February 24, 2005
Dear Everyone:
Our move into the new “Space Standards” looms ever
closer. Today we had our
first, and only, Cleanup Day.
(“First and only” because our Global Records Consulting group,
plus the “
What’s a “Cleanup Day”? you ask.
It’s a day when you are not only allowed but actually encouraged to spend the whole day in “grubbies” (usually jeans and a T-shirt), cleaning out your office space. In my case, that’s 8 hours at $120/hour that my department won’t be collecting in revenue.
But, as we prepare to move into the new Space Standards, many people are in the position of moving from a spacious office, with multiple filing cabinets, into an 8X8 cubicle with one file drawer. These people need more than one Cleanup Day. In fact, I’ve heard that additional Cleanup Days have been scheduled for the group that I work with in what “Jeannie” calls “Big Rabbit 3”.
The idea is to go through your physical files and purge what isn’t needed any more; send older, but still necessary, records to offsite storage; and generally get rid of a lot of the just plain junk that accumulates like children and old magazines. This is very difficult for some people. Especially when it comes to records.
It generally seems easiest to just keep everything, rather than take the time to go over files and decide what best to do with them. Even I’m guilty of letting things pile up, especially junk mail at home.
To help in the decision-making process, there’s always a records management person on site during a Cleanup Day. That way, when someone doesn’t know how long a certain type of record needs to be kept, the records management person can help them consult the company-wide retention schedule and make an informed decision.
Our records management person, “Maynard”, is actually one of my GRC group. He didn’t have to answer a lot of “how long should I keep this” questions, but did field other questions about what to expect in our new location.
As for my records: My “Pleasant Hill” desk has three file drawers. The one on the right was completely empty. “Look! I’ve cleaned one out already.” Of the two on the left, the upper drawer held files, mostly operational and old projects. The files I actually use these days are all in a portable file box in the trunk of my car. That way I have them nearby regardless of where I’m working. The lower drawer held an extension cord that had never been used, some unused file folders, and a Tiffany bowl that was our company “Year-End Holiday Celebration” gift a few years back. It’s still in the original box.
I spent more time throwing out old boxes of tea than culling through the files. Although I did run across an old “Train the Trainer” course I’d taken. This might be helpful with the document management system training. I also discarded quite an accumulation of ketchup packets, napkins, straws and plastic cutlery.
Every time I would go to the cafeteria and bring something back to eat at my desk, I would grab some napkins, an extra knife or fork, and some straws. This way, if I was in a hurry, I would know I had what I needed in my office. Little by little, they added up.
As for the files, the reason I have so few of them is that most of my work is done electronically. Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations. I might print a document out from time to time; but the original is in the computer. Actually, it’s in the very document management system that I teach other people how to use. The best way to teach someone else is to know as much about what the system can do yourself. And the best way to know that is to use the system all the time.
I did fill one box with things I plan to take home with me. Personal items that will have no place in the new Space Standards. And I filled two more boxes with books that I will take to the new workspace, mostly references. I’ll do the rest of the packing in two weeks, when our official Packing Day takes place. And I’ll probably have about four boxes, again mostly references, to pack in “Big Rabbit 3”.
And there’s a “
Cleanup Day also includes free lunch, candy and a raffle or two. Lunch is usually pizza. Having had a lot of pizza in the past couple of months, “Maynard” elected to take the six of us (one is on a business trip this week) to a restaurant instead. And the raffle is for (guess what?) a gift card for free gasoline.
The hardest part in all this for me will be
deciding what to do with some artwork and an antique tea trolley, which
I’ve used for nearly 20 years.
I don’t think the
Love, as always,
Pete
PS.
We’re not the only ones to have Cleanup Days.
At
UC Berkeley, I’m told the
Registrar’s
Office has them twice a year.
But I suspect they don’t throw in free food.
P.
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