Reading packs, weekend packs and overnight packs help

[sy]

Hello

I have just started at a new job and getting to know my new boss. She has been through quite a few PAs in the last year as she is a bit of a perfectionist and expect the same from her employees. I am not to phased by that YET but feel I have a lot to prove. She has asked me to read all her emails and categorize her emails ie important, urgent, not urgent etc.... My first question to you helpful folks is do you read your bosses emails and if so what do you do with it ... do you categorize them for your boss? Do you action? Do you file?

My next question is what information do you provide for their overnight packs? How do you ensure that they read and action documents that they should?

Thirdly, what trays do you have on their desk to manage document flow?

Any help would be much appreciated.x

[JessW]

Sy, you need to find out what bossie's parameters are.  You could suggest that not only do you categorise each email as to urgency, but also (where practicable) set deadlines, complete with reminders before the event, for when each action has to be completed etc.  This way, your bossies would have a reminder of, for instance, Management Report re current billing session to be completed by Z, reminder 1 week before, 1 day before, 1 hour before, completed (this would also require link to 'Tasks' menu which could also include any actions that bossie and/or you have to complete to enable said Report to be done!

Just a thought!

Jess (mmm ... Chocolate!) 

[Atlanta Z3]

I have simple in and out trays for my bosess, but use a folder system.  Projects, Accounts Payable, Return to Me etc.

The email seems a bit daunting to me, until you know the company, currect projects and their deadlines it would be difficult to prioritize emails.  I'm a big fan of color codes and out look has great categories with their own color.  You could create your own categories based on projects or deadlines.  It's also fluid you can modify as needed.

I've never created an overnight pack for a boss, I will be folowing this thread for more information.

[msmarieh]

I'm not sure I know what you mean by overnight pack, as to me that means a duffle bag of clothes and toiletries for staying somewhere overnight, but I don't think that's what you mean?

As for the emails, I created folders in my bosses email - to Read and Action needed ASAP. That way he only had to look in one place for what he needed to do. For another boss, I used red flags to categorize them.

[sy]

Thanks for your thoughts guys, really helpful. To clarify the overnight pack includes diary and papers for the following day. I also have a separate section for documents to read and documents to review and action. This all sounds great but I don't seem to know how to follow-up to make sure she has 1. read the documents she should have 2. ensure that she has actioned documents and that I know that it has been done. Thoughts please?

My personal style is for my boss to go through her emails and send me any items that needs to-follow up but at the same time, I will go through their emails and categorize and flag only emails that are 'Important & Urgent" but my new boss would like me to read all her emails and categorize them. My thoughts are categorizing emails as:
Urgent, no action required
Urgent, action required
Important but not urgent
Important requires action
Not important
For information/To read
To read and action

Personally, I think it is messy having so many categories especially reading it on your Blackberry but what do you think?

Atlanta z3 - interested to find out more about your folder system. Where is the folder kept? How does your boss know what he is looking for in terms of priority?

My last question is what trays do you have on your bosses desk? ie out tray, in-tray, action tray.

Thanks again.

S

[Atlanta Z3]

I have wire vertical bins on my desk for each boss, they can look there (but never do).  It's just basic folders Project, Return to Me, Invoices, Expense Receipts.
Heavy documentation projects have community folders on the shared drive and docs are scanned to those folders for future use.
I agree too many folders
I would limit to three or four folders
Action Required, Follow Up, Not Urgent and perhaps a Misc catch all folder
My next question would be how long does an email stay in these folders before it is sloted to another folder in email or deleted?  How do you know when they have read an email or are they emptying these folders each night?

In the overnight pak: Have a cover sheet for each doc with a check mark box read action taken, pa follow up?

[sy]

Thanks Atlanta Z3.

Umm, now that is one thing I haven't thought about. Gosh, I have only been in post for less than a week and the term 'run before you can walk' springs to mind 

At the moment I don't feel comfortable putting her emails in folders as I am not confident that she will read them but I will categorise/flag her emails and I will look to simplify the categories.

[msmarieh]

Urgent, no action required
Urgent, action required
Important but not urgent
Important requires action
Not important
For information/To read
To read and action

I agree that it would be a pain to have so many categories. What is the difference between urgent (no action needed) and important but not urgent? I would consolidate those. I agree with Atlanta's categories and would use something similar.

If you use the flags, she can sort on them and she can  right mouse click on the email and select completed.

[JessW]

Sy

Sounds like your bossie could do with an iPad or similar - that way anything she needs to do overnight/weekend etc can be downloaded and can be marked off as done/action required by whoever etc.

Suggest this as an alternative to carrying around paper copies that can be lost/stolen/forgotten/attached to other stuff and the like - very 21st Century!

[Katie G]

As far as an "overnight pack"

I'm going to assume this is a packet of documentation for travel.  In my case, I include the following"

a printout of the boarding pass if it's plane or train
printouts of hotel confirmations
printouts of rental car confirmations
itinerary of appointments and/or list of attendees at an event
executive summary for people he's meeting (if possible)
any other reports/presentations/documents needed for the meeting (also loaded on a thumb drive)

I also take all the confirmation numbers, phone numbers for airline/hotel/car rental, 24-hour emergency number for our travel agent and give him a printout of that to carry somewhere other than his briefcase.