Do you ever wonder why you feel crazy when you look at your inbox or check your phone messages or mail?
Well, it’s easy to understand when you consider that the average person today receives more information on a daily basis, than anyone received in a lifetime in 1900. Staggering but true.
It actually gets worse…the average person sends and receives over 190 messages each day and on average we spend a total of 8 hours per week in paper document management
The unfortunate reality is that incoming items which include email, snail mail, voice mail, colleague and client requests will continue to come in no matter what you do. How you handle them is entirely up to you.
Here are a few tips to help you manage the madness:
Have a system for handling your incoming items.
Set up a schedule for sorting and purging your mail–paper and electronic.–then stick to it. It’s important to stay ahead of the flood to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
Communicate with your colleagues so they know the best way to give you information.
Let others know how you prefer to be updated on a project. If you prefer things in writing, ask them to send you an email and let them know how long you’ll take to respond. If you like to receive information verbally and have the chance for immediate dialogue, consider setting up a brief update meeting to catch up. Set your policies and let your team know your preferences.
Have a Document Management system to prevent lost records, save storage space and find documents quickly.
Having an established policy that defines what is stored, where it’s stored and who has access is key to maintaining a document management system. the iPEP is a great tool to not only outline and communicate your policies, but it’s a great one stop shop for Project Management, Work Collaboration and Document Management and Storage.
Incoming items will keep on coming, but you can control the floodgates and decide how much of your time you’re willing to dedicate to stopping the flow. Don’t wait till the waters have risen. Take the time to decide on a strategy to keep you sane.