ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, January 21, 1996 TAG: 9601190103
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: G-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MARK ROSENBERG KNIGHT-RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
Gas meter repairwoman Marcia Holloway should have been overjoyed when Pacific Gas & Electric Co. promoted her to a new job as supervisor of 29 mechanics. Instead, she was overwhelmed.
A mountain of papers covered her desktop in PG&E's Fremont, Calif., office. Her desk was crammed full of file folders she rarely looked at.
``I had a problem throwing things away,'' Holloway said. ``I had papers that were unrelated to each other filed in the same folder. I was swamped.''
Time management consultant Odette Pollar of Oakland, Calif., came to Holloway's rescue in late 1993. She found an office full of memos and mail, some dating to Holloway's first week as supervisor - in 1989.
Pros like Pollar are flourishing in the overworked, over-stressed '90s. Corporate desires for ever-larger profits have led managers to push workers into overload, forcing them to cram more productivity into their work hours.
When consultants are called in to reorganize a work space, they are usually confronted with stacks of meaningless clutter. Some people rationalize their mess by saying they only look disorganized or that they know exactly how to locate what they need. Usually, reality is that the heaps are nothing more than a way to postpone making decisions.
By the third visit, Pollar had taught Holloway how to clear her in-basket, how to organize her files and, whenever possible, to handle a piece of paper only once. She helped tailor a time-management and filing system to Holloway's job.
Today, Holloway is organized. Her day is dictated by a ``things-to-do-this-week'' calendar, five ``things-to-do-today'' file folders - one for each day of the week - and a ``hot file'' for ongoing projects.
``I'm always a step ahead,'' Holloway said, ``and I used to always be two steps behind.''
Time management experts say that if you're already overworked and over-stressed, clutter will worsen your problems.
``Clutter is unsorted and unprioritized,'' Pollar said. ``You lose time shuffling through papers. And the pile creates stress just looking at it.
``If people really could reach into their clutter and pull out exactly what they want, then it would be OK. But just knowing that you saved the article you need doesn't help you; knowing how to retrieve it will help you.''
In your struggle to get organized, the first step is knowing that your in-basket is not a holding basket. It is the primary location for new information.
``People should not have to put things on your chair for you to see them,'' Pollar said.
She suggests you empty the in-basket twice a day. As you review the in-basket items, make a decision on what the next step is for each, then put that piece of paper away. Much of what comes to the in-basket can be quickly moved somewhere else, either to your out-basket, delegated to someone else, or into the trash. Other papers should be filed in a projects file as ongoing long-term projects or in an action file as items you must address today.
``But,'' Pollar said, ``out of sight is out of mind. So every time you file a paper, you must also refer to it in a note on your calendar of things to do for today or some future date.''
Proper paper flow is vital. Experts suggest that you:
Throw away papers that are duplicates and can be easily replicated or items that are not relevant to your duties.
Ask yourself if a paper will add something new to the material already on hand. Keep only items that cannot be replicated, such as items you are required by law to keep, and reference material.
If you must handle a paper more than once, then each time you handle it be sure to move it one step closer to completion. Do not set papers aside to decide later. If it must wait, place it in a tickler file and return to it in a week, then make a new decision about its fate.
Another likely candidate for reorganizing is your calendar. It should be easily accessible and on top of your desk. Write down everything that is a firm commitment, as well as reminders to check items in your projects file. Do not trust your memory. Review your calendar in advance, and be sure to read it daily.
``It's more than an appointment book,'' said Charlotte Britto, who teaches seminars for Daytimers Inc. of Allentown, Pa. ``It's about keeping your life in balance.''
Some people have a personal calendar at home, a things-to-do calendar at work, and an appointment book they take with them. These people fail to harness the power of the day-planner, Britto said.
``We've had executives say they feel like firefighters,'' she said. ``They can't make progress because they spend all their time reacting to crises. But we took a survey of local firefighters and found that they only spend 10 percent of their time fighting fires. The rest is spent on prevention and preparation. We teach people to plan, prepare and prevent.''
``People should write a personal mission statement, much the way a company has a mission statement,'' Britto said. ``They need to ask, `What is my life about, and what should I be doing?'''
One of the more elaborate systems sold by Daytimers features 12 one-month planning books a year, each with two pages for each day. The page on the left is for your things-to-do-today list. The page on the right is for notes about that day's work.
At the end of the day on Monday, Daytimers says you should prepare a list of things to do for Tuesday. The list should be ranked, with the most urgent matters getting an A ranking and less-pressing tasks getting a B or C. In this system, all of the A's are then sub-ranked, with the first matter of business rated A1, and so on. On Tuesday, you'll know exactly what to do first.
Next to each item on your to-do list, leave a blank for a checkmark when the item is completed. At the end of the day, whatever items haven't been checked off must be moved to the to-do list for a future day.
Time management is about peace of mind. It's about uncluttering your desk, your mind and your life.
