Guest Author - Sharlene Thomas

Everyone should have their own personal CYA book. It keeps your workday sane while the rest of the world is lost in chaos. Whether employer or employee, it’s an effective tool to keep you on a successful track.

Exactly what is a CYA book? It’s a personal work diary that goes way beyond the current day planners available today, and it’s cheaper. The busier you are, the more you’ll need one.

If you’re creative, make your own from whatever materials you choose, as long as it results in a bound book where pages cannot be removed. For under $20, you can buy a pre-dated 7-1/2” x 9-3/4” Daily Diary, wire-bound to lie flat, at your favorite office supply store. The CYA book is a Cover Your Assignments book, pure and simple. It’s a record of your working day and must remain intact.

Your CYA Book is Not a Personal Diary, It’s a Personal Workday Checklist

As you know, I’m a firm believer in checklists and cross-checking, and this is your personal workday checklist for tasks expected and any changes in procedures. If you choose to add personal notes to your pages, keep in mind that your book will be kept open on your desk during the day and is easily read by others. Your journal could very well end up in court, verifying phone calls, meetings, and drop-in visits denied by clients, so, please, don’t write down anything that you want to remain private.

The Difference Between a Checklist and a CYA Journal

Checklists are step-by-step procedures to accomplish specific tasks required by your job. Your CYA Journal helps you organize these tasks and keep track of when they need to be done. It can also help you remember when changes were requested and by whom. (I always highlighted these requests. Very handy when that person forgets they asked. And, if it doesn’t work, they will.)

As you know, new managers are very fond of making procedure changes, just to show they’re on the ball. If the changes prove efficient and useful, that’s great; if they simply confuse the issue, you have a high-lighted record of when you were asked to alter yours.

Divide your pages with an upper and lower section. The top section will have that day’s tasks numbered. For example: 1. Prepare report to JD; 2. Call RT for directions; 3. Pay commissions to dept.A. These are scheduled specific tasks and need to be recorded EVERY day they must be done. Still in the upper section, you will be adding impromptu duties from previous days: 4. Follow-up on call from JD re travel dates. 5. Replenish coffee room supplies. 6. Make 8PM appt for TD at Maxi’s . . .

The bottom half will have those tasks you initiated during that day and short notes for following up on those actions. I use letters to separate this section from the top. For example: A. Called JD re travel plans; B. Made 8pm appt at Maxi’s for RS; C. Ordered coffee supplies; D. Picked up reports from RLs office, gave to MR.

Notes can be brief and in your own shorthand, but they must be legible to YOU years down the road, so don’t get too cute with your own coding.

It’s vital that you write down repetitive tasks every time they are due. That keeps you on top of your work and helps you plan your day. If you are required to do multiple reports, write EACH one down, so that you can check it off, as accomplished, or move it forward to the next day, until done.

Five Things That Must Be a Part of Your CYA Journal

1. Any recurrent and follow-up activities in upper section.
2. Ticklers for special assignments a week in advance of due date in upper section.
3. Any phone contacts or personal visits requested by management, including initials of person(s), time of contact, and short follow-up memo in lower section.
4. Any surprise visits/calls from clients with a brief note of any action taken in lower section.
5. Any reimbursable purchases in lower section.

As a personal touch, you can mark off a tiny square at the bottom to keep track of your daily cash expenditures. You don’t have to label it. Do this for a month and you’ll think twice about that magazine or snack food!

As a bonus, your CYA Journal becomes an excellent record of just how much you are doing during your work day and can act as very strong leverage for promotions and/or raises. Start one in your present job, today. But, by all means, make sure you have one ready for any new start!