Tools for Thought

In a reply to my Pattern Language entry on General Reference Files, David Goodger recently commented:

I have never understood the rule to use hangerless file folders. I don’t see how using Pendaflex adds any overhead. The rule seems completely arbitrary, and Allen’s GTD book doesn’t back it up with any arguments or evidence.

Do you agree with the rule, and could you expand on the reasoning behind it?

My logorrheic reply was becoming a de facto post, so I’ve made it an actual post.

I use hanging folders for my tickler file. It’s easier to keep a mere 43 folders upright with Pendaflex than with a follower block, and the even weight distribution makes them easier to bring forward each day.

I started my reference filing system by using Pendaflex. I didn’t realize that my file cabinet had a follower, so Pendaflex was a no-brainer. Over time, however, I noticed that my willingness to file things immediately began to drag. I didn’t like having to assemble the folder, the hanger and the label tab — not to mention labelling the tab insert. So I chucked the tabs, made a preassembled stock of folder/hanger pairs that I kept in the back of the file cabinet, and labelled directly on the folder.

One problem I had with doing this was that the label on the folder tab would only extend halfway above the hanger, making it difficult to read. I also found myself irritated with having to extract the folder from the hanger, since the folder is all I wanted on my desk, and reinsert it when finished.

I was inclined to dump the hangers at that point, but in my experience, any ad-hoc backstops like bookends or magnetic followers inevitably lead to flaccid files unless my file cabinet was filled to the brim. Pendaflex was the lesser evil.

I should point out that I only had a single two-drawer file cabinet, with one drawer allocated as a tickler file and the other for general reference. My workstation’s location made it physically impossible to add another file cabinet. In that context, a folder enclosed in a hanger is wasted space — you might be able to get two or even three naked folders in the same space, depending on their contents.

Then one day I discovered that my file cabinet actually did have a follower in the back. I ditched the hangers and have just used naked folders since. While I still think that Pendaflex hangers are more aesthetic and give better weight distribution, it’s easier for me to retrieve and file things rapidly if I only have to deal with the folder.

The only other component to deal with is the labeler when the file is created. The typical use case for files is a one-to-many ratio for creation-to-retrieval, so the overhead of using a labeler is worth it.

The bottom line for me is that David Allen does, in fact, advocate the hangerless folder tip too strenuously, but I still think it’s the more convenient route unless you:

• Have plenty of space in your file cabinet
• Keep a stock of empty, preassembled folder/hanger pairs close at hand
• Prevent your labels from being obscured or engulfed by the hangers
• Have a file cabinet with no follower block

If you preassemble folders and hanger, you might actually want to keep the plastic tabs and add those onto the hangers. Then when its time to make a file, apply the label to the surface of the plastic tab itself instead of the insert. It doesn’t look as good, but it does save a little extra fiddling.