed because you were searching through files – never finding what you needed?
Applying four basic principles of information management will make a big difference – whether it’s for paper or electronic files.
1. What information does the association need to keep?
2. In what form do we need to keep it?
3. For how long?
4. How can we find it when we need it?
In doing so, you may need to address the following issues:
Develop Retention Guidelines for your association. Clutter is Postponed Decisions®. Paper will continue to pile up because someone needs to make a decision about retention. Association executives often ask me how long they should keep documents. I can’t answer that for you, my advice – make a decision. Determine the answer by looking at your own past experience.
Hold an Office File Clean-Out Day. Make the day fun! Wear comfortable clothes, order in lunch, give prizes - such as the “Most Progress” or “The Funniest Discovery”. Provide staff with storage boxes for files that must be kept long term. Hanging files work best and use file tabs and color code files when you can. Materials used by all staff should be put in a central location. If you need additional help, consider hiring a Professional Organizer to arrange your filing day.
Choose the best tools for your situation. One of most valuable lessons I learned from my father was “Half of any job is having the right tool”. While many associations are looking at scanning as a way of coping with information overload, make sure that you are really solving a problem, and not creating another. A better option may be to index your paper files with a program such as Taming the Paper Tiger (www.thepapertiger.com). This software allows you to cross-reference files, and find them quickly with its powerful search engine.
Train your staff to automatically use The FAT System™. There are only three decisions you can make about any piece of paper: File, Act, or Toss. Make decisions on paper as it comes in. Put papers that require action into “Action Files.” Papers you may never need, but are afraid to throw away go into Reference Files. As Reference Files become old, they become Archive Files, or can be tossed.
Continually practice “The Art of Wastebasketry®. Research shows that 80% of what we keep, we never use. Don’t make today’s mail turn into tomorrow’s pile! Ask yourself:
• Does this require action?
• Can I identify a specific use?
• Is it difficult to get again?
• Is it recent enough to be useful?
• Are there legal considerations?
If the answer to all these questions is “No,” ask one final question: “What is the worst possible thing that would happen if I didn’t have this piece of paper?” If you can live with your answer, toss - or recycle it!
Your office is a reflection of you and your association. Projecting an organized, uncluttered workspace will make you more productive and less stressed. You can stop losing time searching for files. In fact, you may even find time for lunch!
© Barbara Hemphill is the author of Kiplinger's Taming the Paper Tiger at Work and Taming the Paper Tiger at Home and co-author of Love It or Lose It: Living Clutter-Free Forever. The mission of Hemphill Productivity Institute is to help individuals and organizations create and sustain a productive environment so they can accomplish their work and enjoy their lives. We do this by organizing space, information, and time. We can be reached at 800-427-0237 or at www.ProductiveEnvironment.com
