Digital Organization: Let the calendar do the remembering…

2013 10 11 Fri calendar

Calendars are useful – except when the synchronization fails,
although I like the idea of the day above.

Meeting Houses are often run by volunteers. But even if you are a paid member of staff – usually you are fitting managing the maintenance of the building around other more immediate aspects of the work, and it can be hard to ensure nothing slips through the organisational net.

Using a calendar as a planning tool

One way to avoid this happening, is to use a calendar for your reminders.

Create a list of regular to-dos, enter them onto your calendar and (if digital) have a reminder emailed to you. Not only for the task ‘clear gutters’, but for the preparation – ‘get quote’, ‘tell Premises clearing gutters is due’, ‘book window cleaner for gutters’.

If you use a paper calendar you can do a similar thing. But will need to remember to look at the calendar to be reminded, and store the ‘next xxx date’ on a piece of paper added into the back.

You can add in one off tasks as well of course, but the repeating function means you don’t have to wonder when the next PA Testing or roof inspection is due. A quick search and the calendar will tell you, even if that is a couple of years in the future.

Other Benefits

If you use the calendar attached to the generic email, (and hopefully shared booking calendar), that forward planning isn’t lost when the role passes to the next holder.

Share your calendars, so other people can see those reminders as well. This sharing enables you to spread out tasks and responsibilities. Or at least the awareness that these tasks are being dealt with by you.

Creating a Record

When work is done, add a note on the date to create a record.

Search within the calendar for ‘inspection’ or ‘building tour’ and print off the results. This gives an easy report for records – especially useful for Annual or Quinquennial reports.

Once a year’s worth of reminders/work has been completed, why not print off a copy to go in the front of the Minutes book as a visual reminder of the work that will be coming up?

  • What methods do you use to spread out the work, and ensure regular maintenance jobs aren’t forgotten?

You might find these posts useful:

Digital Diaries & Documents

Generic Email Addresses or How to Prevent Memory Loss

K is for Knowledge & Know How

Latest Posts

Quaker A-Z: A is for Annual Actions & Atomic Habits

It is all too easy to draw a line over the ‘old year’ and only look forward to the ‘new year’.

It’s always best to take a few minutes to decide what you need to bring along with you into 2024.

Are there lessons learned, new practices you want to continue? Or challenges you overcame but want not to repeat!

Read More »