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Welcome to the information age where facts and figures bombard
us in increasing speed, frequency, and sophistication.
Where each year between 50-55,000 books are published in the U.S.
Where each week it is not uncommon to get 49 faxes ~ at 5 pages each in
length. Where each day, one can
easily receive 75-100 e-mails and 25-30 voice mails. Let's face it, if you're not in constant control while navigating down the information highway, you're likely to get run over by others passing you by. And one of the major byproducts of this proliferation of information is mountainous paperwork it produces. The reasons for wanting to reduce your paperwork load are painfully obvious. Paperwork costs time, energy, and money. Surprisingly enough, we tend to miss the equally obvious when it comes to our own paperwork-generating habits. The most effective way to reduce your paperwork load is to produce, send, and request less paperwork yourself. The following tips will help you do just that:
identify and eliminate unnecessary paperwork and handle ~must-do~
paperwork efficiently and effectively. Use Response Cards and Lines.
The piece of paper you send to others often requires them to generate a
piece of paper in return that may mean a lengthy wait while they compose their
response. Make it quick and easy
for others to answer your memos, letters, or reports by typing the response you
want, along with a space for a check mark and/or signature, on a separate
mail-back card or at the bottom of an in-house memo.
Upon receiving their response, note it in your records and toss the
response card. Less time. Less
paperwork. Less hassle.
More effective business communications. Learn When to Talk and When to Write.
In many situations, talking will better achieve your objectives than
writing. Not everything has to be
in writing to be formal, understood, or meaningful.
Giving mild reprimands, sending trial balloons, negotiating small
details, getting immediate feedback, getting reactions to your messages, and
conveying tone are all better done in person than by pen. Use~Don't Abuse~Electronic Message Systems.
E-mail makes it easy and convenient to send your messages to the whole
world by pressing a key. Don't.
You'll only irritate people by sending them unnecessary information;
continue doing this and they won't pay attention to truly important messages you
send. And don't let the
informality of e-mail lull you into composing careless, disorganized, and
unclear messages. Think before you
write, not as you write. Eliminate Most Cover Letters.
Most cover letters communicate only the obvious:
~I'm sending you something. You
now have it.~ If you must have a
record of submission, simply put a ~Submitted to ~~ and ~Submitted by ~~ along
with the date on the title page. Simply
send the information. Anything else
is either understood or unnecessary. Be Informal in Your Responses.
Every memo or letter you receive does not merit a formal response.
Picking up the phone may be quicker than writing.
Or you may be able simply to add your comments in a margin or on a
sticky-note and pass the document on, saving everyone time.
People aren't nearly as impressed by formality as by accuracy, speed, and
thoroughness. Forget the Idea That ~More is Better. ~ More
is not better. There is little
correlation between quantity and quality. Don't
get trapped into thinking the more money you want customers to spend, the more
detail you should give them to justify the price. Or the more serious the problem, the more detail you should
give to support your solution. Consider the importance of your message and tailor your
comments accordingly. Less
can mean more~more readers, more insight, more impact. Although minimizing paperwork will require revamping old
habits, the end justifies the means. You'll
find yourself pushing less paper and spending more focused time on the important
paper you do handle. |
