Archive for the ‘Management’ Category

« Older Entries

Go to the Cloud or Not???

Monday, January 30th, 2012

The question is not an easy one for many businesses. As with many things in business, it’s not always an all or nothing situation. The USPS has offered a television commercial to remind us that an online virus has never attacked a corkboard; and so we are much safer from cyber attack, identity theft, etc. if we keep the physical paper and know where to find it.

There are several things about this commercial that are true and give warm, fuzzy feelings to certain types of viewers. Yes, I agree with you that it would be great if the USPS could deliver on time and for a reasonable fee but that is another matter to be discussed later.

On the other hand, things placed on physical wall boards and in open trays on desks that tend to get covered up (translate “piles”) give us unpleasant thoughts of late fees, wasted time searching for the physical item, possibly missing a sale, as well as other stresses. According to the medical professionals, these are unhealthy scenarios for the heart.

Here are a few questions to help:

1. Are you kinesthetic? Do you LIKE to hold the paper, highlight it, make notes on it and place it in a binder for future use? Is the type of paper the information is printed on important for making decisions regarding your business?
2. Would you prefer to never see another piece of paper again? In your opinion, going to the Cloud is the ONLY way to conduct business, and you do not understand why everyone does not realize how vitally important it is to Go Green.
3. Are you a combination of the two?

If you enjoy using the computer to search for information, for communicating by sending email etc. but you are totally kinesthetic, you print each important email and keep almost every piece of important business paper there is. For you, having a system to keep the paper in order is important. Professions such as marketing and legal come to mind. There are many reasons for these businesses to keep certain types of information in printed form. For ideas and solutions to keep physical information together in a stylish and organized way, check out www.bindertek.com.

Depending on the type of your business and your target market, there are many reasons and ways to go completely to the Cloud. If the Cloud is right for you, chose your favorite method and get going!

If you have a business that needs a combination of the two systems, check out www.mobillogic.com and learn how you can effectively keep and FIND the physical items you need/want to keep while storing related information on the Cloud for future reference. You can have your paper and scan it too!

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Management, Space | No Comments »

Complaints of Inaccessible Company Information

Thursday, November 3rd, 2011

One of the most common complaints I hear as an office organizer is about information that should be easily accessible and shared, isn’t. There are many reasons for this, but the most common complaint is that there is not a standardized method of filing information of all types. Whether it’s electronic or physical, information that is created by employees is for the use of the company to further the business function of the company. It is not created for that employee alone.

Over the years I’ve heard many employees’ reasons for hoarding company information, especially in a large company. One of the most common is that the creator of the information wants to be able to find it again. They fear that if they place it on the drive that is the company backup drive they will not be able to get back to the information when they need it. Yes, it does happen sometimes that a drive becomes “full” and the info is moved, but more often than not the creator of the info has had a bad experience with losing information and does not want to repeat it. That person is responsible for maintaining the information since they have created it; however it will not benefit the company if that person is not there to retrieve the information when needed.

This is a true story: A few years ago an employer needed information that an employee had created. As a deadline approached, the employee was on a well deserved vacation and was out of cell phone range. (Good for them!) In a panic, thinking the deadline would arrive before the employee returned, the employer called multiple family members to try to locate the employee, which caused much distress for many. When the employer finally reached the employee, he learned that everything needed was ready and that the employee would return well before the deadline arrived. This episode did nothing to improve their working relationship.

In this case, a good search engine and better communication would have relieved the stress for everyone. Of course, moving to the cloud to create and store information would have helped significantly. Fears of lost information on random drives would be relieved and everything needed would be a search bar away. So when you run into these same issues, try making a change to MobilLogic to solve the problem. The people in the story above made the move to the cloud and both are much happier now. I believe you will be also.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Management, Space | No Comments »

Paper Statistics according to Richard Paul Wurman

Tuesday, October 25th, 2011

According to Richard Paul Wurman:

“We get more mail in a week than our parents got in a month, and more mail in a month than our grandparents got in their lifetime.”

The average time to retrieve and file paper documents is 10 minutes.

An average of 3% of documents are lost or misfiled, and have to be retrieved at a cost of $120.00 per document.

Each piece of paper on your desk will distract you up to 5 times per day.

