The Organized Executive: The Classic Program for Productivity: New Ways to Manage Time, Paper, People, and the Digital Office

I was promoted at work and inherited a one-person office in which paperwork was simply scooped up and thrown in banker's boxes by the previous management. You can't imagine the chaos. I had few organizational skills of my own (having always just followed someone else's plan), and no assistant. I got this book about the time that I found out I was getting a government audit of these messed-up files in 6 weeks. I would not have a job if it wasn't for this book. It taught me, a first-time manager, how to assess what needed to be done, how to prioritize (I don't have to do all the stressful things first!), how to break down and schedule projects, and how to follow-up with the (non-administrative) employees I have. I got the office and files ready, despite being out one of the weeks with whiplash, and passed the audit with flying colors. This isn't just about what to name your files. My desk is clean, I know where all my files and important papers are, and my reports have been on time. If disorganization is wasting your time, buy this book.

Even if you are an accomplished executive, take a few moments to browse the pages of this organizational classic. In short, this book is everything a time-management system should be; it suggests scores of simple-to-implement strategies that can quickly improve your efficiency and effectiveness. This revised edition has been updated to incorporate electronic advances, even if some of the tools mentioned have already been rendered obsolete. We [...] recommend this book to anyone who has ever complained about having too much work or too little time.

I first listened to these tapes in 1994 or so, and they were very helpful then. I return to them every so often to remind myself of the techniques and ideas. Little of "office life" is left untouched: file organization, interacting with staff, managing crisis in your day. The examples are real world and helpful, and she reviews the important points at the end of each section. I liked this so much, that I bought the paperback (for a whopping $6 or so) in 1995. The tapes and the book work well together. You might want to consider getting both. You will not be wasting your money.

I've started applying several tips that appear "common sense" in retrospect - planning your day the evening before, scheduling at most two intense-thinking tasks in my more productive hours, scheduling at most ten tasks per day, planning itenerary to combine several closely located tasks and minimizing backtrack. Generally raises your awareness of work habits - so, you realize opportunities for improvement. You will need to adapt some of the tips if you use PC quite a bit.

Whether you are totally unorganized or not, you are bound to find this book useful. I consider myself to be fairly organized and I found many valuable nuggets of information here. This book is to the point, easy to follow and written for the reader. Want to optimize your work day? Get this book.