Working on lots of documents at the same time? Finding it hard to keep on top of where everything is saved? Here are my 6 tips to help:
1. Use the cloud
I don't know any company that doesn't use a cloud service...but I do know people who still save documents down to the desktop 😱 you shouldn't be doing that anymore.
The main benefit of using a cloud service is everything is accessible to your team. We've all experienced someone going on leave and not being able to access that document they saved to their hard drive. As a team, using a cloud service (and having a really good file structure - hint see tip 3) means your team is going to save time and be far more efficient because they can source the docs they need without having to ask other team members.
Using the cloud also allows you to do my second tip...
2. Share links rather than documents
If you need people to review or contribute to a document you’re working on gone are the days of sending a file to multiple people then having to align feedback across multiple versions.
So many people still do this...don't be one of them
You're gonna save yourself so much time and hassle by sending a link instead. People can than make edits/comments directly into the original file - as well as see what other people have written. It means you don't to trawl through multiple versions, all with differing feedback, to consolidate into one.
Also, quite often, I will send something out for review and then think of something else I want to include (or just suddenly see 5 typos right after I hit send). By sending out a link you can make sneaky edits in the background without them ever knowing 🤫
3. Put thought into your naming and file structure
This step is pretty obvious but rarely done. It can be hard when you're busy and under pressure to find the time and space to think through how things should be named and where they should be saved. Doing this up front will make it a lot easier going for everything you create in future. I recommend getting together with your team to decide how your files will be structured and regularly review if it's working and what tweaks are needed.
Having a consistent naming structure also makes my 3 third tip a lot easier...
4. Use programs search functions
Most tools, document repositories etc have amazing search functions - use them
You shouldn't need to search through folders all the time. If you have named your files and folders well, it's going to be easy to find content using the search function.
That brings me to my fourth tip...
5. "Pin" documents
Pin documents you use often for quick access. Microsoft sorts by the most recent document - but you can also view pinned documents. The great thing about this is you don't even have to know where a doc is saved. Say a colleague sends you a link to doc you will need to access regularly - just pin it. No more searching through folders!
6. Add document shortcuts to your desktop
Hey, I'm all for making your docs quickly and easily available - that's why I think pinning (tip 5) is so useful. But if you are one of those people that MUST have stuff on your desktop this tip is for you. Rather than saving the document to your desktop, save it properly the first time then add a shortcut to the file to your desktop. This way it's still easily available via your desktop but the document is also saved to to the right location making it secure and accessible by others.
Are there any tips you have for getting on top of all your documents?
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