A recent article that I came across in the Wall Street Journal reported that the average U.S. executive loses six weeks per year retrieving misplaced information from messy desks and files.

The cost in salary and lost productivity is enormous.

Paperwork has been voted the biggest burden for businesses. Time spent mishandling paper detracts from the company's ability to service customers, increase sales and improve the bottom line.

It shouldn't ever take you more than 5 seconds to find a piece of paper you need. If it does, then your office and file organization needs an overhaul.

Start with the 4 D’s of Effective Paper Management:

1. DO IT. This means that you perform the necessary items on this piece of paper today. Once you’ve completed these items, the paper should be filed, re-routed to someone else or discarded.
   
   
   
2. DELAY IT. This means that further action needs to be taken on this paper, but not right now. File it in a Reminder file or in your file cabinet. If necessary, write a date and time on your calendar when you’ll be retrieving this paper for further action.
   
   
3. DELEGATE IT. This means that you immediately give this paper to someone else, whether this person is someone in your company, a client, vendor or someone else you outsource to.
   
   
4. DUMP IT. This is the greatest one of them all. It’s probably safe to say that a huge percentage of the paper that enters your office can be immediately discarded.

by Maria Gracia - Get Organized Now!
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