Create a Template
Over the past couple years, I’ve created an “automatic trigger” to look for ways to create a template or checklist whenever I do something repetitive a second time.
I’m not sure why I didn’t create this internal rule of thumb while I was in in private practice. I suspect it is because life as an OPM has an extremely wide variety of repetitive detailed tasks. One moment you’re processing contracts. The next day, invoices….then something else. This is particularly noticeable in the State of Nevada, because we work within a two year rhythm with our biennial legislative cycle.
Cal Newport mentions a rule of thumb where it pays to automate something when one anticipates a task will repeated thirty times. I suspect the ROI is even quicker when the effort is just pausing to write up a checklist.
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Have you found that work as an OPM has quite a bit more variety than in private practice? How do you create administrative efficiency?
Hit Reply and lets chat!
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My OPM notes from April
In retrospect, April did not have many OPM or architecture related posts. However, Kitchens and Dining Rooms comes pretty close. A fun read, though not worth going out of one’s way to obtain.
Because of the lack work-specific posts, I thought I’d throw in this rant against social media. As knowledge workers, it is particularly important to avoid gunking up our brains. Though frankly, social is so toxic, I recommend that all humans quit the algorithm.
This post was my response lauding one of the best blog posts that I read about life during the pandemic. Arnaud’s original post is well worth a (re)read.
One from the Archives
Speaking of templates, one of my internal initiatives at the office was to help institute a digital signature for invoices and agreements. It was incredibly successful in streamlining an unwieldly process. However, such success comes with an ominous cloud for those who have settled too comfortably into their jobs.
… and a public domain photo.
