|
Paula Royalty |
Some useful
tips on how
to decide what to keep
and what
to throw
away |
|
|
|
Ask
yourself these 11 questions
to decide if you need to keep something or if you can
recycle it or throw it away.
This includes electronic documents. |
1.
Am I legally required to keep this? |
Example: tax
purposes, patent requirements, contract requirements, government
regulations. If YES, keep it.
|
2.
Does it help me do my job better to have this on
hand? |
Does it help me
accomplish my individual
job mission? If YES, keep
it.
|
3.
Do I use this? |
On average, people will only EVER use
20 percent of what is in their office. If YES, keep it.
|
4.
Is this information updated periodically? |
Decide how
much history I need to keep (Example: three months
worth of reports) and
throw out anything older. When the next report comes in,
toss out the
oldest report and I will have a "naturally maintained" file.
|
5.
Did I originate this and do I still use it? |
Just
because I originate something does not necessarily mean I have to keep a
copy of it. Only keep it for legal, mission, or use reasons.
|
6.
Is someone else the originator of this information? |
Almost everything that comes into my
in-box (paper and electronic)
originated somewhere else. If I do not need it for legal, mission, or
use reasons, let the originator know I am
relying on them to provide me
with
the most up-to-date information
when I need it. Do not rely on
potentially
out-of-date or obsolete information to make decisions.
|
7.
Can I obtain this information from someone or
somewhere else? |
Example: Most newspapers, magazines, journals, and even
newsletters can be
retrieved from my local library, company library, or
the original source.
|
8.
Is
this personally important to me, but not
job-related? |
For personal items at work, establish one drawer or file(s)
to store my personal items and keep them separate from work items.
|
9.
Do I need this for "political" reasons? |
Example: My boss or a
co-worker gave it to me and I do not want to
hurt
their feelings. If I do not need it, take it home and recycle it,
explain that I passed it on to someone who could use it more than I
could, or store it far away from my primary work space.
|
10.
What is the worst possible thing that could happen
if I threw all |
this
away? |
If I do not lose my job or break a law, the worst
might be some lost time.
|
11.
Am I still not sure what to do? |
After going through
these questions, if I am uncomfortable throwing it away, keep it
for
now. The next time I review my resources (in six months or a year) I may
feel more comfortable letting it go since I recently reviewed
everything.
|
Source:
DayTimer Website |
GLOSSARY |
to throw away: to get rid of, to dispose (tirar a la
basura)
accomplish:
achieve, carry out
(cumplir, llevar a cabo)
job mission:
goal or objective of the
task assigned (objetivo
del trabajo asignado)
on average: typically (típicamente,
en promedio)
worth of: meriting (que amerite, que valga la pena)
throw out: remove from the office (sacarse de encima)
toss out: throw away (descartar, tirar a la
basura)
in-box: inward papers or messages (papeles ingresados
o mensajes entrantes) ( =/= out-box) |
rely on: depend on (confiar en)
up-to-date: reflecting the latest information or changes (la
información más reciente, la más actualizada)
out-of-date:
obsolete, no longer in use (obsoleto, desactualizado)
retrieved from: recovered from (recuperados de)
job-related: connected with my job (relacionado con mi
trabajo)
co-worker: a fellow worker (colaborador, compañero de
trabajo)
hurt their feeling: offend them (ofenderlos)
for now: for the moment being (por el momento) |
|
|
MAS "ASISTENTE Y SECRETARIA"
FORO
INICIO |