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Rating Records Management Program Maturity
A records and information management (“RIM”) program that is effective and efficient allows you to do the following…
Purge Parties are a Team Sport
For organizations focused on improving their productivity, there’s nothing like a purge party to get staff motivated. Not only do purge parties help staff manage their work space, but purge parties are especially useful for clearing outdated and useless office records.
By “purging” all unnecessary items, including records, from individual and shared workspaces, more space is acquired and essential items are kept and categorized for efficient retrieval.
A-Z Filing is Not a Best Practice
I was surprised and amused recently to learn that a well-known productivity guru is a proponent of alphabetical filing systems for individuals – i.e., an “A-Z” arrangement for reference materials. In addition, he advocates having on hand “lots of fresh folders” and a rule of thumb to reorder folders when the number on hand drops below one hundred.
My advice is that if you really have so much filing, it’s time to stop and evaluate what you’re keeping and why. Having fresh file folders on hand to file anything that looks interesting is just ridiculous, not to mention a waste of time and resources. And if you are doing this, when was the last time you looked at that article you saved on gardening? And do you even remember where you filed it? G for gardening? P for pruning? F for fertilizer?
Involuntary Systems are the Key to Success
Have you ever thought about how many times your heart beats in a second, minute, day, or hour? Very few of us ever think about how our body functions, yet there it is–doing an amazing job of balancing all of our internal systems to keep us alive.
Are you managing your records and information resources efficiently?
Find out if you are managing your records and information resources efficiently. Take the survey.
Overworked? Really?
I have worked with many clients over the past few decades and one of the common complaints that I hear repeatedly is that they are “overworked.” While this doesn’t typically surprise me when I hear it from staff, it continues to surprise me when I hear it from executives.
The OHIO Method
The “OHIO” method is an easy way to be more efficient and productive in the way one handles records and information resources. In fact, it can help anyone to achieve more efficient workflow.
OHIO stands for: Only Handle It Once. The premise of this method is that when paperwork lands on your desk, you only handle it once by immediately assigning it to its correct place instead of re-shuffling the paper back to your inbox. Here’s how to do this.
What Productivity Improvements Make The Most Positive Impact In An Organization?
I am often asked: In what areas of an organization can productivity improvements make the most positive impact? There is no one correct answer to this question, but here are some things to consider.
How I Help Clients Operate More Efficiently
I am often asked how I can help clients operate more efficiently. My response to this is that it’s quite easy to become efficient. The secret is in eliminating as much wasted time and effort as possible from the tasks that are being performed. Here are my top four areas where I tell my clients to focus in order to operate more efficiently…
Help! I'm A Procrastinator!
Procrastination is about putting off (or deferring) something to a later time. We all do it occasionally: procrastination is normal. However, if procrastination starts to interfere with your life and work more frequently, then it needs to be addressed immediately.
Create Successful Organizations by Leveraging Records Management Programs
By leveraging their records management programs, organizations can be more efficient and productive. What this means is that organizations that follow records management principles have fewer incidents of information loss, less wasted time in looking for information, and more time spent on creative work that contributes to overall organizational success.
Initiating and Effecting Change
If you’ve ever tried to change one of your habits, you know how difficult it can be. Now imagine changing an organization’s habit(s) and you quickly realize that the reason many organizations struggle with change management is because it’s hard work to instill successful change. Whether you’re changing individual habits or an entire organization’s habits, the key is to plan carefully and build a proper foundation for the change. Through planning, implementing change becomes easier and your chances of success are greatly improved.
Throwing Away Profits
One of the biggest profit guzzlers an organization can experience is in the area of records and information management.
Industry studies show that for every dollar spent on handling records, most offices waste 65 cents.