In this post, I want to share another incredible tool I'm using on a daily basis. It's (drumroll...) pen & paper. Yes, these ancient artifacts grandpa told you about.
There are many occasions when having an open laptop for taking notes is not the most practical thing. During 1-1s, interviews, just when you walk through the corridors and you need to take note. Wherever your laptop is simply not practical.
So I was using various notebooks, filing systems, and organizers, but I was never truly happy. Basically I needed multiple folders and the option to quickly add or remove additional papers to the folders. I also wanted the rings to be as small as possible as they can be quite uncomfortable.
So, I've chosen Filofax Notebook, mainly for this great feature: https://youtu.be/mJKAboE_Krk?t=440. The original papers are quite thick, solid and very convenient to write on. I've never experienced accidental removing or even dropping out a paper.
Let's see why I actually need these features: My notebook is divided into five chapters: the first section is dedicated to currently ongoing items and one-time tasks (like interviews, single activities with clearly defined end). I have usually 5 to 15 such things ongoing. The very first page is a simple list of tasks - acting the same as my inbox from the previous post, but not duplicating each other. Two lists are still easy to handle.
The following three sections are dedicated to my teams - one for management and my supervisor, to collect notes from our meetings and 1-1s and one for each of my reporting teams. I have there dedicated list for every member of my team with quick notes from our 1-1s and also with basic ideas that I want to discuss with them.
The last section is also for my direct reports but dedicated for feedbacks and long terms activities like career growth or agreed tasks.
I can only recommend using pen and paper for all the face-to-face meetings. Any electronic device simply distracts and creates a barrier.
This Filofax device together with lots of spare papers cost me about 100$ - definitely one of my smartest spendings in 2019.