Escaping death by paper

In my line of work (being a Coach and Mentor to lawyers), I go into a great number of lawyers' offices.  I am no longer surprised when I encounter a lawyer's desk having so many papers on it that you cannot see any portion of the surface of the desk under all those papers.

Some lawyers' offices have so many papers elsewhere (all over the floor, hanging off of shelves, on furniture, etc.), that the office looks like a dump - - - but, we have dealt with that subject previously in this Blog.

Getting back to the papers - - it is obvious that many lawyers are drowning in paper.  Even thought the computer-run offices of today were supposed to be "paperless," the truth is we are printing out and making more copies then even before - - adding to the age-old problem of keeping things organized. 

Here are some suggestions for keeping your papers from overtaking your office (or cubicle):

• Set aside a block of time daily to manage your paperwork.  Then stick to what you have scheduled.

• Manage your paperwork no more than two times per day.

• Handle each piece of paper only once, if possible.  Avoid putting papers aside until "later," which might be never.

• Throw away earlier draft print-outs.  You will not need them (unless you need to show them to your client to justify your hugh bill).

• Try to limit the majority of your paper correspondence to one page (unless your client pays you by the word).

• Once you pick up a paper, force yourself to do something with it so you will not be tempted to throw it back in the pile - - unless, of course, it was a paper containing a drawing by your kid.

• Instead of sending out a paper memo, consider making a phone call or sending an email instead.

I assure you, there is nothing better than coming into a clean, orderly office at the beginning of the day.

Comments

[Peter]

Great tips. Even in my "paperless" office, the piles still exist. Having a scheduled system and sticking to it is a great idea!