Month: September 2011

Here’s my final tip for handling paper.  When you can, stop the source.

TIP#5 Don’t print it unless you have to.  Yes, you’ve heard that before – but did you listen?  Technology was supposed to cut down on the paper flow, not increase it.  One reason technology doesn’t work is that we don’t work with it.  I’ve had so many, many professionals tell me “I can’t read on the screen.”  My question is: have you really utilized all the resources available to maximize the visibility?  We are used to the comfort of reading off of paper.  Reading from the screen, whether through an office application or in online format, is doable, if you create a new set of habits utilizing all the tools given to you by Bill Gates and Steve Jobs.

Is this all a little overwhelming?  Do you need help with this?  Sure, I can help you.  Contact me (and read more on my blog) at www.beautifulcorner.com.

In addition to being AABANY’s Administrative Assistant, Margaret Langston is a Professional Organizer.  Her business, BEAUTIFUL CORNER, offers full organization services for the home or small business.  BEAUTIFUL CORNER’s goal is help simplify the lives of its clients so that they may achieve optimum organization and full productivity at home and at work. BEAUTIFUL CORNER offers onsite and virtual service.  For more information go to www.beautifulcorner.com.

OK, we are getting everything into shape.  But how will you keep up the good work?  The paper just keeps coming.  It’s doable, here’s one tip for the paper you are done with – but cannot throw away:

TIP#4 Drop the all or nothing approach for filing REFERENCE paper.  Information, and now even work, can become obsolete a matter of months, weeks, or even days.  You do not need perfect files.  Reference paper simply needs to be sorted and separated by matter or subject, then filed generally.  I prefer expanding file pockets , which don’t “lose paper” and loose filing within the pockets in separate manila folders.  Do you HAVE to have labels other than handwritten ones?  Unfortunately, I do!  My handwriting is terrible.  So is my eyesight.  Consider using a label maker – since I’ve started doing this it takes me a fraction of the time to locate a file.  Again, these reference pockets do not need to be perfectly organized en masse.  The point is to get all the reference paper on a subject or matter in one place and to put it away, out of sight.  Reference paper is the only paper that goes where you can’t see it, in your drawer, file drawer or hallway file system.  If you are putting reference material in a shared space such as a hallway system make sure each pocket is clearly marked with your name.

Stay tuned, we’re wrapping it up in part 5!

In addition to being AABANY’s Administrative Assistant, Margaret Langston is a Professional Organizer.  Her business, BEAUTIFUL CORNER, offers full organization services for the home or small business.  BEAUTIFUL CORNER’s goal is help simplify the lives of its clients so that they may achieve optimum organization and full productivity at home and at work. BEAUTIFUL CORNER offers onsite and virtual service.  For more information go to www.beautifulcorner.com.

OK, we have begun to wrestle those piles into submission.  Now, lets talk about how to keep them out of the office altogether:

TIP#3  Switch from being a HORIZONTAL PAPER PILER to being a VERTICAL PAPER PILER.  Do you throw the stream of paper coming into your office in piles on your desk and floor?  Don’t get mad, I’m not picking on you.  I understand that some of you no longer have your own secretary (or, if you’re a really young attorney, maybe you never did).  It’s OK; there are ways of creating systems where paper automatically files itself.  You don’t necessarily have to double as your own file clerk.  The first step to identifying and dealing with the paper is to GET IT VERTICAL and separated.  My experience is that paper which lies down out of sightline gets ignored, is not processed and grows into anonymous, looming, oppressive mountains.  Here is the one solution I’ve come up with that seems to work for a lot of people.  Vertical file stands offer a way to instantly separate paper by case, client, etc.  Get as many of these vertical file stands as will fit on top of your heating vent (without covering the vent), the top of your file cabinet, your end tables, or the counter space on your cubicle.  Will this look busy? Yes, maybe, but you are busy.

In any case,I’d much rather see rows of these and empty floor space

in place of this:

Now, here are two ways of categorizing ACTION paper that will help you to ACT on it and I suggest using BOTH methods.

