Ever look for missing papers that need your immediate attention. Going through pile after pile of paper, you think, “What did I do with that … file?” Luckily, below are six steps to find missing papers and documents in your small business.
Effective Steps
- Step 1: Think back; when did you last see the file? Any ideas?
- Step 2: Check where you usually file the document.
- Step 3: Check with someone else working on the project.
- Step 4: Check the pile of to-be-filed papers.
- Step 5: Check with another person in your office if they have it.
- Step 6: Check the recycling paper section bin.
Step 1: Think back; when did you last see the file? Any ideas?
When you forget where you put something, spending a section and thinking back to the last time you had it works well. Try this visually the last time you used the piece of paper. Where were you? Were you multitasking? Did you place the paper in an area to do something else? Walk to the location where you last remember having the piece of paper; it may trigger a memory.
Step 2: Check where you usually file the document.
If you haven’t found the paper yet, the next step is to check the folders near where you filed your papers. What is placed in the bin near your desk (Affiliate Link)? Did it fall between your desk (Affiliate Link) and your filing cabinet (Affiliate Link)? Was it filed in front or behind the folder where you usually file the papers? They can even be behind something else you filed recently. Check those files as well. If one piece of paper had a paper clip, it could have been attached to that paper.
Step 3: Check with someone else working on the project.
The next area to find missing papers is to ask someone else. Sometimes, people in the office move papers, thinking they need to be filed or placed somewhere else. Check with your coworkers or employees. If someone else filed it away for you, check under other related words or misspelled words in the filing cabinet (Affiliate Link). If they created a new file, you may need to ask them what they called it.
Step 4: Check the pile of to-be-filed papers.
If you still can not find missing papers, you may want to check a to-be file pile area. Do you have an area where you have a pile of paper that you or someone else plan on filing later? Check your ‘to be filed’ bin or other piles in your office. Sometimes, we don’t need the file in the folder, so we wait to file it. But it turns out we do need it filed away in the appropriate spot.
Step 5: Check with another person in your office if they have it.
If coworkers share different documents, that person may have the file. Asking them by sending a quick email or a quick call works well. Ask co-workers to see if they need the file. They may have taken it and misfiled it when it was returned.
Step 6: Check the recycling paper section bin.
Hopefully, you found the file at this point. If not, you may have thought it was trash and put it in the recycling bin. You can check the “to be shredded” pile if you do not shred your papers immediately. Or it could have been placed in the recycling bin with another piece of paper, and that one was attached to it.
I hope you found or know where to find the missing papers. Now, let’s talk about how to stop losing the needed papers.
But how do you stop losing paper in the first place?
Well, it starts with proper planning. Determine if your office has the space to organize your papers properly. Does your desk (Affiliate Link) have a filing cabinet (Affiliate Link) for immediate essential documents? Does your office have a place for long-term files? Is that place filled with unused, unwanted papers? Asking yourself all these questions will guide you on what to do next. Writing down your storage locations for paper and what goes in those areas helps you and supports your staff. Check out this post (Tips to Organize Office Files – So Anyone Can Find Them). It’s about organizing paper files anyone can find.
Let’s continue the conversation. What other tasks do you do to find lost papers? I would love to hear from you. May you always find the documents you need when you need them till next time. Feel free to visit the other related posts below.
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