Handle Less, Do More

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.
Make it easy for others to answer your emails, memos, letters, or reports so you can avoid a lengthy wait while they generate their responses. Type 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.

Learn When to Talk and When to Write.
In many situations, talking will better achieve your objectives than writing. 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.
Email 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 email 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 Ö" and "Submitted by Ö" along with the date on the title page.

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.

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© Dianna Booher, Booher Consultants, Inc.
Author of 42 books (Simon & Schuster/Pocket, Warner, and McGraw-Hill), Dianna Booher, CSP, CPAE, delivers keynotes, breakout sessions, and training on communication and life-balance issues. Her latest books: Speak with Confidence®, Your Signature Life®, Your Signature Work®, E-Writing, and Communicate with Confidence®. For more information on Dianna and her programs, visit www.diannabooher.com or contact her firm, Booher Consultants, Inc., at 800-342-6621.

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