First, create a series of files that are ACTION-RELATED.  Here are the names of those files: RESPOND TODAY, RESPOND this WEEK, RESPOND this month.  This could be further broken down into 1) making calls and 2) send an email regarding – but you might just want to stay simple and use the previous 3 general action headings.  These three folders provide and instant tickler system and instigate a daily routine.  You only have to deal with one folder at a time and the one which gets first priority is TODAY.  As you act on the items in your TODAY folder, shift paper from the WEEK folder to the TODAY folder and from the MONTH folder to the WEEK folder.

The second series of action related files will not be so urgent as the ACTION files – but still stuff you need to get to and which you need to see.  The names of those files will be either by client, matter or subject, or all of the above.  In part 4, I’ll tell you what to do with reference paper

In addition to being AABANY’s Administrative Assistant, Margaret Langston is a Professional Organizer.  Her business, BEAUTIFUL CORNER, offers full organization services for the home or small business.  BEAUTIFUL CORNER’s goal is help simplify the lives of its clients so that they may achieve optimum organization and full productivity at home and at work. BEAUTIFUL CORNER offers onsite and virtual service.  For more information go to www.beautifulcorner.com.

In part 1 we started to address those ominous paper towers in your office.  Now we are going to the front line – prepare yourself!

TIP#2 Separate ACTION paper from REFERENCE paper.  This is the first and maybe the most important habit to cultivate in order to take control of paper. Even if you are still piling paper from floor to ceiling, make sure that the REFERENCE paper gets the opposite corner of the office from the ACTION paper.

Here are examples of ACTION paper:

• invoicing that needs to go out this week
• the marked draft you have to finish by Friday
• any memos that need immediate response

Here are examples of REFERENCE paper

• supporting documents on a matter that you may need access to but not this week, or maybe even this month
• research on a particular matter that you need to read but maybe not this week or this month

You get the idea, right? I bet you can think of several other categories for ACTION or REFERENCE.  Stay tuned for part 3 and I’ll tell you what to do with the ACTION paper.

In addition to being AABANY’s Administrative Assistant, Margaret Langston is a Professional Organizer.  Her business, BEAUTIFUL CORNER, offers full organization services for the home or small business.  BEAUTIFUL CORNER’s goal is help simplify the lives of its clients so that they may achieve optimum organization and full productivity at home and at work. BEAUTIFUL CORNER offers onsite and virtual service.  For more information go to www.beautifulcorner.com.

In my 25+ years of experience as a legal secretary I saw a lot of paper.  .  Guess what?  Now that I work as a Professional Organizer I know that attorneys are NOT alone – all my clients have problems with paper.

My guess is that all the paper I’ve handled in all the various firms I’ve worked for would be enough to extend Battery Park – but perhaps I’m overstating the case.  I’ve also come to believe that paper left unattended too long tends to procreate.

In any event, there are several things I’ve noticed when working with attorneys and I’ve come up with a few minor tweaks that you can incorporate your routine for handling paper that might bring some instant order:

TIP #1  Have all personal mail sent home – not to the office.  This includes bills, subscriptions that are not work-related (and that you can’t deduct off your taxes) and catalogs.  A lot of incoming personal mail is marketing related and generated by making online purchases from work – and then using your work address as a shipping address.  Billing, subscriptions and other catalogs that are work-related should be immediately separate from any in-house work-related paper.  Here’s a GREAT little video and extensive list of organizations to cut down the junk mail (the soundtrack is a little kitschy but the list is really useful).

Stay tuned for more tips!

In addition to being AABANY’s Administrative Assistant, Margaret Langston is a Professional Organizer.  Her business, BEAUTIFUL CORNER, offers full organization services for the home or small business.  BEAUTIFUL CORNER’s goal is help simplify the lives of its clients so that they may achieve optimum organization and full productivity at home and at work. BEAUTIFUL CORNER offers onsite and virtual service.  For more information go to www.beautifulcorner.com.