In a professional setting, one of the most important tools that we have is the ability to write down communication. Not only will this serve as a way to prevent he said she said confusion, but will also be available as a reminder and a record. Memory is unreliable, and so giving ourselves the tools to get past some of the unfortunate human weaknesses that we have is essential in maximizing productivity.
Benefits of Accessible records
When scheduling or communicating with employees, having a written record of your communication will allow both of you to easily remember and stay up to date on what has been said. This is why email is so popular in business. Both parties have an easily accessible record of what they have said, and what they have been told. This means that if either party realizes that they have forgotten something, they can update themselves immediately without having to worry about bothering or offending the other. Additionally, employees can easily check things such as scheduling and project dates easily. This gives them the tools to more easily be effective employees.
Benefits of a Paper Trail
A paper trail can also serve as a method for resolving conflict, deterring lawsuits, and assigning responsibility in a situation. Having schedules recorded and stored means that you as an employer will be able to look back and examine the past if something has gone wrong. Having records of which employees worked at which times, in conjunction with your other records, can be your best ally in the worst-case scenarios. Additionally, the knowledge that you have all of this information can discourage those who would take advantage of disorganization. In short, having the information can help you doubly, both as a tool to turn to, and as a deterrent.
Increasing Productivity
Unfortunately, humans are generally fairly forgetful. Even the best of us will remember times where we forgot an appointment, agreed to do something and then forgot about it, or otherwise were put in an embarrassing position due to forgetfulness. Having a program that stores, schedules, and tracks many of the things that take up our memory can free up our brains for more important things. If we are not focused on trying to remember who is scheduled to work at what time, or what time we have to be at our appointment, we can be busy working on the other things in our life that deserve attention.