Keep Track of Important Information with a Work Journal

Document your daily work, note contacts with supervisors, co-workers, and support personnel, even track upcoming deadlines with an organised work journal.

It can be hard sometimes in the daily rush of completing work assignments, juggling meetings, and hitting deadlines to remember the details of interpersonal communications and the myriad facts that come your way. Taking the time to keep an ongoing log of conversations, work accomplished, and other important info can serve to orient you in your work day. It can also save you some major headaches if you document events in real time; miscommunications happen, disputes arise, and if you've taken notes in a chronological journal you're well armed to resolve any disagreement as to what was said about a particular issue, by whom, and when.

One very helpful data set to include in a work journal is a timed log of the work you accomplish during the course of a day. Note the start time, details of the work accomplished, the end time, and the total time used for each assignment. Also record the time, duration, and details of any interruptions you experience; if you have a dispute with your supervisor about your work load or your ability to accomplish your assignments, a detailed work journal can help you document the way you've used your time, and can often pinpoint obstacles that have gotten in your way. This type of log can also help you analyse, for your own purposes, the way you use your time, and may suggest changes that will make your work life more productive and less stressful.

In the unfortunate circumstance that you find yourself a target of someone's criticism or personal animosity, record, as accurately as you can, each contact with this individual and every event that may impact on this situation. If you end up in trouble with your employer because of this type of dispute, your detailed work records and the log of the dispute may be your best protection.

Once you develop the habit of chronicling your work day, you'll find that your work journal is an invaluable tool. So brainstorm a format that makes sense for you, buy a couple journals in a size and style you like, and start documenting.

Aldene Fredenburg is a freelance writer living in southwestern New Hampshire. She has written numerous articles for local and regional newspapers and for a number of Internet websites, including Tips and Topics.
By Aldene Fredenburg  |  Source