LPM&T Newsletter Excerpt - Q1 1999

What's the Color of Your Desk?
Suggestions for Getting Organized, by Ellen Langan

How long has it been since you've seen the top of your desk? Are there piles six inches deep on your credenza, windowsill, client chairs, and on the floor? Or maybe you are one of those people who go for the "neat" look, with all of your unsorted piles in banker's boxes. The boxes have multiplied of course, and are now stacked five feet high along the wall. At the current rate, you will not able to get to your desk, let alone have a client in your office. Have you come to the conclusion that you have always had clutter in your life; that it must be one of those hereditary genes; and there is nothing you can do about it?

Here's the good news: Disorganization is not hereditary. It is a learned behavior. Therefore, one can learn to be organized. In order to win the paper battle you must

1. Look at changing a few habits
2. Manage your time
3. Set up systems that will suit your needs.

Changing habits is not always easy. In fact, you need to find something to motivate you, something big enough to keep you going for a long time. Several attorneys confided to me that their work has taken over their life. They no longer have time for their kids, let alone time for an exercise program. One Seattle attorney decided to do something about his disorganization. He had two young sons that he never saw. By the time he got home each night, they were in bed. Often he had to work weekends. He did not want to miss any more of their growing up. He got motivated. His transformation from disorganized to organized shaved an hour and a half off each day. He was home in time for dinner. His rewards were so great that at his three-year check up, he was still organized!

Managing your time doesn't mean that you can cram more into an already busy schedule. Moving at 75 mph instead of your normal 55 mph doesn't end up saving time. When we try and do too much at once, costly mistakes are made. Time is wasted trying to correct them. The best way to "save" time is to plan. Before you groan too loud, think about it! Over the next month you have to respond to several motions. Do you schedule time for the legal research and for collecting the necessary evidence? Or do you try to fit the work in around an already full schedule? Do you usually have notice of the work you need to do? If so, you can plan by retaking control of your calendar. Your ability to estimate how long a task will take will improve over time, allowing you to schedule the estimated time to complete a task or you can make sure you consistently give yourself a specific amount of time per week to handle the work load.

So what about the third cure to disorganization, systems? The key to paper management systems is to reduce the volume and to make decisions sooner rather than later. The old organizational mantra that a piece of paper should touched only once is simply untrue. The hope is that if you go to the trouble of setting up a filing system, it will be used for retrieval as well as storage. The only time the mantra does holds true is when paper is immediately recycled. You can, however, move it one step closer to completion.

In order to keep your paper moving, you need eight items:

1. In-Box
2. Recycling Bin
3. To-Do List
4. Calendar
5. Action Files
6. Reference Files
7. Tickler File
8. Rolodex.

Your In-Box, Recycling Bin, To-Do List and Calendar will all work hand in hand. The rest of the items are organized storage areas for your paper.

Let's talk about the In-Box. Your In Box must be attended to. It contains all the information that keeps you current. Make it a daily habit. Do not use your In-Box as a permanent resting spot for the excuses of no time or indecision. An In-Box is only there to house paper on a temporary basis. If you neglected your mailbox at home, people might think you have gone on vacation. Do you want to send the same kind of message to your co-workers and perhaps your boss?

It should take you only 15 minutes or less to work your In Box. First, throw out as much as possible, and then immediately do the short tasks, such as signing your name, jotting down a quick reply, or rerouting to another person. After these short tasks, put the rest of the incoming papers away. Your In-box and your To-Do list will work hand in hand. For example, if you have this week's staff meeting minutes, you file them in your "Meeting Minutes" file. If you need to review the minutes, write on your To-Do list "review minutes" and then file.

Here's some more quick tips for working your In-Box. Ask yourself these questions: "Whatıs the worst thing that could happen if I donıt save this?" "Can I live with the consequences?" Perhaps the information is accessible somewhere else (i.e. the library, a co-worker, the computer). How much do I want to be a file clerk? Hopefully, these questions will help you file less and recycle more. At the end of your "In-Box" session, you should have a To-Do List that you can make decisions from, with all other papers either tossed or filed.

Mastering your In-Box is only the first step in setting up systems. Old truism: The first step can be one of the most difficult, but it takes many steps to complete a journey. While there are standard answers to the other seven items, the best solutions are the ones customized to your own needs. If you would like to explore more options available to you, "What's The Color of Your Desk" will be presented at the April 20, 1999 Seattle Brown Bag from 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. at the WSBA offices.

Susan Langan is a principal of Langan + Associates.