The Organized Executive: A Program for Productivity--New Ways to Manage Time, Paper, People, and the Digital Office (Paperback)

by Stephanie Winston (Author) "Sometimes it seems that the day-to-day organization of America rests in very uncertain hands..." (more)
Key Phrases: referral folder, ask your secretary, payoff tasks, Daily List, Action Step, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
For the last 15 years, executives and business professionals everywhere have made The Organized Executive synonymous with success. No other author has helped more people turn wastefulness into productivity than Stephanie winston. Now, in a special edition undated to reflect the changes in technologye-mail, the internet, palm pilots, and a host of other gadgetsshe reveals the best ways to: analyze organization needs; optimize performance; end paper build-up; increase productivity; combat procrastination; and so much more.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Business Plus; 1 edition (February 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446676969
• ISBN-13: 978-0446676960
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #290,120 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not bad, but somewhat dated, September 17, 2000

By	J Gites (Cambridge MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The ORGANIZED EXECUTIVE: New Ways to Manage Time, Paper and People (Sound Ideas) (Audio Cassette)

A well-thought out book/tape that seems oriented to the pre-Internet economy, for example there is a lengthy section on dealing with reports sent on routing lists and the usefulness of paper forms. Does anyone still use these tools when there are better alternatives like Lotus Notes, etc? And executive secretaries are getting scarce, at least in the computer industry, where managers are expected to use Microsoft Word. These tapes are still worth a listen, but quite a bit of creative listening is required and a revised edition would be welcome.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Job Saver, May 14, 2002

By A Customer

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.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Everyone hates the paperwork, but it's got to get done, February 27, 2006

By	Louise McCauley (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

The Organized Executive covers four topics dedicated to managing paperwork, tasks, time and staff. It specifically gives guidelines on planning one's day and setting priorities. It gives scheduling advice and a perspective on how to avoid time wasters. Staff problems from delegation to staff, expectations of staff, and management of staff is covered. The section on managing paperwork is covered first and provides a system for managing paperwork.
"The key to paper management is processing: that is, channeling each piece from your in-box to its appropriate destination." Learning a system that handles paperwork efficiently will result in greater accomplishments, more enjoyment from work, and result in spending fewer hours with paperwork.
Learn the TRAF technique to properly manage paperwork. The first rule in TRAF, before you can use this system, is to READ THE PAPERWORK. Use the following technique on every single piece of paperwork:

TOSS: "Man's best friend, aside from a dog, is the wastebasket," says Business Week. Ask yourself, "What is the worst thing that can happen if I toss this out?

REFER: Delegate paperwork to a staffer or others that are more qualified or trained to deal with the paperwork. Follow-up on paperwork that you delegate.

ACT: Use an action folder to ensure that items that need attention are together in one location. Later, this folder can be prioritized.

FILE: For items that can not be delegated or require action, but can not be discarded immediately, should be filed. Mark this filed paperwork with a discard date to know when the paperwork can be successfully tossed.