As Britto said, ``It's very freeing.''
MAKE THE BEST OF YOUR TIME
So much to do in so little time? These tips could extend your clock:
Keep telephone calls brief. Say what you need to say and don't chat. When you leave a message on someone's voice mail, tell them briefly and exactly what you need.
Respect your time. Always wear a watch and have a large clock in your office. Be conscious of where your time is going. Remember, work expands to fill the time allowed for it. Keep track of how long it takes to do a task; the next time try to shorten the effort by 10 minutes per hour.
Tighten up meetings. Set precise agendas and don't let discussions extend beyond the time allotted. A prudently run two-hour meeting can accomplish as much as most three-hour marathons.
When you are interrupted, ask questions immediately to determine the importance of the matter and whether it relates to goals you should be working on. If it's not important, tell the interrupter you'll chat later.
SOURCES: JUDI KORTZ OF ORGANIZE W/EASE, SUNNYVALE, CALIF.; ``99 WAYS TO MANAGE PAPERWORK,'' BY ODETTE POLLAR OF TIME MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS IN OAKLAND, CALIF.
THE ART OF WASTEBASKETRY
If it is difficult to ``let go'' of clutter, think of somewhere else it might be happier. For example, books can be donated to a local library or school; the same goes for outdated computer equipment.
Track materials that pile up most frequently and seek ways to eliminate constant problems.
If you haven't read the material in your ``reading'' file within two to four weeks, pitch it.
Be realistic about the amount of information you can read and absorb.
When emptying your in-basket and deciding what to trash, ask yourself: Is it a duplicate or the only copy? Do I need this or simply want it? How often will I refer to the information? Will it add something to the material already on hand?
Also: Do I have the time to read this? Am I required by law to keep it? Is it an integral part of a client or project file?
SOURCES: ``99 WAYS TO MANAGE PAPERWORK'' BY ODETTE POLLAR OF TIME MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS IN OAKLAND, CALIF., GANNETT NEWS SERVICE, SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE
MANAGING MEETINGS
Have you ever walked out of a three-hour meeting feeling that it didn't accomplish much? If the meeting was scheduled to last three hours, you'll never get out early. Here are some tips for run-on meetings:
Unwritten workplace rules say that work expands to fill the allotted time. Time management consultant Judi Kortz of Sunnyvale, Calif., suggests a solution:
Schedule the meeting for two hours; break it into 10- and 15-minute segments, and allow for 10 minutes of open discussion at the end.
Give people the agenda in advance, so they can plan to keep their presentations within the time guidelines.
ORGANIZING YOUR FILING SYSTEM
Create parallel structures for paper files and electronic files. Choose the same kind of main categories and subcategories for both types of files so you know automatically where to put material, no matter what its form.
Have a daily prompter, or ``tickler,'' system in which you put all notes and papers that detail what you've got to do on a certain day. It could be a series of hanging files in your desk or a list in your planner notebook or computer. When you do your planning, check these files so you'll have a clear picture of what your week looks like.
Keep files you use most often in a hanging file drawer next to your desk. Don't place them among files you see only occasionally. You might even color-code files based on how often you use them.
Move old project files to a file drawer or cabinet away from current files. Similarly, move unused, or rarely used, computer files off your hard drive and on to floppy disks.
When filing your own reports or projects, clip work sheets and supporting material to them. If you're questioned about them later, you'll be able to re-create how and why you did it that way.
Make sure you have adequate desk supplies. How much time do you waste ignoring your broken stapler and constantly borrowing someone else's?
Make appointments with yourself for uninterrupted work time on projects. Tell others you cannot be interrupted.
Don't open your mail unless you can deal with it immediately. Don't handle it several times before you're done with it.
Do not set papers aside to decide their fate later. If it must wait, place it in a tickler file to revisit a week later.
File papers in the broadest possible category. Find the key subject area and use that to label the file.
Label files with a noun. And, instead of a label reading ``How to Negotiate Contracts,'' a more effective label would be ``Contract Negotiations.''
Alphabetize. Divide your files into broad areas. Then group each subject area together, alphabetizing within each group.
File articles by the subjects they address. File all information according to how you will use it.
Place the most recent document in the front of the file. This will save search time, particularly when file folders have lots of papers.
SOURCES: ``99 WAYS TO MANAGE PAPERWORK'' BY ODETTE POLLAR OF TIME MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS IN OAKLAND, CALIF., GANNETT NEWS SERVICE, SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE
YOU NEED HELP WHEN . . .
The janitor mistakes your office for the recycling center.
Your piles of papers have their own piles of papers.
You've started taping phone messages to your arms so you'll remember to return calls.
Your ``to-file'' pile is higher than your filing cabinet.
Your planner notebook is so loaded with stuff that you need a wagon to carry it.
Your e-mail in-basket contains messages from the era when ``empowerment'' was the buzzword.
SOURCES: GANNETT NEWS SERVICE, SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE.
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