Up Against The Clock: How You Can Double Your Time?. Ronald C. Mendlin

Whenever you file something that is related to an action you must take in the future, make a note about it on one of your to-do lists immediately, so that it doesn’t become a casualty of “out of sight, out of mind.”

       Give your files specific descriptive names. If you have several documents that you cannot easily categorize, and you think you may need them in the near future, a miscellaneous temporary folder can be useful. But don’t let documents “live” in this folder for long; categorize and file them as quickly as possible, and don’t let this folder expand to more than ten documents.

       Before putting a document in a file, first ask yourself: What general subject is most likely to come to your mind? When you go back to look for that document, make sure it is filed under the general subject that comes to your mind.

       In your file drawers, don’t place your file tabs directly behind each other. Stagger them from left to right for better visibility.

       Better yet, have open file shelves (or “vertical files”) in your office for your most-used files, keeping the file folders in a vertical position so that they’re easy to see and access.

       Generally speaking, it’s better to have fewer, fatter files than many tiny ones. This makes it much easier to remember where you filed any given document. However, if files become huge or unwieldy, you should divide them.

       Purge your files of outdated or unneeded documents on a regular basis. Send historical documents to an archive. Toss the others. Most data has a “shelf life” of no more than five years.

       If you’ve inherited files that reside in your drawers, but which you yourself do not need, get them out of your personal work space. Send them to an archive, or just put them in the recycle bin if no one will ever need them.

       Always place the most recent documents at the front of your files.

       Unfold papers before you file them.

       Don’t put envelopes into your file folders; they take up unnecessary space.

       Always keep extra file folders handy, but not on your desktop!

       TYPES OF FILES

      The following are a few common types of files you might keep:

       Specific work project files

       Specific client or customer files

       Budgets

       Meeting minutes

       Temporary files

      One manager keeps a purple file of little things that have to get done, like taxes, letters to be mailed, or an audit that needs to be sent out to somebody.

       RETHINKING YOUR FILES

       What other types of files do you have?

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       Do you have any thin files that you might be able to eliminate or combine with others? If so, which ones?

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      Do you have any files that you haven’t needed to access for several months, which could possibly be eliminated or moved to archives? If so, which ones?

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       Your filing system should be manageable and simple. It should not be chaotic or overcrowded. Your filing system is a foundational element of your work environment and you should feel completely comfortable with it. Smooth information retrieval affords you a sense of ease and control.

       A WORD ABOUT FORMS

      Occasionally, you may find yourself working with a standard company form that documents information you don’t really need, or information that’s duplicated elsewhere. Perhaps this form could be combined with another existing form, or even eliminated.

      Minimizing paperwork saves time and energy. A lot of forms generate more work than they save. Be on the lookout for unnecessary reports and forms, and cull them from your workspace.

      If you don’t have the authority to do away with an unnecessary form or reporting mechanism, tell someone who does have the authority why eliminating this superfluous paperwork could benefit your organization by improving efficiency.