The Go-2 Guide: Setting Up a Digital Information Repository to Save Time and Sanity
One of my biggest pet peeves as an administrative professional, specifically when supporting a team/department, is getting asked the same question, or for the same document, over and over again. I experienced a season where I was getting asked by the same person to send the same PDF to them nearly every week for a 4 month period. It was taking up an annoying amount of my time and energy to stop what I was doing, search for that file either in my digital folders or in my sent email folder, and resend it to them. I finally asked them why they weren’t saving the document or searching their inbox for it, and they replied that it would just take longer for them to do that vs. ask me to re-send it. Why? Because, as the administrative professional, you are seen as the information repository, or “a comprehensive resource for collecting, organizing, and retrieving information”.
A study done by the University of California, Irvine stated that, on average, it takes a person an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to refocus after an interruption. As administrative professionals, our days are filled with constant distractions and interruptions, and, according to the study, “people in the interrupted conditions experienced a higher workload, more stress, higher frustration, more time pressure, and effort”. To save yourself time and mental energy, and to ensure that access to information doesn’t end when you depart the role or the organization, it could be beneficial to create a digital information repository.
A digital information repository is a centralized, digital storage system designed to collect, manage, and provide access to a wide range of digital information and resources. There are many examples of what these could look like, but this could be a digital library, document management system, a wiki=type website, or even a company intranet. What is important for you and your team is that you have a centralized, digital storage system for all of the important documents, forms, spreadsheets, processes, protocols, etc. that are needed and, quite often, continually asked of you.
There are a few different options for how to get this information repository set up. If your organization uses Google Workspace, I would recommend utilizing the “Google Sites” function, using a Google Shared Drive as the central storage location for your files. In Microsoft, a Sharepoint would get you the same outcome. You will want to come up with a catchy name for it so that you can ingrain it on the minds of your team. The one I had was called the “Go-2 Site” because it was a mental reminder to the team that when they had questions, they should “Go To the Go-2 Site First” before coming to me.
As you determine what information to add to your repository, consider what information, files, processes, or templates are used by more than one person in your area. What items should people have available to them at a moment’s notice? What files are updated frequently, and your team should always have access to the latest version? Consider things such as:
Letterhead templates
Training videos
Contact information
Budget information
Shared Calendar links
Manuals
Onboarding/Offboarding process templates
Org Chart
Job Descriptions
Meeting Agenda Templates
Industry/Organization Acronym Dictionary
Parking passes
Department and/or industry specific items
An example of a department specific item is for the frontline fundraising team I supported at Biola University. One of the things that they needed access to at a moment’s notice was a scholarship creation worksheet. If a donor mentioned they are considering starting a scholarship, the staff member would need to work through the worksheet with them ASAP to ensure that they could discuss various criteria options available to them. If the fundraiser didn’t have the most updated version of the worksheet, then the entire process was delayed. Therefore, having it available to them on the Go-2 site meant that they always had immediate access to the most recent version. Rather than your team having to figure out who has the latest/greatest document and contact them, they can trust that it is located in your information repository.
As you prepare to get started, here are some helpful tips/tricks.
Block Your Calendar for This Project: If you are serious about getting your information repository up and running, you will need to dedicate time and attention to the project. Specifically schedule dedicated time on your work calendar for you to focus. I would recommend blocking 4-6 hours per week for at least 4 weeks. During those time blocks, be resolved to not check email or get pulled into other tasks! Use the time to build out the website, organize your files into respective folders, connect with key partners to get the latest and greatest versions, schedule 15-minute meetings with key individuals in your departments on what items they would like to have available at a moment’s notice for their workflows, etc.
Make it Familiar: Set up your repository as much like a standard website as possible, including the use of a menu, hyperlinks to the files, and a clear organization of pages. Everyone knows (or, in this day and age, should know) how to navigate a basic website. It will, honestly, be much easier for your team to find what they need in website form vs. in file management form. Depending on the kinds of files you have, consider what items you can put onto the same page. For example, I had all 3 of the scholarship creation worksheets (expendable, endowed, and testamentary) on the same webpage, with hyperlinks leading to each individual worksheet, but I had separate pages for each unrelated administrative process (such as the major gift acknowledgement process vs. the accounts payable approval process).
Centralize Your Files: Keep all of the files for your information repository in a single central location (Google Shared Drive or Microsoft SharePoint). Do not store them on an individual’s drive! Organize the files to coincide with the way you have your website organized (think one folder for each page, nested pages = nested folders, etc.), and ensure that you have a naming convention that includes the file name as well as the latest version date, i.e. “2024.6.11 Expendable Scholarship Criteria Worksheet”.
Designate Responsible Parties: Put detailed information on each page regarding the proper use of the information being held there, the date that it was last updated, and which individual oversees that information (i.e. the person who is accountable via their job description for that process). It is not your role to keep everyone’s documents updated, only to ensure that everyone has access to them on the information repository. Speaking of access….
Limit Backend Access: Keep “admin access” to the information repository limited! I would recommend that no more than 3 individuals within the department have access to make updates to your repository, and each of those individuals should clearly understand their role in the site’s maintenance. You don’t want information being updated incorrectly! Additionally, I would recommend giving a department account or an IT account access. Job changes can happen at any time, with or without notice, and the last thing you want to happen is for access to be lost!
Clearly Communicate Expectations: Once your site is created, train your team members on how to utilize it, AND add training to the site to your team’s onboarding process. Communicate your expectations to your team from the beginning in plain language: “Moving forward, please check the (information repository site name) before asking me for something. If it’s not on the site, then I can work with the responsible party on getting it added!”
Don’t Keep Spoon Feeding: Get into the habit of training people to go to your information repository instead of emailing you. If you are asked for something that is already on the site, reply back with, “Thanks for reaching out! That information is available to you on the (information repository site name), on the page titled (page name)!” You can repeat this for a time, but if you continue to have issues with the same individual asking for the same information time and time again, it may be time to get their supervisor involved.
Be Open to Feedback: Give your team a clear process on how to request edits/updates to the site. Can you create a form on the site for them to request a new page by created? Maybe you’d prefer they email you, or directly work with the responsible individual? Either way, your team needs to know how to provide feedback! Ultimately…it exists to serve them.
Ensure Accuracy: Review the information and documents for accuracy on a regular basis. I would recommend going through each page at least once per quarter to ensure that the information is still relevant. Put a recurring calendar event on your calendar to do this! If something appears to be outdated, or hasn’t been updated in at least 12 months, reach out to the responsible individual to double check that it is still relevant/accurate.
Questions? Ask!: If you have questions or want to work through what this could look like for you and your team, please reach out to me! I’d love to hop on a 30-60 minute video call and talk through this with you, no strings attached!
While setting up an information repository will take some dedicated time and effort on the front end, it will ultimately save you a lot of time, energy, and frustration, while also ensuring that your team has the information they need at a moment’s notice. After the initial set up, as well as the test and adjust period, I estimate that I spent about 15 minutes per month updating the site and likely saved myself many hours of trying to locate files for the team, as well as saved them time in having exactly what they need when they need it. Your team will see how valuable you are in the way that you serve them, specifically how you are focused on ensuring they have everything they need right at their finger tips. What an amazing way to “future proof” your role, and grow it into something even more impactful! If you aren’t having to answer the same questions over and over, or share the same documents time and again, what else could you do with that time? How could you make your role more strategic?
If you were to create an information repository for your department/team, what items do you think would be beneficial to have on hand to for your area? Any ideas on how to make an information repository impactful for your team? Drop a comment below to join the discussion!
