Save your team valuable time
On average, people spend 1.8 hours per day searching for the information they need to do their work.
That’s why I’m taking the month of March to dive deep into file organization. I’m sending you 5 newsletters tackling the 5 biggest mistakes most teams make with their digital files:
- Their files are scattered across multiple platforms and devices.
- They keep unneeded and duplicate files that lead to clutter.
- They do not have a standardized naming system to make files easy to find.
- They don’t have a system for organizing their files into intuitive folders.
- They don’t have a protocol for sharing files in a way that protects their ownership.
All of this leads to wasted time that could otherwise be spent on focused, productive work.
Last week, we discussed how to decide which files to keep, delete, or archive.
This week, we’re talking about…
How to Create a Naming System to Find Files in Seconds
Why does this matter?
Because your time matters, and your team’s time matters.
If you don’t have a clear naming structure across your team, everyone will use a different system (or no system) for naming their files. The person who created the file might be able to find it, but most of us do not work in a vacuum. Other people need to be able to easily find the information they need to do their work.
In the words of Brené Brown, “Clarity is kindness.”
By creating a clear naming system, you are kindly setting up your team for success.
What makes a successful naming system?
You should be able to identify exactly what’s inside a file, without having to open it.
This way, you don’t have to scroll through folders, open files, and scan through the information to find what you’re looking for. Instead, you can quickly search the pertinent keyword and go on your merry way.
This will vary per business, but there are a few key ingredients to a clear naming system for your files.
1. Add the Date
This is one of the most important components that many people leave out. The problem is that many files share similar names. For example, let’s say you have your marketing emails in a file titled, “March Emails”. That might work for 2024, but what about 2025? You’ll have two files with the same name.
That’s why I recommend adding dates in YYYY-MM-DD format, which ensures automatic chronological sorting on most systems.
2. Add a Category
The essence of an efficient naming system is categorization.
By incorporating a clear category or topic into your file names, you establish an immediate context. Think about the broader buckets your work falls into – Marketing, HR, Operations, Finance, etc. Including this in your file name, such as ‘2024-03-15 - Marketing’, instantly informs anyone looking for marketing-related documents where to begin their search.
3. Add a Content Identifier
Lastly, the content descriptor in the file name is crucial.
This should be a brief yet descriptive snippet of what the file contains, like ‘Q1 Report’, ‘Team Meeting Notes’, or ‘Social Media Plan’. This level of detail further refines the search, allowing you and your team to pinpoint the exact document without opening multiple files.
Incorporating these elements into a consistent naming convention might look something like this: ‘2024-03-15 - Marketing - Social Media Plan’.
Here, anyone in your team can tell at a glance when the file was created, what category it belongs to, and what specific content it covers.
By adopting this straightforward yet powerful naming system, you’re not just organizing files; you’re optimizing your team’s time and energy. No more digging through digital piles or guessing games trying to find that one document.
It’s about more than just tidiness; it’s about respect for each other’s time and the collective efficiency of your team.
Until next time, here’s to bringing more peace, clarity, and efficiency into our digital workspaces.
