My How Time Flies - Organization And Time Management

I woke up this morning and on my mind was the pile of items on my to do list for work.  Holidays are always nice but we generally pay for it the week after.  And Murphy's Law took effect this week as well.  When I left work on Saturday, the printer wasn't working well.  It was smudging every letter that needed mailed out, important letters, too.  I put in a work order to our computer tech who was also busy over the holiday weekend.  I still hoped in the back of my mind it would be fixed when I came in on Tuesday.  Maybe through osmosis it would fix itself.  I will tell right you now, the use of osmosis is never a reliable plan.


When I came in Tuesday morning, I contacted our computer tech again.  He couldn't come in until Wednesday evening to fix the printer.  It wasn't faring well and neither was I.  Murphy's Law: we have a show we are working this weekend to bring more revenue to our business.  And, I have 2000 coupons to be clipped and ready to pass out at the gate Saturday.  Not panicking yet, I figured he would come in and be able to fix the printer without a hitch.  Murphy's Law: not only could he not fix it, but it stopped working immediately after he tried.  The part we needed was not close and there was only one available at that location. No other store in the city carries this part.  I ordered it to be sent Next Day to us.  The confirmation showed that it would arrive probably Saturday.  I called, their Next Day Air orders aren't placed until the 3rd business day.  I cancelled the "next-day" order.  I came in early and traveled to pick up the part this morning, at a store that opens when our store opens. Murphy's Law.  


So, what happens when Murphy's Law strikes and severs your schedule and adds to your weekly tasks (during a short week, I might add)?  You take another look at your priority list and rearrange it as best as possible.  You then take the proverbial deep breath and ask yourself what has to be done first in order to accomplish the rest of your items.  In my case, a working printer.  So, I came in early today and readied the office for opening, placed a sign on the door letting my customers know an approximate time I would return, gathered the bank deposit and and began writing our weekly blog, which is a little behind schedule.  Take a step back this week and think about the last time Murphy's Law took affect in your business and reflect on what you did to get through that time.  Right now I am taking it a step at a time and laughing a little (it truly is the best medicine, you cannot be sad and laugh at the same time).  So, as I rethink my priority list for the week I first decide what is the most important factor and that is properly functioning equipment.  And with that in place now (we won't go into the rest of that little fiasco), I am able to continue with my list. 


 Several years ago I was on the human resources management team at a fairly large financial institution.  One of my duties was managing the critical performance evaluation system.  I trained management on the proper way to administer an evaluation.  I believe these evaluations are critical to help improve any company.  Well, when it was time for my evaluation, I received a good one with the exception of one area, time management.  My desk area reflected my time management skills (or lack thereof) as well.  I decided after my evaluation I was going to change how I managed the time I spent at work and learn to prioritize.  It seemed archaic at first, I took out a notebook and listed all of my duties and then I put them on the computer so I could develop a system to check items off as they were accomplished.  It took time to get the process down to an art and now, 10 years later, I carry this with me on the job and at home as well (still failing on the home-front more often than not). I have my "A, B, C List" and I keep a filing system as well.  The owner and I share the same thought that leaving Post-It notes and stacks of paper lying around just doesn't look good to customers.  Also, time is money, disorganization means it could take twice as long to find what you need when you have a customer walk in the door.  


Entrepreneur Blogger, Carol Rice, has a list of 8 very important items to keep your business away from disarray .  

1. Don't designate tasks verbally. It's too easy for something to get lost in translation, and then you've got no documentation of what you wanted done.
    
2. Set and manage due dates. When people are given tasks but not timeframes, things tend to never get done.
    
3. Organize your policy info. Important information about your business should be in one, convenient location where everyone can easily find it.
    
4. Simplify procedures. If you have too many different procedures -- or it takes too many different steps to accomplish a task -- they may become easier to ignore. Workers may begin making up their own, more expedient ways of doing things instead.
    
5. Set email limits. Many people constantly check email, interrupting tasks that require sustained concentration. Experiment with shutting it down for most of the day, or get workers to set their email to only 'ding' them every few hours.
    
6. Think files, not piles. This applies to both your computer desktop and your office desk. Papers left around loose tend to get lost.
    
7. Get buy-in on policy changes. Staff can easily go off the rails when you want to change how the business does things. Make sure you explain why the change will make their lives better. At one newspaper where I worked, they fed us Jolly Rancher candies while they explained why we would be happier if our weekly story deadline was half a day sooner. It worked.
    
8. Monitor progress. As the owner of a small hardware-store chain once told me, "People do what you inspect -- not what you expect." 

You can read the rest of her blog here:  http://www.entrepreneur.com/blog/220053

Paul Wellstone said that "Successful organizing is based on the recognition that people get organized because they, too, have a vision".  Keep in mind we are in the self-storage business. We should be sending a message that it is exciting to become organized. I know that having a storage unit enables many of our customers to organize their small and large businesses as well as their homes. We have homeschooling families who use storage for their children's books and assignments from previous years.  Our climate controlled units serve as a wonderful means for off site storage for small businesses using electronics as well as documents. Get to know your customers when they walk through the door.  Get a feel for their needs. 


I have shared the story of my ultra-organized Mom (refer to first blog) with others and it has hopefully been an inspiration to people.  I am quite certain she is the reason plastic storage container companies are still in business.  Recommend large plastic storage containers to your customers to help them become more organized and talk to them about labeling as well (and show some excitement for pity's sake, organizing should make anyone feel good).  Most of all, let the customer see how organized you are as you calmly reach into a labeled file for the document that you need or as you direct their eyes to the specials posted on the walls or the toy and sticker bin when they walk in with their children.  Make it fun and easy for everyone involved.

The end result of becoming organized means your day either goes more smoothly or when Murphy's Law hits, you are organized enough to handle it.  So what's keeping you?  Turn over a new leaf today, create that priority list, grab a handful of files to label and the document shredder and get organized before Mr. Murphy comes knocking.

Michelle Armstrong

Manager

Star Storage

816-765-7300