The Eastern Way: Fundamental #14- Document Everything

This week’s fundamental was written by Ananya D. Menon. Ananya has been with Eastern Funding for over two years. Ananya started in Eastern Funding’s documentation department and today serves as a Funding Officer. Ananya has more than nine years of experience in the leasing industry.

Fundamental #14 — Document Everything — Since information is the lifeblood of our business, we must be great at sharing it across people, departments and functions. Document everything you do and everything you know so that others have access to the information necessary for success.

I am a firm believer of this fundamental. I’ve been in this industry for nearly 10 years. One of the first things I was taught as a Documentation Specialist is to document everything. As some of you may already know, I am a drill sergeant when it comes to this fundamental. I am known to have numerous lengthy comments in all my deals. The goal is to provide sufficient information to the reader to set them up for success. The content of your note should always be detailed and precise. It should be written as an instruction manual, made for others to read and follow. This will eliminate miscommunication and provide efficiency throughout the workplace.

There are three reasons why documenting is crucial in a work environment, especially at Eastern Funding:

• Provides information to co-workers, customers, vendors, loan officers and auditors.
• Eliminates miscommunication amongst co-workers and various departments.
• Provides proof of completing the task correctly.

In the fast-paced environment we work in, it is impossible to remember all of our policies, rules and regulations; especially when they are being updated regularly. It is important that we take notes and document the important information gathered from meetings and training. It’s a proven fact that people retain the information longer if they write it down.

“Your mind, while blessed with permanent memory, is cursed with lousy recall. Written goals provide clarity. By documenting your dreams, you must think about the process of achieving them” –Gary Ryan Blair