Slack Time

[spjinjin]

Hi,
Would like to know what you would do during slack time? Am looking for better direction during slack time.

Currently use the time to update contacts list, organise folders & files on computer, filing and data backup.

Spjinjin

[gee4]

I do all of that when I have spare time.  Also a good exercise is clearing out paperwork from files and making them ready for all the minutes or agendas or reports to be inserted for 2007.

[gri03550]

Hi

I generally don't get that much 'slack time' in my office - any that I do get I spend organising files - filing all the paperwork that I've left to one side.

I have a very good professional and social relationship with my colleagues and we tend to engage each other in often meaningless but insightful conversation.

Matt Griffin AffIQPS, LIAV

[msmarieh]

If I get slack time (rare, but it happens) and I am all caught up on my filing, I often look for little organizing projects. For instance, I have one sitting on my desk right now to go through and consolidate entries in my database so I am better prepared for Christmas cards next year. Last year was my first year with the company and I have given a lot of thought to ways I can become better organized this year and thus more efficient. I will also put together a desk manual with updates for the various things that I do, which makes life easier for whoever sits in at my desk when I am on vacation.

If I truly have nothing to do, I will work on IAAP stuff, write articles, learn new skills (i.e. investigate things I don't know on the computer), read a business-related or management book, etc.

Marie

[diamondlady]

I'm getting to that point of nothing to do. My boss is on Grand Jury Duty for the entire month, at least the next 3 weeks, then he travels the last week of January, so I won't see him literally until February.

I've been doing everything I can possibly do to stay busy, including helping out another department while they were short  handed, other folks filing and boxing up of old files for them.  There is always something to do.  This time of year its files for 2007 and setting up the computer for 2007 files.  These are just some of the projects that I have been working on as I get the ambition.  That's half my battle of staying motivated while he's away.

Diamondlady
Peer Moderator

[dedlered]

My slack time comes and goes or as the old saying goes, when it rains it pours.  

I usually update my contacts and as Marie said, catch up on business reading or educating myself

Laura
Peer Moderator

[geminigirl]

What's "slack time"?  

Actually, as most have said, trying to organise myself and the office better.  I get a new boss in July so I'm currently *physically* reorganising the awful filing system that my predecessor loved - files that interlock rather than individual suspension files.  There are so many and they are so full that, literally, I had to force my hand into the files to get a bit of space to either find something or put something new in.  And it is impossible to put a new file in without taking out about five as they are physically linked.  Grrr!  

So, currently going through 6 filing cabinets and through every file in them weeding out all the unncessary stuff like notes saying "the meeting on Tuesday has been brought forward to 10am" and duplicates of notes.  And just the weirdest stuff was filed - I thought the notes about the rearranged meetings were bad enough but yesterday I came across an empty A4 envelope, with "please forward to Mr XX" on it.  Unbelievable!

On the whole though, it's quite an interesting exercise as I'm learning lots of things about my place of work.

Other than that, I try and keep the contacts list up to date, make sure my electronic files are all in order (oh, and she didn't keep many of those, either) and once the Big Filing Project is done, I shall take great pleasure in getting rid of the piles of paper that are building up and tidy my office!  So grateful that I don't sure an office and so inflict my messy papers (albeit temporarily so) on others.

[littleem]

I'm studying for my exam in a weeks time, so is great to have that slackness at work.

[movinonup]

Very little slack time here, except in late November and December...so now things are picking up rapidly.  

In the later months I go through my desk manual to update procedures and file announcements and org charts.  This keeps me busy for days, since there are so many changes in this company.  In addition to this, I keep an updated list of my job duties available for review purposes, and for use by those covering for me when I'm out of the office.

When I get tired of that, I prepare binders for upcoming year's sales orders, or replace dog-eared folders.  In addition, it's time to start putting old files in storage, so I get that organized.  I also prepare for the coming year, creating new folders electronically.  It's also a good time to weed out unused electronic files and folders.

The contact lists need constant updating, adding info such as what gifts and cards each person at each company receives....updating their titles and making sure that the current correct rep at our company is listed as contact.

I keep a list of projects my boss may mention in passing...things like, "It would be nice to prepare a monthly report of travel for the managers," or "I could use an annual summary of the expense budget compared to the actual expenses," or "Eventually we should keep better track of the completed orders from each facility,"  or even, "It would be good for you to keep templates of routing possibilities for our various travel destinations."  When I have time I work on these suggestions and turn the projects in to him for review.

I also talk with other coordinators to see what kind of extra projects they do for their managers.  One of them showed me how to monitor the cost center charges in SAP, because A/P was making many posting errors.  I'm going to look into that for our cost center when time permits.





Movinonup