Today’s blog features Nicole Cruciani. Nicole is a Junior Marketing Major from Clarks Summit, PA.
The title of this blog represents everything I do every day at my job. “Not documented, not done”–so simple, yet so complex. Seems so formal and time consuming, however, the time and money that it can save is tremendous, and unfortunately, constantly overlooked. At the young age of 21, I’ve already been exposed to some of the realities of life, one being that documented support of an argument–whether it be a research paper, or dealings with an insurance company, is crucially important. The practice of “not documented, not done” can essentially save many managers in today’s recession economy.
What can four silly words do to bolster the reputation and integrity of managers? Simply put–everything! Managers should be tracking and recording everything that’s essential to the company, their employees, and employee performance. When it comes time for reports to be given, or employees to be laid off, these managers should have detailed, documented information to support their decisions.
Sadly enough, many managers do not keep their notes updated and are reaping the negative effects. It’s almost an ironic situation, because (in a way) managers are mismanaging themselves. (For more documentation to support this claim, see the article from Workforce Management.)
I’ve seen what becomes of undocumented information. Companies today need to enforce within their management staff how important it is to have clear, concise evidence as to why certain decisions were made, especially when it comes to laying off employees, as has been the trend during this recession. Like the health profession, when a medical malpractice law suit is filed, doctors and staff need to have been staying on top of the documentation! (Instructor’s Note: The medical profession, specifically the nursing field, is responsible for the “not documented, not done” mantra, a staple of their industry for years.)
“Not documented, not done.” Repeat it to yourself a few times and it will stick with you forever. Let’s get our managers out of a rut by incorporating this simple phrase into everyday business. If an inexperienced college student, such as myself, can manage documentation, let’s hope the real managers catch on. If not, we’ll most likely continue on down this spiral path of loss, turmoil, headache, and essentially being “not done.”
