#6 The Third Access Type is Chronological: Do You Access By Dates and Numbers First? Do You Love Your Devices? How Can This Help You Get Organized?
Hi and welcome back to "How to Get Organized…Without Resorting to Arson!
You might remember from our prior column that everyone has all three Access Types: Visual, Spatial, and Chronological (today's column.) You use all three, but you have one that's predominant; one that's your primary, or "go to" Access Type. That's the one that gives you the best hints for getting organized — your way!
Access Types are the second greatest indicator of how to get organized (the first is your Personality Type,) because once you know them you can go directly to the easiest and most natural organizing techniques for you.
Let's talk about this third Access Type, the Chronological:
If you love gadgets, devices, and your smart phone, if you're good at numbers, if you prefer things in date order (and don't care a whole lot about how they look;) if you're lost without your calendar, you're probably a Chronological.
When people start to tell you a long story, do you say, “Just give me the bottom line?” Yup. You're a Chron.
Chronologicals are convinced there is a time (as opposed to a place) for everything, and will insist that you work the same way. They'll tell you to use your phone calendar instead of a paper one, and make you feel old school if you prefer paper (just show 'em this column.)
Many Chronologicals keep their calendars in their heads, but there are many Chron’s who do not use a calendar at all: I knew a General Contractor who kept his inventory, 20 employees' ever-changing schedules, vehicle locations, and lots more in his head!
Are you a Chronological? If so, read on for organizing tips that will serve you best.
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What Chronologicals are good at:
Chronologicals are good at IT, finances, math, algebra, geometry, engineering, anything to do with numbers or dates, and everything Nerd.
A Story About a Chronological Getting Organized — her own way.
A woman attended one of my presentations, then called me for an estimate. When I arrived, she said she wanted to try a technique she'd heard me talk about: convinced she was a Visual, she wanted color coding. So I set it up for her, but she stopped me early on, saying, "This isn't working for me."
So I tested her (rather than taking her word for it — this was early days,) and realized she was a Chronological. I told her what I'd found, and re-set the system to one that was date-based.
Now check out the wording she preferred: categories and containers labeled, "Monday Meeting," "End of Year," "Quarterly Reports," and so on. (Note that they didn't simply say, "Monday" "Tuesday" Wednesday" etc.)
Her words, her preferences, her needs — not mine.
Cool Test:
If you want to figure out which Access Type someone prefers, ask them how you can find your lost keys, and then listen carefully to their response:
A Visual will say, “LOOK in your bag," I SAW them by the door,” or “Did you SEE them today?”
A Spatial will ask, “WHERE did you have them last?” or, "RETRACE" your STEPS.” or "FEEL your pockets."
A Chronological will ask , “WHEN did you have them LAST?” or, “you used them YESTERDAY,” or “you won’t need them until TOMORROW.”
Everybody says what they would prefer; everyone tells you to do what would work for them — not you. Can't be helped. But it can tell you their Access Type. Very useful when you know what to listen for!
If you've tried to get organized in the past and it hasn't worked, this may be why: You used someone else's preferences, not your own.
How you can tell who's a Chronological:
• They talk in numbers
• They may have multiple cell phones
• They pull info by when it happened
• They can hear you best when you talk in numbers and dates
• They need to hear the bottom line first: costs, dates, and terms.
The Chronological uses numerical- and date-oriented phrases like these:
• I'm on time, why are you late?
• When will you be there?
• What day is the meeting?
• Would Monday be good for you?
• I'll call you at eleven
• When can I have it?
• What's the bottom line?
• Time's up/we're running out of time
• First things first
When a Chronological is disorganized:
The biggest problem for disorganized Chronologicals is wasted money and time: they are "a day late and a buck short."
More:
• They don't know what day it is
• They lose their calendar, smartphone, or devices
• They stall for time
• Interruptions bother them more than bad visuals or poor traffic flow
• They speak in quantities only, and don't address quality (such as User Experience)
• They spend too much money too quickly
• They execute tasks in the wrong sequence
• They are never available when you need them.
When Chronologicals are organized:
• They arrive on time or early
• They accomplish tasks on or under budget
• Their work is organized by when it needs to be done (even if it doesn't look that way)
• Their paper piles have new stuff on top and old stuff closer to the bottom, like geological strata
• They sort by due date or dollar amount — or both
The best organizing techniques for Chronologicals include:
• Sort tasks by due date
• Put dates in every subject line, or at the top of every text
• Keep one calendar, not multiples
• Update devices and apps regularly
• Set alerts for when things are due
• Use number-based apps and games
• Use spreadsheets
• Give countdowns to deadlines
• Give numerical rewards for a job well done (points, dollars, scores)
• Put due dates and times on everything
• Use containers (piles, bins, baskets, binders, shelves, etc.) with date references on them.
• Issue date-oriented reminders and/or commands, such as, "Take to Monday Meeting," "Do before leaving town," "Call by the 10th," etc.
A Story About How Another Chronological Got Organized:
I met with Ted, who surprised me with two houses full of paper: one of them even had a dumpster full of paper in front of his main house!
I got his information and begin making recommendations (this was the day I figured out about Chronologicals; before that, I couldn't figure out why my usual systems didn't work for everyone.)
Every time I said, "You could store these here," or "why don't we move those there," he shook his head No. He seemed to be getting more and more frustrated.
Finally I "listened with different ears," and really heard what he was saying: none of it related to where, it was all about when: "This is my stuff from the Engineering Meeting last May, those are for when I have to do Payroll, this is what I'm working on today…" It was all about dates.
So I re-set my priorities to match his and said, "What if I don't move anything; what if I just label it with the date you'll need it and then the title?"
He look at me with relief and said, "That will work."
If a Chronological contacts you to arrange something, ask if they have their calendar open. Ask them their preferred time. Ask them their budget up front. Talk in dates and numbers.
They will actually appreciate it!
Summary:
To get the most out of working with anyone (and that includes yourself,) make it easier by figuring out their Access Type and working with it, not against it.
Remember, everyone has all three Access Types; they just have one that's predominant, and that's the one to focus on.
More: If a person is a Visual, help them by encouraging them to add Spatial tips to their toolbox. Same with Spatials: show them how Chronological techniques could benefit them. And back to the beginning: explain to Chronologicals how the other Access Types work, and encourage them to include everybody in their plans.
The goal is to change the work area and process, not to try and change the person. It's amazingly supportive, practical, effective, fun, easier, and more profitable when you use Access Types.
Caution:
If someone tells you to organize using a certain technique, that’s one that will work for them, not necessarily for you, unless you both happen to be the same Access Type.
If you're not sure or if you have questions, call me at 800-447-3488 or use this form and I'll be happy to go over your situation with you at no charge.
In our next column:
How to Solve 80% of Disorganization Fast: Flow, Layout, Traffic Patterns and Work Progression
I've found we can knock out about 80% of all organizing problem right off the bat (hear those Spatial terms?) by figuring out a person's Work Personality Type first, their Access Type second, and then segueing into Flow: the layout of the work area, traffic flow, proximity, and work progression.
Flow will be the subject of our next column, so be sure you're subscribed!
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