Tuesdays with Tom: “Can We Shred This Yet?” When retention questions finally get answered Tom was back in a city clerk’s office last week—one he’s visited a few times over the years—and as he walked through the door, she greeted him with a smile and a stack of folders.“Tom, I’ve been saving these for you. […]
Tuesdays with Tom: Clear the Table… and the Records Room
Tuesdays with Tom: Clear the Table… and the Records Room Year-end cleanup, without the chaos As the holidays approach, Tom’s been hearing a lot of the same things during his visits: “We’re trying to clean up before the new year.” “We’ve got to make space—physically and mentally.” “Let’s just survive until Thanksgiving, then deal with […]
Tuesdays with Tom: “We’ve Been Meaning to Get Around to That…”
Tuesdays with Tom: “We’ve Been Meaning to Get Around to That…” From “we’ll get to it” to “it’s finally done” Tom’s been in the document game long enough to know what “We’ve been meaning to…” really means. It means there’s a records room in the back that no one’s opened since the last audit. It […]
Tuesdays with Tom: What 10,000 Miles (and Counting) Can Teach You About Records
Tuesdays with Tom: What 10,000 Miles (and Counting) Can Teach You About Records Road miles, real stories, and practical fixes for your paper problems If you ever catch Tom sitting still, take a picture—it might be the only proof you get.Over the past year, he’s put thousands of miles on the odometer traveling across Iowa […]
Tuesdays with Tom: The Closet That Time Forgot
Tuesdays with Tom: The Closet That Time Forgot A quick story about “mystery storage spaces” and simple next steps Tom’s seen a lot—boxes stacked to the ceiling, handwritten ledgers from the 1950s, a drawer labeled “Weird Old Stuff”. But last week, he stumbled onto something that even made him stop and say, “…huh.” He was […]
Tuesdays With Tom: Upgrade Your Shredding Process
Tuesdays with Tom: Upgrade Your Shredding Process A Weekly Perspective Tom walked into a municipal office the other day and paused at a sight he’d seen far too often: a tiny, overworked office shredder nestled next to a cardboard box labelled “TO SHRED WHEN I HAVE TIME”. He smiled politely, then asked the inevitable question: […]
Tuesdays with Tom: Back from IMFOA (and Yes, He Still Has Pens)
Tuesdays with Tom: Back from IMFOA (and Yes, He Still Has Pens) Conversations, coffee, and a trunk full of pens Tom just got back from the IMFOA Conference in Des Moines, and let’s just say—his voice is a little raspy, his feet are a little sore, and his briefcase is definitely a few business cards […]
Tuesdays with Tom: Finance Officers, Filing Cabinets & Booth 37
Tuesdays with Tom: Finance Officers, Filing Cabinets & Booth 37 Conferences, conversations, and the clutter we all try to ignore Tom’s on the road again—this time headed to Des Moines for the IMFOA Conference. If you’re reading this while sipping hotel coffee and eyeing your stack of handouts, make a note: Booth 37 is where […]
Tuesdays with Tom: The Drawer of Doom
Tuesdays with Tom: The Drawer of Doom Why every office has one—and how Tom helps fix it Tom recently visited a city office where, after some small talk and a donut, the clerk leaned in and said quietly: “Do you want to see… the drawer?” Naturally, Tom said yes. She led him to a back […]
Tuesdays with Tom: “Wait, You’ll Come Get the Shred Bin?”
Tuesdays with Tom: “Wait, You’ll Come Get the Shred Bin?” Secure shredding without the jams, smoke, or guesswork A familiar sight: a tired desktop shredder and an even more tired “To Shred” bin. Tom was visiting a city clerk’s office last week when he spotted something… unusual. A tiny office shredder, groaning under the weight […]