Color My World

I miss color-coding. I miss being able to create a definitive delineation between topics in my life.

I still color code my clothing... All my blouses, skirts, dresses, and pants hang in my closet according to color and length of sleeve, leg, or skirt. It works out well for me. But, I miss my file folders in all different colors, I miss having a reason to use my 36 different colored sharpies. I still keep them around. I always will.

With our transfer to and fascination with "all things virtual," have we lost the need to organize, color-code, systemize, and categorize? Oh yes, I know there are virtual folders and if you are like me, you can color code events and calendar items in Outlook, but is it the same? I used to love sectioning off the Director of Business Development candidates in the red file folders, while the Director of Product Development candidates were in blue, and the Organic Chemist' candidates were in purple. Holding paper resumes that were marked up with my handwritten notes gave me such satisfaction. It showed the work, in my hand!

Handwritten professional references on a yellow pad were time consuming to transcribe but those conversations were etched into my brain because they were etched by my hand. Relationships seemed more solid because there were mounds of paper behind them, backing up every conversation, not collapsible notes in a CRM or added details in an online address book. Business cards went somewhere instead on in stacks on desks and tossed in drawers. The notes on a business card meant something and were always visible as you cruised through your rolodex.

I miss the way we used to touch paper, write on paper, file paper, find paper and read from paper. It is earthy, it is visceral. Like face-to-face communication - almost indelible. It was the cement, the glue, the binding, and the handshake.

The hash marks on my daily call sheet, the whoop when a resume came in the mail or via fax, the hand-written thank you note from a candidate or hiring manager. Now we just pray for a LinkedIn recommendation.

© by rayannethorn

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Permalink Reply by Fran Hogan on December 1, 2009 at 8:34am

Me too Rayanne!
I had blue index cards for company prospects I called once a month, green for those that only merited a call every 90 days, white for those that had given me at least one job order and yellow for the good steady accounts.

They were all in alphabetical order in my my large plastic file card box and I loved watching the yellow cards take up more space as I developed business. These cards held hand written notes of all the history of these accounts. The date I called, what happened, birthdays, favorite vacation spots. I even put smiley faces on the companies that were a pleasure to call. Ah yes, totally inefficient by today's standards but man I was productive with my stone age systems.

I would be lost without the communication and database systems I use now but I sure do miss the colors too :-)

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Permalink Reply by Tracey Cress on December 2, 2009 at 10:47am

A tactile person . . . that's me, always has been. I like to be able to hold it it my hand to read it, write on it, touch it. And I admit that I enjoy the scent of a freshly printed color brochure or an old book. I with you on this one Rayanne.

Tracey