Clearing the Deck

by Elizabeth Frederick

It’s 8:00 on a Friday night, and I’m looking forward to getting out of the office soon.  First, though, I need to clear the deck.

“Clearing the deck” is an old term that told sailors to get ready for action.  When the captain told them to clear the decks, they would stow their hammocks; put away any tables, chairs, or other loose items; and make sure there was nothing cluttering the deck.  I connect this expression to the need to clear out any clutter that might keep me from being ready for action.

After problems with lost e-mails, forgotten tasks, and missed deadlines, I’ve developed a process that helps me leave the office confident that I’m ready for the coming week.  This process has four key components.

Setting Weekly Goals
At CFS, we set goals on a weekly basis for each of our clients, indicating what we intend to accomplish in the week ahead.  We then e-mail these goals to our clients along with a summary of what we accomplished regarding the previous week’s goals.

Every Friday, I review the goals for my clients for the current week, update their status, and set goals for the coming week.  This is a great opportunity to send e-mails to prepare people for the next week’s activities or quickly catch up on anything I’ve missed.

Updating My Calendar
Something I learned here at CFS is scheduling all my activities on my calendar.  I might end up moving a task around throughout the week, but if it’s on my calendar I have committed time to accomplishing it.

Every day, I review my calendar and move all my completed activities into a backup.  I then make sure everything I need to do the next day is added – it’s an easy way to make sure I haven’t overcommitted.  On Fridays, I make sure the current week’s calendar is completely clear and next week’s activities are scheduled.

Clearing My Desk
I love walking into my office in the morning to see a clean desk!  Every night, I review the various things that have accumulated throughout the day and make an effort to process as many as I can.  Everything that can’t be taken care of in a few minutes goes into a file to complete the next day, as well as on my calendar.

Emptying My Inbox
A technique I learned a few years ago that I’ve used in every job since (as well as in my personal life) is to keep my e-mail inbox clear.  The only messages in it are those I haven’t read and those that still require a response.

I have a system of folders, and as soon as I’ve handled an e-mail so that it requires no further action, I move it to the appropriate folder.  That way I know that everything I need to take care of is in my inbox, and everything in my inbox needs to be taken care of.  My goal is to have less than 10 messages in my inbox at the end of the week – right now I have 7.

Using these four techniques, I can leave the office ready for a relaxing weekend and a calm Monday.

Do you have any favorite techniques for “clearing the deck”?  Share them in a comment!