People spend an average of 22 minutes a day looking for things on or around their desks.

More than 80% of the cost to maintain paper records is in the personnel time required to retrieve and replace documents in the filing system.

The personnel cost to handle a record throughout its life averages over 20 times the original cost of the record itself.

According to Forbes, today’s typical executive wastes 150 hours a year – almost 1 month – searching for lost or misplaced information. For someone earning $50,000 a year that translates to a loss of $3,842.00. What could you do with that much money?

According to Bill Gates, paper consumption has doubled every 4 years and 95% of all information in the United States remains on paper compared to just 1% stored electronically. Paperwork is increasing faster than technology can replace it.

Tags: ,
Posted in Management, Space | No Comments »

Customized or Standardized Solutions – Which Is Right for Your Company?

Tuesday, October 11th, 2011

Is customization the way to go or is standardization better for you? Doesn’t it depend upon the solution you require?

For instance, if you think you require a solution that is specific to what you do, then of course the obvious answer is customization, right? Maybe not! Think of the type of work you do or product you produce whether it’s a report or a widget, it doesn’t matter – there are still steps to take.

Now consider the number of steps you are taking to accomplish a given task related to production. Count them – each one. Are there more than a few steps that are repetitive or is each new step or direction in which to turn determined by the previous step taken? Is there a decision to be made by someone other than you? These are just a few of the questions that should be answered before you make a decision regarding whether or not to fit your business into a system already designed or whether to design one specifically for your company or department.

If what you do fits into A, B then C every time, with no variation, then there is probably a standardized solution available to you or your industry. Check it out and weigh the cost of start up in terms of man hours at implementation and maintenance as well as monetary costs. If all are acceptable to you then it may work well for you. Standardization is not always a bad thing. However if there are usually variations with each A B C step and the associated costs of implementation, maintenance and financially are not acceptable then it is probably more cost effective and efficient for you to use a customized solution.

When hearing the words “customized solution” sometimes managers and owners get nervous and only see dollar signs. However when they realize that taking this approach will save worker time and company money over the long term they realize this is the best approach. Designing a system specifically for their needs can be the wisest thing to do.

So whether you decide to standardize or to customize, be sure you get what you really need to help solve the issues at hand.

Tags:
Posted in Management | No Comments »

Lee’s Keys © #4

Tuesday, September 27th, 2011

Prioritize Tasks, Schedule Time, Minimize Stress.

If you have a problem with being on time, try setting your watch ten minutes early to be sure you won’t be late. Act according to the time on the watch not the “real” time. Remember your travel time to and from an appointment and schedule that as well.

One way to reduce stress is to SCHEDULE your workday.

Prioritize your TO DO List, 1-2-3 in order of importance – Do the most important thing first, or when you are at your optimum mental performance level. It may be early in the day or late in the afternoon. Determine when it is for you and work accordingly.

Do not schedule too many high priority items or tasks for one week or one day.

Do not let 3’s become 1’s due to inattention.

Make appointments with yourself to get work done. KEEP the appointment!

Wasted time is doubled effort, and increased stress. Searching for misplaced items and information wastes time. Be sure everything in your office and home has a place to “live” and keep it there, whether it’s the stapler on the desk, or electronic files. Take it out and put it back where it belongs. (Wasn’t that Day 2 in Kindergarten???)

Break each project into manageable steps. Be Realistic. Do not keep adding to each step unnecessarily.

Delegate when possible – if you are not the only one involved in accomplishing a task or project, others should share certain responsibilities throughout the cycle of completing the project.

Projects will expand to fill available time, so schedule the time. Set completion dates for the overall project and also for each step. Work toward each date until it is done.

Remember that when you are scheduling your time, one of the hardest things to do is to say NO. Mastering the art of saying “no” to unrealistic expectations is not easy, but can be one of the most freeing things that you ever learn to do.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Management, Tips | No Comments »

Lee’s Keys to Organizing© #1

Tuesday, September 6th, 2011

1) Design your Waterfront Property © for maximum use.

Your “Waterfront Property” is the most valuable space in your office and your home. It’s where you get your work done, whether it’s your desk at the office or the kitchen table at home. It’s the space where you accomplish your work. Are you right handed or left handed? Set up your Waterfront Property accordingly. For example, if you use a desk handset, place it on the opposite side of the desk or table as your dominant writing hand. When it rings, your writing hand will be available to take notes.

