Just read it:

Tip for Getting More Organized – Don’t

Harvard Business Review (@HarvardBiz)

Interesting paragraph:

Instead of better tools for better organizing, people want their organization done for them. Organizing is wasteful; getting its benefits is productivity. Consequently, people I work with want their email to recommend who should be added to the list of colleagues getting a document for review and comment; or have their calendar suggest additional invitees for a planned project review; or give them a reminder that they have a relevant Excel spreadsheet macro when they’re revising a financial plan. They want what I’ve described earlier as “promptware” — a cue and intervention that creates measurable value in the moment, rather than promised efficiencies in the future.

We’re called secretary/assistant and we have always been here organizing and keeping our client’s/bosses businesses running smoothly.

You can’t replace us with technology.  You may be able to get keystrokes on a page somewhat reliably through speech recognition; but you won’t ever be able to create an app that does what an assistant does.  You just can’t app a live thinking brain that is constantly focused on making sure that your business gets done.

You can only take technology so far.  For efficiencies of scale and cost, you need to take people out of the process – I get it.  Improve the process but remember, you always will need people for the processing.

I have been a long time follower of Chris Brogan (@ChrisBrogan).  I bring up Chris in today’s blog because every year for several years now he has chosen 3 words to encompass that year’s “resolutions”.  In his own words:

Every year since around 2006, I’ve been challenging people to forego the idea of a resolution, and instead, to come up with 3 words that will help you define your goals and experiences for the coming year. Resolutions are often too vague, or too directed towards one goal. It might be “quit smoking” or “lose 20 pounds” or “get hired.” These are all fine aspirations, but I challenge you to dig deeper, to find three words that could be used as lighthouses to guide you through stormy seas, that can be used as flags on the battlefield of your challenges, words that will bolster you and give you a direction that goes beyond the goals you might attach as a result of these words.

Full blog post here.

In 2012, Chris’ words are Temple. Untangle. Practice.  Read the blog post and you’ll understand why.  In his blog post, Chris asks his readers to publish their own 3 words.  So here goes:

My 3 words for 2012 are:   Filter. Focus. Fun.

I didn’t mean to make them all start with the same letter, but it’s really easy to remember and with fun on the end, so far, every time I say it, it makes me smile. :)

What are your 3 words?