It’s the End of Numbers Month

April 2, 2011 Written by Frances Schagen

How did you do?

We talked about time, economics and about the value of the information in your financial statements.   If you would like to discuss your financial statements, get in touch and I’ll be happy to talk shop with you.

One of the most powerful time tools I have in my arsenal is systems.  Many years ago I began to put processes in place every time I found something irritating me.

For instance, I used to get stuck ending my emails.  I wanted to be informal, but not too familiar; a little trendy, but not faddish; warm, but not gooey.  When I was involved in a thread, should I change the sign-off as the conversation grew?  You see?  The pressure!  Finally, I created a sig file, now I think about it every month or 2, not every message and I get more emails out the door.

I have created an events card.  It’s an index card with the info I need for the day of an event – phone number of the café where I get the urn of coffee, reminder to grab a thank you card/gift, a couple of points to make in my opening remarks.  You get the idea.  It means I don’t have to think about it every time.

I have an induction package for new employees.  I created it at an HR workshop and finished it the next time I hired.  Now I have it ready to go and it covers everything – I mean everything – it takes over 2 hours.  We talk about emergency exits, breaks, computer usage, company values, training opportunities – you name it, it’s there.

Next time you come across something that doesn’t work for you, or that slows you down, or irritates you, think it through thoroughly once, create a process and use it.

What are some of the systems you have in place that make your life easier?

Do It, Know Where You Are Going
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