Think through the tasks you work on in this space and set it up properly for the things you are trying to accomplish. The job will be much easier. Be sure you have the tools and the equipment needed to do the task at hand. When you are finished, put things away so that you will be ready to do the next project on your list. You will thank yourself later.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Management, Space, Tips | No Comments »

To Relocate or Not to Relocate – the Questions are MANY (Part Three)

Tuesday, July 26th, 2011

The Move

You know now that your Cons for staying where you are far outweigh your Pros and so it’s time to make a change. You have informed your landlord and found a new location for your office.

I suggest creating folders (virtual, physical, or both – it’s up to you) and begin to sort different types of information you will gather regarding the move into broad general departments. Try to keep them this way unless there is entirely too much information from one vendor in which case you will have to make separate locations within the department for that vendor in order to keep track of the information properly.  This may sound complicated but it really isn’t and will save you so much time and frustration during the move process.

Departments could include titles such as Old Location Info, New Location Info, Employee Info, Moving Company, Communications, Copiers, Web Site, Printing Company, Cleaning Service. These are just examples, there are always more!

Use different colors of folders and subdivide the Departments into Locations if you want to keep a folder for each sub item, OR you may use color coding for the Departments and keep all folders in the same department the same color. Again, this is your choice. Using color is especially helpful if you are a visual person.

If you decide to use a web application to keep things together during the move process I recommend www.MobilLogic.com It will let you set up your system the way you want to set it up and also gives you access to all types of e-mail reminders, security levels and allows you access to all of your info no matter where you are since your info is secure on your own part of the cloud. Scan or not as you choose. Check out the web site and review the three minute video for more information.

When the movers have been interviewed and hired, the communications consultants have helped you decide where to place all of the new lines and wireless devices and the new office furniture is on the way, its time to begin to declutter in earnest. Use your company’s records retention schedules to determine what types of documents to keep on site or off site at a Records Management Center, what to shred and what to toss. Be ruthless with yourself don’t stop until even the kitchen is clear of things that should have been tossed years ago! Really, who is going to display dirty holiday decorations? This process will help you have a more open and spacious new office and will help you use the square footage you are paying for to its maximum potential.

Move only what you will actually use at the new office. There are many types of places where you can donate used office furniture for tax write-offs, and others where you can sell it on consignment. Either way, release what you will not use!

When the move is complete and all are settled in their new spaces, make a note for yourself on your calendar to look back at the decision to move six months after your move date.  Hopefully you and your employees will be pleased with the decision.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Management, Space | Comments Off

To Relocate or Not to Relocate – the Questions are MANY(Part Two)

Wednesday, July 20th, 2011

Now that you have made the decision to think through the question of whether to relocate your office or not, there are many things to consider. Let’s use the Pro and Con columns on your page to help.  For example:

Pro Staying                          

  • Great location, Easy to find
  • Parking - Ample spaces and free
  • Building - clean, secure building and offices.
  • Nice landlord – always has a smile and returns calls promptly.
  • So much easier to stay here and not disrupt business – reduces stress!

Con Staying

  • Location - how important is this location to the actual business I perform? Do I depend on foot traffic to gain business or do people come here primarily to see me and others in my company? Do I only leave from here to go see others at their offices?
  • Parking - Outside areas are not kept neat and clean and it’s a bad first impression to the people who do come here.
  • Building - do I really need to pay this much per square foot or could I get the same or better space at a different location?
  • Landlord – nice, yes, but he is not very responsive to requests. Always has to “try to schedule someone” and it will “take time to fix it’.
  • Is the stress of HVAC, plumbing, or poor communications services worth staying?

Now that you have begun your list of pros and cons, take time to add to and revise this list.  There will be other things that will come up and they may be just as important as your initial thoughts.  Do not discount anything – add it to the list in one or the other column.

Remember to keep in mind the additional expenses of a move including little things like having new printed materials and website changes.  Will you have to have a new phone number, or decide to go wireless? All of these things are part of a business move decision making process and should be on your list of pros and cons.

