Hint of the Week
Take on the data entry battle...
Data entry is considered by many to be
a monotonous task and can even be classified as
boring. Most office professionals avoid
data entry like the plague, busying themselves
with other tasks, and putting off the data entry
until they have no other choice. But there
are ways to make the task more tolerable, or
even enjoyable.
There are two things to remember when it comes to data entry: accuracy (you cannot afford to make mistakes) and speed. To maintain high speeds and levels of accuracy during data entry, you have to take on the battle (and it will often feel like a formidable battle you are facing) well armed and in the correct frame of mind.
The best way to approach data entry is to look at the project step-by-step. Never look at the whole picture (or stack of papers filled with data) straight away, because that is guaranteed to overwhelm you. To keep the "one step at a time" mentality, make sure you have a ruler on hand. You will need the ruler (or a piece of card will work, too) to keep your place as you work through the tables or columns of data. A sure way to drop your efficiency is to allow yourself to get lost on the page of figures or words. Without a marker (created by using the ruler or card), you can very easily lose your place on the page and you may even skip lines (an absolute no-no in data entry).
Another good rule for keeping your concentration sharp is to break often during data entry, preferably every 15-20 minutes. You don't need to make this a long coffee break or even leave the office. Just mark the page with a pencil to remind yourself which was the last entry, get up from your seat, and do a quick walk around the office (or just your desk if you work in a big office environment). Take 2 or 3 deep breaths to re-energize yourself. When you return to your seat, you will feel ready to continue the task.
If you follow these simple rules, data entry will become something you can easily tolerate, and you won't have to put it off until the last possible moment. In fact, we believe that if you follow our guidelines, you may even start to enjoy data entry. If you do, let us know about it. We would love to hear from you.
There are two things to remember when it comes to data entry: accuracy (you cannot afford to make mistakes) and speed. To maintain high speeds and levels of accuracy during data entry, you have to take on the battle (and it will often feel like a formidable battle you are facing) well armed and in the correct frame of mind.
The best way to approach data entry is to look at the project step-by-step. Never look at the whole picture (or stack of papers filled with data) straight away, because that is guaranteed to overwhelm you. To keep the "one step at a time" mentality, make sure you have a ruler on hand. You will need the ruler (or a piece of card will work, too) to keep your place as you work through the tables or columns of data. A sure way to drop your efficiency is to allow yourself to get lost on the page of figures or words. Without a marker (created by using the ruler or card), you can very easily lose your place on the page and you may even skip lines (an absolute no-no in data entry).
Another good rule for keeping your concentration sharp is to break often during data entry, preferably every 15-20 minutes. You don't need to make this a long coffee break or even leave the office. Just mark the page with a pencil to remind yourself which was the last entry, get up from your seat, and do a quick walk around the office (or just your desk if you work in a big office environment). Take 2 or 3 deep breaths to re-energize yourself. When you return to your seat, you will feel ready to continue the task.
If you follow these simple rules, data entry will become something you can easily tolerate, and you won't have to put it off until the last possible moment. In fact, we believe that if you follow our guidelines, you may even start to enjoy data entry. If you do, let us know about it. We would love to hear from you.