Smart Ways To Work Odette Pollar

Desktop Sprawl: Managing Paper and Information

Half-day

Objectives: To help participants more effectively manage the paperwork and information that crosses the desk by being able to:

• List five key organizing principles
• Establish workable "action" and "administrative" files
• Handle email effectively
• Create an action plan for uncluttering personal work space
• Use tracking systems for work in process

Description: Where should you put all those letters, memos, invoices, messages, magazines, reports and inquiries? Are you confused about how best to organize your immediate workspace? Getting a second desk will not help. This course is designed to help you learn why piles develop, the three common myths about organization and how those hinder efforts to manage tasks.

We will discuss ways to track projects, yours or those assigned to others; easy methods to categorize your personal files; and cover a step-by-step process to dig out from under the heap of papers. You will spend less time trying to find the "misplaced" or truly lost and be able to retrieve previously filed items quickly and easily. This session will include:

• Why Email Piles Up and Simple Remedies
• Key Organizing Concepts
• How to Get Started Organizing Your Workspace
• Four General Principles of Handling Paper
• Establishing Workable "Action" and "Administrative" Files
• How to Eliminate Pending Stacks
• Rules for Labeling: How to File and Find It Again
• Using the "In Box" Correctly
• Tools to Track "In Process" Work

Design: Emphasis will be placed on written exercises, action planning and examples of practical techniques that can be used immediately. Class format is interactive, using small group interaction for problem solving and skill building.