When you have made your decision to move or stay it’s time to take action on either decision! If you have decided to stay, make an appointment with your landlord and take your list of pros and cons to the meeting. Go over the list and discuss the things that are the most important to you first. Those things are more likely to stick in the mind. Ask for a definitive resolution to the issues at hand and agree on a date by which these things are to be accomplished. Put the agreement in writing and set follow up dates on your calendar.

If you have decided to relocate, it is time to take different steps which we will discuss in Part 3.

Tags: ,
Posted in Management, Space, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Ahead of the Curve

Thursday, July 14th, 2011

Recently there was an article about the increase in the quality of work and the amount of work a company can gain from treating its employees well and helping them take care of themselves physically.  As I read the article it reminded me of a corporate client we began working with years ago that even today remains ahead of the curve.  

This regional freight transportation resource company has a variety of people with various job descriptions working in a large area.  They perform their tasks well and stay mentally on top of their jobs throughout the day.  This is a company that does not have many employee “issues” due in part to the corporate climate established by the Human Resource department with the guidance and direction of the CEO. The main goal in this company is to provide excellent service to its customers through well trained and satisfied employees. There are many things that are done to help the company achieve this goal consistently.  There are two I found to be especially interesting.

One was the establishment of an on site full gymnasium complete with male and female work out equipment, large flat screen televisions, full A/V system, a separate room with wall to wall work out mats set aside for classes of different types and complete shower / dressing areas.  Personal trainers arrive daily to help the company employees stay on track to reach their designated goals. There is no requirement by the company for any employee to take part in these offerings, but with everything available at no cost, it is hard to pass up! 

The second thing that this company does is provide an in house certified nutritionist who plans and prepares nutritious breakfasts and hot lunches daily as well as providing dinner to take home for their family when the order is placed in advance.  Eating delicious, healthy food at less than the cost of a drive through chicken or burger and fries keeps the pounds off and the budget trimmed.  It also keeps employees alert and focused after meals instead of fighting sleep on the job while waiting for that two o’clock coffee to brew.

When an employee decides to participate in this service they take a survey and give information to the nutritionist regarding their food preferences and any dietary restrictions their physician has indicated.  The menus are prepared weekly with all of this information in mind and posted in the state of the art kitchen dining area for employees to review so they know what type of meals to look forward to each day. 

With these types of services available to their employees, this company has noticed a dramatic drop in the number of employee sick days, a reduction in overall company health care costs, and an increase in customer satisfaction and retention.  The benefits provided have certainly paid well for all involved.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Management | No Comments »

UCLA Offering New Class: Organizing Your Workspace

Tuesday, May 12th, 2009

One of our wonderful colleagues in the organizing profession has just done a class at UCLA. Regina Lark, CEO of A Clear Path, is teaching the fundamentals of organization when it comes to your workspace.

The following is a glimpse to the article about building job skills in which Regina was interviewed. The article is from  UCLA Today, dated May 11, 2009:

“When people cut through the clutter in their workspace, it makes them feel more professional and accomplished,” said Lark, CEO of A Clear Path: Professional Organizing for Home, Work, Life. “They love their new space, they feel more productive and they feel like they can find everything. Some people treat their workspaces as extensions of their home, and it comes to look very unprofessional.”

She recalled in-office workshops she’s led where she found herself walking into cubicles and offices littered with old food and overwhelmed by towers of paper and books.
“It’s a health and safety issue,” she said. “One woman had books stacked so high she had a pile of books fall on her and ended up with a lump on the head.”
She offered a mini-version of her course, hitting the highlights:
  1. Make sure you have time to clean. “Your space didn’t get cluttered overnight, and it won’t get uncluttered all at once. If you don’t set aside enough time, you’ll get frustrated.”
  2. Acknowledge that clearing your workspace means throwing some things away. “Ask yourself, will my life be better served with or without this?”
  3. While you clean, make temporary piles: things to toss, things to recycle, things to file and things to send to the office archives.
  4. After you clean, set up a filing system, and deal with new papers as they come to you, instead of waiting until the papers become new piles.
  5. Take time at the end of your work day to prepare your desk for the next morning.

“Being able to find things can save money,” Lark added. “You have no idea how much money is wasted on campus buying supplies that someone already has tucked away in the bowels of their desk.”

You can read the entire article here.

Congratulations, Regina!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Management, News | Comments Off

« Older Entries