The ABC’s of Personal Knowledge Management

Who would have thought that one of the most powerful personal knowledge management tools available to us is the alphabet? In the book, Getting Things Done, David Allen say that one of the simplest steps to gaining control of one’s stuff is simplifying the personal filing system.

He says that the test of a successful filing system is how quickly you can find something when it is needed. I would also suggest, unless you work alone, another mark of a good filing system is how quickly others can find material if you are not around.

Two key components drive a filing system:

1. It must be easy to file materials or you won’t, and
2. It must be even easier to find the materials or you won’t trust the system.

There is nothing simpler than the alphabet for categorizing and filing material. Take what you have in your hand, put it in a file folder and label it. File the folder under the first letter of the label. In a complicated home filing system, your gas bill might be filed under Bills -> Home -> Utilities -> Gas. A simple and efficient system would file the gas bill under G.

Other filing tips from David Allen:

• Keep a stack of empty file folders at hand
• Purge your files once a year
• Avoid using hanging files
• If you have to use hanging files, do not overfill them; one file per hanger and label the folder not the hanger.
• Use a labeler to create your folder labels. It’s neater and easier to read.
• Never fill your file drawers more than 3/4 full. If there is too much in the drawer, it will be difficult to file or retrieve material.

These thoughts come from a May 2003 post from the now-defunct thought?horizon blog.

If you’re interested in reading David Allen’s tip sheet, “General Reference Filing”, it is available for free download.