He said a silly example for him is he hasn’t been able to keep track of paper. “I’m not well-organized in that way,” he said, adding that he realized he has “bad filing, sorting and organizing habits” and had to find people who could help keep track of his papers.
So guess what? You're not alone.
Even the President of the United States admits he's not great with paper, but he understands the importance of it - to be more specific he understands the importance of the information those papers hold. So what did he do about it? We'll it's simple, he surrounded himself with people who could keep him organized and ensure he had the right information when he needed it.
Now, your responsibilities are probably slightly lower then that of President Obama but it doesn't make your need for information any less important. Information is the corner stone of any organization. Having the right (and by right I mean current, accurate, content that allows you to see the big picture) information makes business easier. It allows you to respond proactively to the ever evolving business world in a way that aligns with your strategic business goals.
Don't believe me? Try this little experiment. Keep a small pad of paper beside your computer today and make a small tick mark every time you look for something. Every time you Google something. Every time you search through a network drive for a file. Every time you reference a line of business application such as a CRM or ERP. Every time you pull a paper file from a drawer. Every time you reference an email you've already read. Every time you look for something, make a tick on that pad of paper and at the end of the day count them up. Now think, what if you could access that information faster? What if you had the confidence that it was accurate and current? What if you spent less time looking and more time doing? What would your office be like if that was the norm?
Most of us struggle with information management because we simply don't realize there's a better way. Like President Obama, you too can be better. You can surround yourself with the tools, people and resources to manage your information efficiently. You can make business easier.