People love to win. If you’re not totally clear about the purpose of what you’re doing, you have no chance of winning.
—David Allen
Dan’s assistant, Kelly, was relieved to hear her boss was getting help to organize his office. She was organized and couldn’t understand the disarray of paper everywhere. “How can Dan get anything done?” she mused aloud. “It would drive me nuts.”
“He seems to have his own system,” I replied. “But I agree that as president his style could potentially limit the growth of the organization.” Then I told Kelly, “You could help him. Men and women gravitate toward leaders, but if leaders can’t run things well, people get disillusioned and drift away. It’s like the slogan says, ‘The speed of the leader determines the rate of the pack.’”
Later that day, Dan mentioned he stopped at home on his lunch hour to pick up some papers he needed for a trip. As he walked into the kitchen, he heard the squeals of his little children. He looked around and wondered why his wife couldn’t get all the clutter under control. Oh well, he thought. She’s a good mom. Who am I to change her?
Finding Your Key Support Tools
Everyone has systems––but are they working well? That’s a question we all need to ask ourselves. Dan and his wife could benefit from some key tools that would help them stay organized to have more free time to meet career and family goals.
For work, there are many tools to choose from: file folders, three-ring binders, computer systems, and even flat surfaces on the desktop. Each one can save you time if you make wise use of it.
For home, there are cabinets, shelves, drawers, and bookcases to help you organize everything from spices, books, and CDs to daily mail and paperwork. If you use them well, you will have more time to relax.
What’s the Simple Solution?
Simplify the steps from point A of using an item to point B of retrieving it again, and you’ll automatically cut in half the time spent doing that task.
SEVEN KEY SUPPORT TOOLS AT WORK
| Support Tool 1. File Folders: Keep new folders and a label maker within reach to label a file when you have eight or more related papers. | Why and When? File folders help you eliminate paper clutter as soon as it crosses your desk. | Time Saved Using file folders saves five to twenty minutes each day spent looking for a specific paper. |
| 2. File Drawer: One file drawer should contain your current work, which is listed on your to-do and project lists | Current projects can get lost unless you have a place to file them each day | Cleaning up your desk at night can save you thirty minutes of start-up time. |
| 3. Three-Ring Binders: Good for storing papers and projects you refer to regularly. Buy tabbed dividers to sort papers. | Numerous printed papers get lost on a desktop. A labeled binder is easier to find and use if you include like items. | Save up to fifteen minutes by referring to agendas and newsletters you write and refer to. |
| 4. Flat Surfaces: Keep your to-do list, day’s work, phone list, and blank pad in the same spot. | Tools that are in the same place each day are ready to use. Put things away each day. | Eliminate five to ten minutes of stress each day by keeping desk items in the same place. |
| 5. Contact Management System: ACT or Microsoft Outlook neatly holds contact info and notes. Record weekly. | Having one system minimizes scraps of paper, business cards, and brochures. | Invest five minutes typing to save five minutes searching per item. |
| 6. Computer Files: Consistently label similar files with name and date. | Poorly labeled computer files cost valuable time search-ing. Delete daily or archive files monthly | Computer files labeled systematically save five to fifteen minutes of search time. |
| 7. System Log: Keep a record chart of progress listing start and finish dates and other pertinent information. | This “go-to” sheet keeps repeat tasks organized. Create a system for weekly review. | A system log can save ten minutes or more of start-up and finish time if you finish time if you |
Putting These Tools into Practice
After showing Kelly the value of these tools and the time she and Dan could save, Kelly was smiling. “This is great,” she said. “I do these things automatically.” She looked toward the door. “Here comes Dan, so we can start.”
Together the three of us sorted the desktop and put the tools to work. Each of us found loose papers that needed a new file folder to keep them together. And we removed half of a file drawer of old files to make room for current ones. Dan was amazed at how much he had been holding on to. Some folders were dated five years earlier. He stood over the recycle bin, tossing at a fast clip.
Meanwhile, Kelly put staff meeting agendas and important magazine articles into three-ring binders with sheet protectors. Phone numbers and business cards were gathered from the nooks and crannies around the phone and in-box. These went into a file for Kelly to log in later.
The greatest asset, however, was listing the unfinished work on two log sheets: one for Dan and one for Kelly. They followed up by checking in with each other on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings to review their progress.
Use Your Desk as an Organizing Tool
Dan put his papers in stair-step order on the left side of his desk. The highest priority was on the top, the second one under and one inch behind it, and so on.
Kelly had a spotless desk with eight single sheets of paper laid out. She knew the upper left of her desk was her highest priority. The papers then moved toward the right in diminishing priorities. She accomplished more than most people because she moved across the desk from one task to the next in an orderly way.
What About Tools for Home?
Dan’s wife, Lori, stopped in as we finished up. “Wow, how did you do it? I’d love for our home to look like this.”
Dan hugged his wife and winked at me. “What systems do we need? I promise I’ll help this time.”
Together, we listed tools they could use at home.
FIVE KEY SUPPORT TOOLS AT HOME
| Support Tool 1. Mail System: Process mail in the kitchen with five file folders: Calendar, To Do, To Decide, Information, My Interests. | Why and When? Mail clutter wastes time and space. Respond to each piece Respond to each piece all on the weekend. | Time Saved Save ten minutes each day or an hour on the weekend by processing your mail daily. |
| 2. Magazine System: Keep publications on a certain end table or in a magazine holder. | They will become floating clutter if you’re not careful. Read and replace the prior issue. | Save thirty minutes of skimming through the same magazine by replacing it. |
| 3. Photo System: Label and file photos in a box the day you get them, newest in the front. Label digital photos by topic and date. | Photo clutter will keep you from enjoying your photos. Label and file them right away. | Save hours, even days of sorting by keeping up with your photo files or albums. |
| 4. Cabinet Systems: Alphabetize similar-sized spices and canned goods with labels forward. | Organize items on shelves by category when you put groceries away. | Save five critical minutes before meals by having pantry items in order. |
| 5. Cleanup Systems: Pick up the family room, bedrooms, and other bedrooms, and other clutter spots daily. | Daily clutter can be overwhelming. Pick up rooms before leaving them or before dinner. | Save fifteen stressful minutes in the evening trying to catch up on the day’s activities. |
How Long Does Change Take?
I’d like to report that everything changed for Dan and Lori and Kelly right away. But we all know that lasting change takes time to achieve. It takes twenty-one times to create a habit! All three of them could see the value of an organized team at work and an organized family at home.
It’s Your Time
Spruce Up Your Support Tools (Time Tool #6)
□ Solve time and paper-flow problems at work and home by creating a new system.
□ Keep papers and notebooks in the same places.
□ Get something new at an office supply store to simplify a messy area.
When you are making a success of something, it’s not work, it’s a way of life.
—Andy Granatelli