To all the advisors - how do you keep organized

[fire1977]

Hi everyone!
I'm hoping this is the right forum, I figure if you're an advisor you must be an alum.
For all of you who advise, how do you keep all of your files, etc organized? I don't want to print out every email I get from a collegiate but I can't save them all in my email account either. I have to keep track of my correspondence with them somehow. With attachments I have been putting them into folders and burning them on disk at the end of the semester but I'm stumped with regular email.
So what do you do to keep organized? Any suggestions?

[lauralaylin]

Maybe you could get a new email account to save your emails? I opened one at yahoo, and I save all my sorority emails and then go through them a few times a year to get rid of the ones that aren't important anymore.

For my other documents, like attachments, I saved them into one folder on my computer. It's sort of disorganized though because I have so many documents now that it takes a long time going through them. I need help there!

[SoCalGirl]

I'm a brand new advisor! I haven't run into this problem yet. But I am also Secretary and Newsletter Editor for my alumnae chapter. I have a really cute stationary trunk that I keep everything in. Well, that and shopping bags. Other than that it gets saved to files on my harddrive.

Luckily though SK National's is pushing to go paperless!!!! Practically everything is done through email or downlowds on the Sisters Only section of the website.

If your Nationals hasn't started toward paperless, I'd defintely encourage it.

[cherub]

I'm supposed to be organised? THAT'S what I've been forgetting all this time

I advise three position, including pres. Not an ideal solution, and I'm always feeling like someone is getting left out. I've got all my manuals in one area (most of the time) so that I always know where they are. I have a seperate email account that I use for chapter business, which is really helpful. I regularly purge emails that aren't important. Basically anything that my successor wouldn't find useful or that wasn't major, goes. This is a big point, b/c it's easy to keep every little email. Each conterpart has their own folder in the email account for personal business, then I have a folder for chapter business/isses and AAC issues. My last folder is for CPP emails. So far, this has worked really well.

Log books and charts also help. I have a Pi Phi book that travels to every meeting so I can always look back for reference. Colour coding this helps, so issues that need my attention are in red, cool ideas in blue, etc. Whatever works. Plus, a phone log is key. Name, time and date of call, major issues discussed, results. This eliminates a lot of paperwork. You (and I) could probably consolidate emails this way too.

Lastly, I've got one of those 5 folder hanging systems that I've added a few extra folders to. Again, colour-coded. All snail mail goes here. Sections for needs immediate attention, for information only, things for the scrapbook, archives/references and then for our magazine.

edited to add: It's always a paper fight. I wish our HQ would go electric...I drown in paper each mailing.

[fire1977]

Thanks everyone, I have a special spot for manuals and I also have a binder with each chapter I advise in it, i had folders for each before but i found myself needing the info from other chapters during my visits so now I keep it all in one place.

I communicate with my collegiates mostly via email, very rarely do I call them, if I do it's usually a big deal. That's where my problem is, I came into this position without a lot of documentation (the people before me moved "up" in the organization and not out thankfully) and I want to make sure that the next person will be able to deal with ANYTHING! lol

My biggest problem is deciding which emails are important and which aren't. Sometimes it's very clear and sometimes it's not. Any suggestions that way? I get ALOT of email.

I dont advise a chapter right now , i do however advise a masonic youth group and as one time head advisor and now secretary/ treasurer this is my system and things i use:

i get those plastic handle clear square totes( the ones ppl use for whatever and you can buy at wal mart)

color coded hanging files ( based on importance)...purple, red, green, yellow. for however you want to set up yoru paper trail of anything that is of improtance to you.

a Dayplanner that is also color coded with hi lighters and memo page tabs that are various colors

and, a tote bag to carry any needed manuals and that dayplanner around in . those few items will get you by anywhere!

I believe in the whole color coding thing. I am beginning my career in law and working in a law office where everything has an organizing system which i live by. I am a very anal detailed person with list, master calanders( and backups), hi lighters, tabs, and storage bins for easily available access. martha Stewart eat your heart out!

but you cannot go wrong with a dayplanner, hanging files and a plastic tote to organize with.


Laura

[shadokat]

Get one of those accordian files that has bunches of slots and use a slot for each group's emails. That way you can delete what you have and keep a hard copy. I trash most of my email once a situation is resolved, keeping only the initial contacts emails, the important discussion and resolution.

It's worked so far

[cherub]

I second the suggestion from shadokat. It's always easier to read something in print, so print 'em off, at least till you get better about deciding the importance levels.

If it's just a procedural question, i.e. something in the manuals, I delete it after a few weeks if I haven't had any further discussions. If it's something needing further research to our CPP, I keep the initial email and the resolution. Rest is deleted. Any emails that result in an addition to bylaws, I delete once bylaws are amended. And at the end of each semester, I do a final purge. Any other emails I missed are tossed here.

Ultimately, you want your successor to have some idea about the situations you handled and how you handled them. To me, that's it. But, situations that are on personal levels, like discipline questions, I toss once resolved. I tend to only keep chapter business emails and then, only if there's a precedence being set.

[SnowLady]

Can you view your email through Outlook Express? That's been a wonderful tool for me. When you download to OE, you can save to your hard drive so you can keep all of your messages.

I currently have my Alumnae Chapter, Corporation and Active Chapter emails separately. Then I can open up sub folders within each of those if things get detailed - ie Recruitment, ByLaws revisions, etc.

I also have a HUGE binder. I am fastidious (sp?) about getting loose paper in the proprer section.

One of things I'm facing is that I've been the Chapter Adviser now for three years. There are a lot of things I just "know." So, I've been working on each officer - ideas. I have each officer's job description and behind that tab I put things down as I think of them and as they need to do things with dates. At the end of this school year, I'm going to go through them and organize them by date and typed and put back into the binder. That way the next CA can already have that info.

Most importantly, you can take all of our ideas and combine them, but if you don't feel comfortable doing them, you'll end up not following through. Do what feels right.

Good Luck! Our jobs aren't always easy, but they can be SO rewarding!

Heidi

[KDShan]

two words: PALM PILOT!!!!
I'm able to keep the master calendar and contact info in there and take it with me EVERYWHERE! mine includes KD stuff (for both the chapter I advise, the 2 AAs I belong to, and the AA I'm working on reorganizing) I also include personal and work info on there.

Also, I have a different binder for each office I advise (three) that is separated by dividers. Each binder has the same sections (contact info, master calendar, monthly reports, mailings, correspondance from chapter, correspondance from HQ, goals for semester/year) and each has office specific sections.

I print off all my emails. As anal as it may seem-it's good to have one with you at a meeting to immediately reference. Also incase something happens to your computer and all is lost, you still have it in writing.

Good Luck!