I was 20 when I began working for the CFO of a trucking company.  Lou was responsible for the financial stability of the company and I was his bookkeeper, file clerk, administrative assistant and gopher. Lou had a unique filing system which involved stacking paper and file folders in piles on his desk, the credenza and all available floor space around him.  I personally thought it was a mess and wanted to help Lou get his act together.  I rolled up my sleeves and marched into his office to grab the first pile I came across.  Lou was busy working on the month end reports and I doubted he would even notice me.  I was startled as I heard him exhale and ask, “What are you doing?”

I cheerfully explained I was going to clean up his mess.  Lou’s breathing became heavier and I thought for a moment that the old guy was going to have a heart attack.  Between breaths he instructed me to put the papers down and step back.

He proceeded to school me on his filing system.  He said he knew every document contained in every one of the piles and asked me to test him. I asked where the previous year’s unapplied cash report was and he pointed to a pile in the corner of the room.  He said, “3 inches down”.  To my surprise the report was there. I decided Lou was clever and wise, and I adopted his system of filing.

Preparing for the unexpected

One day, Lou didn’t come back to work.  He died. What he had left behind was years of mess that no one could quite figure out.  He didn’t have a plan in place to help his company and team function effectively without him.  If something unexpected happened and you were unable to work for a week, what obstacles would there be for your team?  If someone on your team doesn’t show up for work, are things organized enough that you or someone else would be able jump in and help?  Do you wait until the last minute to arrange for vacation help and just hope no one messes things up while you are gone?

Manager’s Check-list

1)      Create a monthly calendar for all managers to complete for your location. Create it as a shared document such as Google Docs.  It should include deadlines and planned days off for the quarter.

2)      Create a 911 emergency binder that includes the step-by-step process to complete each task you are responsible for.  This will seem like an overwhelming project so approach it one task at a time.  What are the two most pressing tasks you need to complete this month?  Make a goal to write up the procedure for those tasks this month.  Since most tasks are repetitive, once you have completed the “how to” documentation, it will only need minor updates going forward.

3)      Include direction on who has authorization for important things or any other important company protocol.

Customer Service Check List

1)      Set a standard for what the work area should look like at the end of a work day.  It should be easy for someone to take over and sit at that desk if that person doesn’t come to work. Piles of paper and sticky notes are difficult to decipher.

2)      Before your representative leaves for the day, you should know exactly what was left unfinished.  Create a shared document that each person completes at the end of the day.  You need to know if a customer service issue is incomplete, whether they are waiting for a response from another department, etc.  This will also give you some great data on whether or not the balance of handling customer calls and other duties needs to be reevaluated.

I am happy to report that the stacks of paper that filled my office have been dealt with.  Our new Google docs management calendar is complete.  I have only one sticky note on my computer which reads, “You can’t be a person of excellence if you leave a mess for someone else to clean up.” I feel less stressed and as though I have a better grasp on all that lies ahead in 2013.  Good luck to you and your efforts to organize and prepare for the unexpected.