Do you still have stacks of business cards on your desk or tossed into desk drawers?  No matter how tech savvy my clients seem to be, managing business cards remains a time management challenge.
In many instances, I am comfortable with my clients using either paper or electronic means as long as they only use one [...]

[Read more →]

“How long would it take to get my office organized?” 
I have heard this question many times, and the answer lies in how quickly you make decisions.
I can comfortably say, when I am working directly with an individual, that a half-day of focused organizing will give you the needed systems for handling all of your daily work flow.  A full day [...]

[Read more →]

Geoff Colvin’s book, “Talent is Overrated,” argues against the idea that talent competition among humans centers on their genetic inheritance.  Instead he believes you can train your child to be a prodigy.  Of course, that involves a huge amount of commitment on your part.  (Think Earl and Tiger Woods.)
Most parents want the best for their [...]

[Read more →]

J. Paul Getty:  “The individual who wants to reach the top…must appreciate the force of habit and must understand that practices are what create habits.  He must be quick to break those habits that can break him and hasten to adopt those practices that will become the habit, that help him achieve the success he [...]

[Read more →]

The following description was sent to me, with a question as to how to approach dealing with this situation so that better time management skills were put into place.
One couple I know deserves an award for their Carefully Coordinated Disorganization. The husband “Jack” is an entrepreneur and runs a consulting business from home. His lovely [...]

[Read more →]

Costco’s Connection magazine this month contains the article, “Is Being Neat and Organized Overrated?”  (Once linked, click  “Pages” on the top bar and then scroll down to the 4th or 5th row, depending on your browser.)  It features contrasting opinions by David Freedman, author of “A Perfect Mess:  The Hidden Benefits of Disorder” and Standolyn Robertson, [...]

[Read more →]

Many companies periodically conduct an inventory which allows them to maintain an accurate count of materials, detail a valuation of assets, and a provide a catalog for replacement needs in the event of natural disaster. Although inventories take time up front, they are great time management tools in the long term. Just compare [...]

[Read more →]

Continuing my response to the reader who requested advice for those who were on the “front lines” and didn’t have a project-driven day (see the original crisis management post), I’m going to address customer-driven jobs.
If you were hired to answer telephones, such as in a call center, then obviously you cannot decide that [...]

[Read more →]

Disorganization is a major cause of job dissatisfaction.
If the disorganization is your own, then you can choose to make changes. However, whether you are the disorganized one or the organized one working with a disorganized colleague, that lack of organization has an impact on you.

Who does the disorganized person interrupt when they need something? Who [...]

[Read more →]

“Where did I put that document?” is often a common plaint when desks are stacked with piles of paper. However the same thing may happen with our electronic files even though, being out of sight, they don’t scream for organization.
The best way of handling electronic documents would be to have obviously labeled folders, and [...]

[Read more →]