Do Business Well

What greeted you when you arrived in your office this morning? Those reports, notes, letters and memos that I just have been discussing. By the time you have waded through it all, it’s nearly lunch break.

Did you know that the average person spends 45 minutes a day aimlessly searching for something lost on a desk? Moreover, an untidy desk may well cost you a contract, a new client or a project missed because you fail to react soon enough.

How did you fare? Did you find that you’re losing the battle? If so, you will need to implement all the ideas below to get on top of things.

• Develop a master plan for your paperwork. Make four categories: Delegate, Eliminate, Act on and Read.

• Deal with an item only once. Ruthlessly eliminate brochures, sales literature, old clippings from magazines, old messages, phone numbers and notes.
• Quickly sort business cards into a file. Write the date and occasion on
  the back of the person’s card as soon as he or she hands it to you.

• Attach an adhesive note onto the outside cover of journals, noting any topics that you might want to refer to. Then file. Delegate interesting articles to other staff to read. The most interesting are presented in a 3 to 5 minute slot at staff meetings.
• Colour-code your files, for instance, red for rush jobs, yellow for confidential and blue for routine matters. Encourage colour coding of all internal communication in your department too. Use blue paper for departmental notices and memos, red for ‘hot’ topics and green for information.
• Where possible use the phone rather than writing a letter. Enter fax and phone numbers and area codes in your phone book immediately for easy reference.
• Improve your reading skills. Skim a report to get the whole picture. Return to important sections and read closely. Use a highlight pen to highlight key words and important information. While you are reading, make notes in the margins and use these for subsequent follow- up. You then save the effort of having to read the report again. You need only refer to your notes. Do the same with memos and letters.

Action guidelines

Use written communication to open your own doors. Here’s some final advice:

• Add a personal touch to your professional image by writing kind, courteous notes when the need arises. Show that you are not so preoccupied with tasks that you can’t take a break to build positive work relationships. The main message of your notes is that you care.
• Send professional business letters promptly. The sooner you answer, the less history you have to supply to the recipient and the more efficient you will be seen to be.
• Let people know who you are and what you are doing by using smart memos to disseminate your ideas and proposals throughout the organisation and to gain the support of people who count. You can raise awareness about a problem with an efficient memo and start people thinking about ideas to solve it.
• Increase your visibility by taking the opportunity to present your reports orally rather than just disseminating the document through the internal mail. This way you will be sure that your hard work does not go unread, half-read or misunderstood. Combine the tips on giving a successful public presentation with an impeccable written piece so that both you and your ideas will be noticed. Mark extra copies of the report For your information and send to the key decision-makers in your organisation.

If your organisation is too small for a public relations department, assure your boss that it doesn’t have to settle for a low profile. Offer to write and send press releases to your local newspaper to highlight a company breakthrough or an outstanding accomplishment. You will be serving the organisation’s interests and your own.

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