How to Reduce Your Own Paper Output

You should encourage other people not to use and store so much paper too. Look at what you send out to people and think of ways of cutting down. Try these:

- write a reply on the bottom of memos/letters and return it
- keep anything you write brief and readable
- phone a reply
- e-mail
- keep letters/proposals to one side of paper send copies to fewer people reduce forms
- reduce instruction manuals.

Letter writing made easy
The advice is to keep letters short and easy to read but many people find writing letters difficult. They waste a lot of time agonizing over how to express themselves on paper.

You don't want to spend too much time on writing letters, although it is a large part of many people's jobs. If you have letters to write, do the following:

- file letters you have to reply to in two folders - high and low priority
- answer high-priority letters first; save low-priority letters for spare moments
- gather any information you need beforehand
- when replying to a letter, deal with the points in the order they were made
- keep to one point in each paragraph, even if the paragraph is only one sentence long
- if composing a letter, list the points you want to make
- keep language simple and sentences short
- if it is too late to write, phone.

Keep a pile of stamped postcards in your drawer or briefcase. Use them instead of letters when only a brief personal reply is required.

Forms
Collect all the forms that you and your staff have to fill in or send out during a month. Look at them and ask yourself 'what would happen if this form didn't exist?' Often the answer would be 'not very much'. Try eliminating one or two forms and seeing what the consequence is. If life goes on much as before, do not reintroduce them.

For forms that do prove vital look at how they are set out and the language they use. Can the form be rewritten and restyled to be made simpler, clearer, shorter? If so, redesign it.

Far too much time is wasted in many workplaces completing forms that have no value or no real purpose. Most people do not need the constant check of form filling to ensure that they do their job well or that basic procedures are being adhered to. If they do, their line manager or supervisor is usually adequate check. Eliminate as many forms as you can. Most people can be trusted to follow general guidelines. In many cases sensible approximation is required rather than exactitude. Follow the well-known Marks and Spencer doctrine 'When in doubt, throw it out'.

Using checklists
Although you should aim to eliminate as many general office forms as possible you may find that some of your own procedures can benefit from using standardized simple forms or checklists. You can create these for your own use and they can be kept on a computer or printed out and photocopied. Often the use of a simple standard checklist can speed up a project because you don't have to start from scratch. Every time you complete a project ask yourself would a simple form or checklist help me with the next project? If so, create it while you remember what you need it for.

Company instruction manuals
How often have you or your staff had to wade through thick instruction manuals? Company instruction manuals should be as short and to the point as possible. Staff are more likely to read and remember a short clear booklet than an inch-thick tome. If your company is very large, provide one slim booklet for each section.