Discussion on:

10 things consultants can do to stay organized

A useful post. Thanks Jack.

Several items on this list will be receiving attention over the next few days / weeks

As an Android (N1) user, can anyone recommend a Password Manager app?

I use keepass on my PC and never had any problems with it. Only as you asked for suggestions I decided to check for an android version and found it. I also use an N1 and will install it and try it myself. Sorry I'm not able to give feedback as yet.

I realy appreciate the post Jack

Things we have done as a consulting/technical support company include integrating online billing (time entry) into our client support/ticket system. We use osTicket with customizations. We all use Outlook/Exchange and have adopted a GTD (Getting Things Done) approach. You can find info on this at http://www.davidco.com/. From there you can find many references to 3rd party software. You can become a "free" member for 2 weeks which will help you get started. Daily organization is critical. I carry 300+ todos on my list at any one time (not including personal) with 10-15 to complete per day. I concur with all of the other points especially driving. When you don't bill for local travel - organize you drive plan the day before. It really helps.

Maybe 'consultants' have a different meaning in USA, it sounds like they are technicians there. Here a 'consultant' would be a senior IT pro like an enterprise architect or senior business manager.

Consultants are experts (i.e. anybody from out of town) in a certain field - technician, DB pro, Agile coach, etc. The difference between a consultant and an [contract] employee, is usually, that consultants don't spend all of their time at the same place. So you can ignore the part about screw drivers and flashlights, if you won't ever have to bend over under the desk and behind that PC. You still need your tools, which may very well include flash drives, ebook-reader, laptop, portable disk, etc.

Hope this clears things...

I am one of those "senior IT pro(s)" that you were referring to, but the consulting company that I work for also has technicians that handle the day-to-day work for companies that don't have an IT department or need it augmented.

Definition of a Consultant:

The person who is a chapter ahead of you in the book.

Great article. Yes, I manage chaos for the most part. Can't think of anything more to add. What's the password manager tool you use?

When I was working full-time as a consultant, I always scheduled at least one or two days a month not to work outside the office. On those days I would catch up on filing, paperwork, reading any new technical journals that had arrived, and deal with any general administrative issues. Now that I work on a more part-time basis, I still take time for those items, so that when I do have a job I can focus solely on my customer.

I found this list applicable for my homeschooling. Thank you!

Great work! I have found that online storage services like Box.net and others have helped to be able to access client files and make updates if required while out in the field. Additionally, having a time-billing app on your smartphone helps. I used Billing on my iPod touch but I'm still looking for an android apparently for my N1.

Get a Business Manager to handle phones, paperwork, bills. Someone who keeps you Organized.
From someone that Crashed from Chaos after 18 years.
Get Organized,and let someone handle your small stuff so you can stay on Task Being the Brains and the Consultant. When your busy recovering a Clients Server, that phone bill, office lease payment,other small tasks seem Non-Important if you put your Customers First.

Excellent post- I've found all of those to be helpful over the years.

Re. talking on the phone (handsfree or not)while driving _ JUST SAY NO!

Good article. With so many apps out there, does anyone have a time tested app for storing passwords? Of course I can google "best pw apps for mobile" but I always enjoy hearing, "In my experience".
Thanks,
/smf

Staying organized is a must but also and equally important is to stay healthy. Grabbing a quick lunch between appointments may be a must but consider the health benefits of that lunch. MickyD's and other fast food places are not healthy foods per se. Try taking a sit down approach from time to time to better recharge your batteries and consider the quality of the food rather than it's convenience. A healthy body better enables you to mentally manage how well things get done and makes for less stress in an often chaotic day.

Quite often time gets away or is lost when your mind and body are drained. Managing your health is part of time management so organize your diet and your ability to stay organized is improved.

In other words, a healty body equals a healthy mind equals higher efficiency in the work place.

Keep reminding the manager how that peice of work would have taken longer to be implemented.
Keep reminding government that use of Intra Company Transfers is killing long term the local skills base and hence flexibillity.
STOP OUTSOURCING - longterm there is no gain!

All this is common knowledge.
"Develop good habits"
LOL sounds like
"learn things you do for living before you try to do them in field" or
"don't look like crap if you are meeting with a client"
....you can do better Jack than casual blogging.
How about some linux+web stuff

Once I was driving behind someone doing 40 in a 55 zone so I pulled out to go around. As I passed I could see him. He was holding a phone under 1 ear, had the HEELS of both hands on the wheel with a notepad in one hand and a pen in another.

Driving and talking is bad enough; if you need to take notes, get a voice recorder or...just pull over!

I am not an IT Consultant and I think that most of these tips can apply to my personal life. I know that structuring my day helps me to get neccesary tasks completed as well as schedule some much needed "down time."

Interesting that the aricle said none are using Blackberries when they are still the smartphone of choice for business professionals and work well with Exchange Server.

They aren't just, or even primarily, for the "cool factor." They are valid notetaking tools that are far superior to paper and pencil in almost every way. Proper usage of them can address points number 3, 5 and 6.

I do still carry a pad and paper with me, but only as insurance--which I almost never have needed.

This list is great. I would like to complement it. What about keep in the trunk of your car a spare set of clothes (shirt, pants, even shoes). This will come in handy whenever you might need them. You never know but helped me a lot and in some occasions I was used to carry set of shorts/tennis shoes/t-shirts and when an opportunity came I changed and played tennis with clients. This allowed me to tighten the bond with them.

If you don't already use Microsoft OneNote. at least explore it. It is the sleeper program in the MS Office Suite and it, by far, the most useful tool to organize information. It is on my laptop and my office machine and I use it for both note taking and for keeping all the notes and related support documents for a client in one place. Check it out!

1. Maintain internet access from any point to your office systems, in my case, three systems left on 24 hours accessible through DYNDNS for remote access. Even at a Burger King I can get data.

2. Ancient DOS program, ROLODEX LIVE, is an excellent quick contact and note manager. As it is DOS, it also is FAST on search and easy to carry.

3. Invoice - Same Day or as projects move along. Use a project invoice as a worksheet and add your daily time EVERY DAY or action and save. Convert it into an invoice when done and submit that very day. Do not wait.

I use JobTabs (jobtabs.com) to keep track of my contacts and people I work with on each assignment. It is written by contractors for contractors, so it is not so much as a day to day thing, but it is a god send when I am scrambling to get a new gig.

Good post on things that should be obvious but aren't. Thanks.

Thanks I laughed out LOAD, I had a business meeting with a responsible, it was causal coffee, and smoking (no inhale) I do have a few similar twin alike looking very small ashtrays form the 50:ies decade,placed suitable on table on yes.. sort of random but NOT, after the meeting I finded that the my meeting partned has structurated and sorted the ashtrays, without being awaore the taken action, His brin/hands just "did" as he likes structure,is neat and polite and therefore of course a responsble person, LOL EVEN if not for ashtrays it was done "automatic.
He is the greastet employed, I ever had in fact

Good ideas

Great, Jack. In deed these ideas will work any day, anywhere, and for anyone.

Thats true. the 10 things consultants need to do to say organized is having a to-do list for each day, review their accomplishment for the day, plan for the next day and do well to stick to plan or restructure if need be

Research has shown that using a headset for your phone while driving does not eliminate driver distraction - it is still very dangerous.

Great post Jack thanks a lot these are awesome ideas! Nue Science