Sorting out a new job

First, a big thanks to my friend Beth for suggesting this topic. I asked what I should write about, and Beth responded: "How to deal with the piles from a predecessor when you get a new job."

If you're dealing with this, first of all, congratulations on your new job! That said, it can be frustrating to drop into someone else's office, desk, computer, filing system, etc. What made sense to the person who worked there before you might not make sense to anyone else, and there might be some very important items and tasks hidden in all that stuff. To approach those piles, I recommend that you think like ... a detective.

Survey the evidence. There's no way around it: you'll have to go through those piles and at least glance at what's in them. If you come across stuff that's already due or due soon, put that into your action files or tickler file immediately.

Look for patterns. You might notice that your predecessor piled all the invoices, receipts and other finance-related stuff together. Or you might detect that they put binders together regardless of what was in them. If you can find some patterns in the way your predecessor worked, it will make it easier to anticipate what's in the remaining piles (and the file cabinets full of stuff you'll eventually have to tackle).

Interview the witnesses. The people who worked with your predecessor will have some insight on what made them tick. Ask co-workers, manager, direct reports -- as well as the people outside the company such as vendors -- how your predecessor handled paper, information and assignments. Also ask what they liked and didn't like about your predecessor's organizational systems.

Then put things to right. Once you've figured out what you've got to deal with, it's time to make it work for you. Handle any immediate items from those piles that need your attention, then spend some time moving the papers into a system that works for you. 

Depending on the workload at your new office, you might have to break this task into 15 or 30 minutes a day while putting out fires. However, your new manager might understand that the time you invest in organizing your new office will yield greater productivity almost immediately (especially if you explain it that way).

What about you? Do you have any tales from a new job and the piles you inherited? (Also, have you ever worn a deerstalker hat?) Let me know in the comments!