Posts Tagged ‘information management’
How to Handle Your Workday Information Overload - Quit being a slave to email and manage your work time more effectively
Friday, April 4th, 2008
Are you one of those people who checks their email every five minutes? And do you practically have a panic attack when you’ve realized that you left your Blackberry at home or in the car? Well, you’re not alone. Today, in this digital age, workers have become so reliant on their email communications that it has become more of an obsession, making workdays less productive.
When you consider emails over phone calls, it’s easy to see how emails can be time savers: a quick 30-second email verses a 10-minute phone call. Okay, so what is the problem? Well, considering emails are so easy and quick, people end up sending out more emails then they would end up making in phone calls. What would once be figured out by reading a manual, now a question gets emailed out to someone and then Cc’d to five others. Many workers check their messages so frequently that finishing other tasks ends up taking 2-3 times as long. Also, many times with email communications, questions aren’t clear or answers are vague so there will be back and forth emails for several rounds, where a phone call could clear things up much quicker.
How to be more productive by distancing yourself from emails
Take an honest look at how often your check, write and respond to emails. Do you always have a PDA device with you to ensure that you never miss an important email? Do you ever go longer than an hour during a workday without checking your email? It’s easy to become a slave to email and feel like you are powerless to its addictive communications but, don’t worry, you can get back your workday and learn how to manage your time more effectively. Here’s how:
Turn your email program off when you are working on a project - When you have a paper or report to write or research to do, etc., temporarily turn your email program off to keep temptation away and to avoid hearing that distinctive inbox “ding”. You will be amazed at how much quicker you can get through tasks when you’re not constantly distracted by that temptation-ridden inbox!
Stop unnecessary Ccing - It’s a trap that many business people fall into: Unnecessarily Ccing others, thereby wasting their time and inviting them to respond to the email. This can turn a simple email into non-stop back and forth banter - and for no apparent reason. You should only copy others to an email if their participation is absolutely necessary. Implementing this rule office wide would end up saving everyone’s time - and you’d be surprised by how much!
For complicated subjects, make the phone call - Believe it or not, there are times when a phone call is quicker than sending an email. People are so accustomed to emails that they’ll spend 10 minutes typing up an email that inevitably gets confused by the reader because of the complex subject. When dealing with complicated or easily-misunderstood subject matter, it’s usually best for both parties that a phone call is made to clear up any confusion.
It is possible to free yourself from the shackles of email, but it will take some commitment and willpower on your end. You’ll no doubt find that once you learn to control your email addiction, your workdays will be more productive and even less stressful.
Tags: Carrie Hinkel, effeciency, Growing Your Business, information management, management, staying productive
Posted in News & Articles | No Comments »
Do You Manage Knowledge?
Monday, March 24th, 2008
Technology does not supersede good, old-fashioned knowledge management. It is the staple of any emerging small business. If you are no longer the receptionist, secretary, bookkeeper, webpage designer, and customer service specialist, you probably don’t realize the methods of your employees, their growing responsibilities and most importantly, neither will anyone else when they leave. Knowing that they do their jobs simply isn’t enough.
Take a moment to consider what would happen if the most valued employee was injured. Could anyone else walk into that position and know that Company Y’s project director uses your business to perform his job and you allow it because he is the CEO’s son-in-law? Would you remember to tell the temporary employee that the alarm at the back door is broken? If your company consists of more than four employees, who is in charge of knowledge management?
Knowledge management requires input of what is required from each employee/contractor. It should detail day-to-day operations as well as miscellaneous responsibilities. When you review the performance of your company, the map of positions and functions often serves as a catalyst for change. This process can dissect the inner-workings of your management style, which in turn reflect positively (or negatively) when applying for capital or other assistance.
Anyone employed in any capacity should receive a "company handbook" that outlines your company mission and vision, positions and functions. Many companies require new employees to sign position descriptions. Otherwise, the document is part of the contract.
Small business owners are especially susceptible to leakage and performance issues when they do not follow basic protocol. Many believe they are too young, too small, and they are often under the mistaken impression that they know the actions of their labor pool from the inside out. Managing growth includes managing knowledge. It is simply ignorant for an entrepreneur to expect one without the other.
Begin by mapping what you think your employees’ roles and functions consist of. If a responsibility requires step descriptions, write it out. If you are a business service provider, list your current contracts and a brief description of each in a different area, then update regularly. If there are quirks - simply state, "No direct contact without prior approval". Organizational charts are often more interesting than lists and make for easier consumption.
Pass the document to each employee/contractor for review. Typically they will add to it or exclaim, "I didn’t know I was supposed to do that!", which in itself can make for a very bad day. When you begin, expect some confusion. You might hear comments like, "I don’t do that, Sally does because…" It could be that the employees are correct in shifting responsibilities, but the bottom line is: You didn’t know about it.
Think of all the ways you can jeopardize operations by a lack of specific description. In a small business, it may take only one individual to cost you thousands of dollars. Invest in a few months of meetings, some overtime and perhaps a technical writer to put it all together. In the end, a road map of operations will benefit you far more than basing day-to-day operations on assumptions.
Tags: information management, management, Melissa Bailey, technology
Posted in News & Articles | No Comments »