by Barbara Hemphill

Research shows the average person spends 150 hours per year looking for misplaced information. Your ability to accomplish any task or reach any desired goal is directly related to your ability to find the right thing at the right time! Ask yourself: "Does my office work?" and "Can I find what I need?" If you have other people on your staff, "Does it work for others?" If the answer to any of these questions is “No,” here are five suggestions to seriously consider:

1. Clutter is postponed decisions.
 Desks and filing cabinets become inundated with paper, and computers with files, because we fail to make decisions. In reality, there are only three choices. I call it The FAT System: File, Act or Toss. File means "I don't know if I will ever need it, but I don't have the nerve to throw it out!" "Act" means "The ball is in my court to do it or delegate it." and "Toss" speaks for itself!

2. Practice The Art of Wastebasketry 
on an on-going basis and encourage others to do the same.
When I first started as a consultant, I used to have nightmares that someone would call and say, “When you were here we threw out ... and (something terrible) happened.” In more than 20 years, I’ve never received such a call! Research shows that 80 percent of what we keep, we never use, but how do you decide what you really need? For each piece of information (paper or electronic) ask these questions:

• Does this require action?

• Does it exist elsewhere?

• Would it be difficult to get again?

• Are there any tax or legal implications?

• Is it recent enough to be useful?

If all the answers are “No,” but you’re still not sure, ask one last question: "What's the worst thing that could happen if I didn’t have this?"

If you can live with the results, toss it.

3. Implement a fail-safe system for contact information.
Many of the pieces of paper that clutter up your life are deemed valuable because of a name, address or phone number. Choose a system for tracking this information, use it consistently and make sure to back it up. For business owners today, a computer program, such as ACT!, to manage your client database is essential. Use the notes section of the program to track information you can use to build relationships, and the alarm feature to trigger important reminders and decision dates. This could be the deciding difference between you and your competitor.

4. Turn your filing system into a "Finding System."
If your filing system is not working, ignore it and start over. It is unnecessarily depressing and time consuming to spend time organizing information you'll never use.

Clean out your most accessible file space, and put unused files into less accessible space if you are not comfortable tossing them. Begin your new system, and as you need information from the old files, incorporate it into the new system.

The key to the continuing success of your filing system is a File Index, a list of your file titles. You can create a File Index with a word processing or spreadsheet program, or you can use Taming the Paper Tiger software, which allows you to cross-reference your files, print out an alphabetical index automatically, and enables anyone in your office to find information in the files in five seconds or less!

5. Manage your paper on the road as well as in the office. Turn your briefcase into a mini office. Carry file folders labeled by specific action. For example, “Act” is for papers you'll work on while you travel.

A call file makes it easy to use the 15 minutes before a flight to make one or two quick calls, which can impress your clients and save you from unnecessary chit-chat. "Discuss with…(your assistant)" contains papers he/she can handle when you return. "On-line" contains papers you need when you're logged on in your hotel room. Be sure to include “File” -- with a copy of your File Index. As you get papers along the way that you want to file, check the File Index for the keyword or number, write it in the upper right hand corner. When you return, filing will be easy. (If you have a home office, consider hiring your 10-year-old.)

So, where do you start? A good place in most offices is to organize a “File Clean-Out Day" with all the members of your staff. Get plenty of trash bags, wear comfortable clothes, and order pizza. Based on my experience, the results will definitely be worth the investment in productivity and peace of mind – both of which lead to more profit!

Barbara Hemphill is CEO of Hemphill Productivity Institute, located in Raleigh, N.C. Author of Kiplinger’s Taming the Paper Tiger series and Simplify Your Workday she provides speaking and consulting services to help individuals and organizations increase productivity. She can be reached at or at www.thepapertiger.com and www.productivityconsultants.com.

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