Oct/090
What is this OneNote thing?
I am exploring the possibilities of a new button that appeared at some time on my Outlook toolbar. I also noticed that it turned up in my printers list. It is a program called OneNote that comes with Microsoft Office 2007. I kept seeing “Send to OneNote”, so the other day I “Binged” OneNote and started reading. What is it and what can it do? The short answer is: you can use it to get organized. Oh! But I have heard that before!
I have quite a collection of ring binders that organize information for the different segments of my office responsibilities. The information comes from many sources. I print out emails, web pages, Word documents and Excel spreadsheets. I clip the printed pages under the right dividers in the right binders to try to organize all the good stuff that I need to remember, or at least have at my fingertips. There are several problems with this. The information comes at me from many different directions and it keeps changing. I print pages that may get lost before they find their way into the right divider in the binder. I spend time printing, punching, filing and purging. I am computer savvy; I know there has to be a quicker way to organize information that does not constantly consume paper!
I liked what I was reading about OneNote. Not only could I “file” all my usual sources of information in a virtual binder, I could also add audio and video to the collection. I can type my meeting notes directly into OneNote. I can “scribble” notes (as well as type) on the pages I file.
I can drop information from several sources on one page. I can link to-do’s to my Outlook calendar. OK, I will try this for a while, and see if it is as user friendly as the promo says it is. It sounds like it will be quicker and easier than printing the information plus it promises to be more versatile than filing in the regular Windows Explorer folders.
First I needed to figure out the organization strategy. Using the Ring Binder as a model, a Notebook replaces the Ring Binder. A Section replaces a divider. Pages are filed in the Sections. Sections can also be grouped to provide more organization.
This is where it gets better than a Ring Binder. If I save the Notebook in a shared network location, I have the option of using it as a shared workspace where several people can contribute and use it to work on a shared project. There is also a mobile component that allows synchronization with mobile devices.
There are several different template Notebooks and many pages of suggestions and tips on how to use this tool to organize your stuff, so no one has to invent how to organize a Notebook.
So for the past 10 days I have refrained from printing out pages of information (save that tree!), and have selected “Send to OneNote” instead. A OneNote icon appears in the tray at the bottom of my computer screen. I click the icon and OneNote opens up and what I sent to OneNote appears as a page in the “unfiled” Section of OneNote. I right click on the page tab on the right side of the page and select “Move page to” so that I can “file” it in the right Section of the right Notebook. I can easily name (or rename) the page for easy recognition.
I am currently building Notebooks and Sections on the fly as needed as I am learning this new tool. I have found it is really simple to start a new Notebook or add a Section. The next things I want to accomplish include typing meeting notes into OneNote and tying the to-do’s to my Outlook calendar. I also need to explore how Excel files relate to this tool.
And I just realized that if I was typing this directly into OneNote, there is a tab to blog this…..
Diane Essington
Office Manager
ICS Support, Inc.
Sep/090
How do you NOT MULTI-TASK?
How do you keep focus when multiple demands constantly hit your desk? Recently it was in the news that Stanford University researchers pinpointed multi-tasking as a “bane not a blessing.” “Everything distracts them” was said about people who listen to I-Pods while watching online video, texting, checking email and firing off Facebook updates. Testing also showed that multi-taskers weren’t superior when it came to remembering or organizing information.
For many of us who work in a medium to small business and wear several hats, multi-tasking is a necessary fact of life. I am now imbedded in three immediate tasks. I started payroll tasks, and then IT needed to reboot the server. I started calculating support costs for a client and needed input from a technician who is tied up with other duties. As down time appears for one task, I jump into the next–all while email dings and the phones ring. At the end of the day, it is a challenge to work my way out of the nested loops I have created. I review completed tasks for continuity to check if each separately completed piece flows and connects with the others. Sound familiar?
How do I cope? Over the years I have found some simple ways to “find focus” in the midst of a multi-tasking environment.
MAKE A LIST!
1. Make a list of tasks to accomplish TODAY.
2. Prioritize the list
3. Work the list from the top priority down.
4. Smile at new demands
5. Rework the list
6. Get back to the PRIORITY task
7. Finish the task at hand
8. Cross the task off the list
Actually write down the list and keep it on the desk next to you. Studies have also proven that stress causes forgetfulness! Having the written list reminds you what task you SHOULD be accomplishing while other demands are swirling around you.
The biggest challenge after making the list is finding the time to work the list. How do you create the time?
Create some FOCUS TIME: I remember my time at a small weekly community newspaper. We did our own black and white film development in a darkroom (remember film in cameras?). Everyone knew NOT to open the darkroom door because the photos for the week may be ruined. In the midst of intense deadline pressures, one of the owners would make focused time to write her stories by going into the darkroom and closing the door. It was not a comfortable solution, but a simple one. No one was disturbed while they were in the darkroom. She did not have to answer the phone and was not interrupted by walk-in customers or other staff members. She found dedicated time to write. She found a way to put up her red flag that said “Do Not Disturb.”
Back to the Future, how do we take that example to create FOCUS TIME? TURN OFF the cell phone, email, and all instant messaging and set the telephone to “do not disturb.” As long as others know when you will be available, they can usually adjust their needs to accommodate your time. Technology lets you easily communicate with “do not disturb” or “away” messages on email, instant messaging, etc. Close the office door or put up a RED FLAG on your desk to let colleagues know that you are not to be disturbed. Now you have time to focus on the task at hand and you can start to cross those tasks off the list.
Start by creating maybe an hour each day of focused work. Then, after basking in the satisfaction of actually accomplishing an identified task and crossing it off the list, contemplate how you might expand the amount of FOCUS TIME you have. Schedule your FOCUS TIME in your calendar and plan for it. Set or negotiate more “do not disturb” time for the phones or other office demands. Check your email only at several designated times of the day. Communicate with others when your availability is limited. And I will repeat, as long as others know when you will be available, they can usually adjust their needs to accommodate your time.
Then enjoy the satisfaction of a task focused and well-done.
By Diane Essington
Office Manager
ICS Support, Inc.