From F. John Reh,
Your Guide to Management.
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Earlier, we looked at how to get rid of the piles of accumulated paper on your desk. The important thing now is to keep it that way. Here's how.

Rule #1
The most important rule to remember in dealing with the paperwork monster on your desk is to handle each piece only once.

As you pick up a piece of paper that has just shown up in your inbox, be prepared to make that the last time you touch it. Ask yourself "why do I need this?" If the answer is a) to take action on it, b) to do something with it when I get more information from someone, or c) to refer to as I do other work, keep it. If the answer is anything else, throw it away.

If it is something you aren't going to deal with, trash it now. Don't set it down to get back to it later. Don't kid yourself by thinking you might do what the paper asks if you know in your gut you won't. Bite the bullet. Get rid of it now and go on to the next piece.

If the paper pertains to something you are going to do, do it now. Don't set the paper down to think about it, or to look at the next one. Take action. Answer it. Send it to someone who can take action. Make the phone call to give the writer the requested information. Deal with it now so you don't have to touch that piece again.

Rule #2
Sometimes you have to bend Rule #1. Sometimes you can't deal with an issue right now and be done with it. Sometimes you have to handle a document more than once. In these cases, the important thing is to handle each piece as few times as possible.

If something comes in that you can't handle because you don't have the information, try to finish it up right now. Call the person who has the information you need and stick with Rule #1. However, it that person isn't available, set it up to minimize the number of times you have to touch it. Don't throw the paper back in you inbox, or into a pile on your desk. Put it into your calendar or date file for follow-up at a specific time.

Some people keep an accordion file that that has a pocket for each day of the month. They put documents they need to follow up on into the pocket for the day they are going to follow up. If the person you need input from is out to lunch, put the paper in the tomorrow pocket. However, if they are on a trip for two weeks, put it in the pocket for the day they return.

I keep a planning calendar on my desk. When I have to put something aside for action later, when I have gotten the information I need, I slip the paper in between the pages of the calendar at the right date for follow up.

The reference diet
The third reason for keeping something that shows up on your desk is to refer to it as you do other work. Minimize the material in this category. Put yourself on a reference diet. Slim down the references wherever possible.

Ask your self whether you really need to keep the document for reference. Is it something you REALLY need or something you MIGHT need? Don't keep it just because you MIGHT need it. Keep as little as you absolutely can.

What documents you do keep for reference should themselves be put on the reference diet. Slim them down as much as you can. If a ten-page report contains a one-page list of currency conversion rates, for instance, that you need for later, keep the one page and toss the other nine.

The reference material you do keep should be filed away right now so you only handle it once. Don't set it in a "to be filed" pile. File it right now with the project with which you will use it.

Be ruthless. Be brave.
As you handle each new piece of paper that comes to you, be ruthless in your decisions. Take no prisoners. If you really don't need it, toss it. And be brave. Don't put something into your reference materials just because someone might ask you something about it someday. Don't build a fortress of paper to protect yourself.

Manage This Issue
You can tame the paperwork monster. Touch each piece of paper only once, if possible. Act now if you can. If it has to be put aside for later, use a sorting system that allows you to minimize the number of times you have to handle any piece of work.

Next we will look at the electronic version of this issue, how to control the email that floods your inbox.

Additional Internet resources
National Association of Professional Organizers
Order from Chaos® - organizing for the disorganized, by the disorganized
Happiness Is a Clean Desk
It takes a lot of work to maintain a clean desk