Get Organized—and Stay Organized: The 7-Day Plan for Putting Your Work Life in Order
by
Alfred Glossbrenner
for Briefings, Inc.

Character List

Karen – A mid- to late-thirties sales representative/manager
Paul – A mid- to late-twenties sales representative
On-camera Host, preferably a pleasant young man in kakis and a shirt with the sleeves three-quarters rolled up.

(Gender is not important. But an age difference is since the well-organized worker, Karen, will be sharing her experience with the younger employee, Paul. Special note: We might want to have each character wear a different shirt or blouse for each “day” in this 7-day program.)

Set List

Karen’s cubicle

Paul’s cubicle

Cafeteria or lunch room (not essential but we might need it for variety)

Props and Set Decoration

The cubicles share a common wall, and the desks are arranged such that if the wall were not there, our characters would sit facing each other. Paul’s cube on the left is a mess. Karen’s on the right is beautifully organized.

Karen’s Office (the organized one)

Paul’s Office (the complete mess)

One or two prints or pictures hang on the walls.“In” box is placed near the phone. It contains just a few items.

A graduated metal file holder containing several files sits on the desk or within four feet of her chair. At least some of the file folders it holds are red. There’s at least one blue folder and one green. No purple.

The phone is on the left side of her desk, enabling her to pick up the handset with her left hand and take notes with her right.

Karen keeps a notebook, with each page dated, close to the phone. She also has either a Palm Pilot or other electronic organizer or a paper-based organizer.

A bookshelf contains one or more rows of neatly organized binders, reference books, manuals,etc.

Karen has a vertical accordion file, tabbed by month.

At least one file drawer with color-coded folders. Red for urgent; blue for interoffice communications; green for financial files; purple for procedures and policies.

There is a PC or a notebook computer on the desk.

A cork board filled with clippings, cartoons, and business documents rests on the floor, leaning against a wall.

“In” box is not on desk but located more than fourfeet from his chair. It is overflowing.Paul doesn’t have a metal file holder (yet). His file folders are piled all over the place

The phone is on the right side of the desk, making itawkward to hold the handset with the left hand andtake notes with the right

No notebook (yet). No organizer (yet). Paul’s notesare on yellow Post It notes, and they’re posted all over his work space.

Paul’s bookshelf is in complete disarray.

No accordion file (yet).

File drawers are a mess. When the drawer is pulled open, we see a wrapper and half-eaten sandwich on top of the Pendaflex file holders.

There is a PC or a notebook computer on the desk.

1.	Title Sequence. Super: Get Organized—and Stay Organized: The 7-Day Plan for Putting Your Work Life in Order	SFX: Briefings Opening Music
2.	Karen’s office. Karen seated, holds phone with left hand and takes notes in a notebook with her right.	Karen: (on the phone talking to a customer) Yes, Tuesday at 11:30 will be fine. That’ll give us a chance to have a bite to eat after the demo. Okay, see you then. Karen transfers the appointment she has just made from the notebook to her Palm Pilot or paper-based personal organizer.
3.	Paul approaches from the right and knocks on Karen’s cube.	Paul: (knocking and peering around the entrance to Karen’s cube) Hey, Karen, got a minute?
4.	Paul partly enters Karen’s cube.	Karen: Sure, Paul. What’s up?
5.		Paul: (looking worried) I’m in big trouble. I’ve got a customer who says he never ordered the goods we shipped, and I can’t find the sales contract.
6.	Camera pulls back to show both adjoining cubes. Karen stands up, possibly on tiptoe, and looks over at Paul's cube.	Karen: (standing and looking into Paul’s cube) Why am I not surprised? They continue talking with Paul apparently asking for Karen’s help as the audio fades under the Host.
7.	Scene continues under Host.	Host: We all know it’s true: You just can’t work efficiently if you’re not organized. But misplacing documents and missing appointments isn’t the half of it.
8.	Host on camera standing in Paul’s extremely disorganized cube. Papers and folders are piled everywhere. One tower of folders has already toppled over. There are at least three paper coffee cups on the desk. It’s a sty.	Host: (arms folded or hands on hips) Imagine the negative impression an office in this condition makes on managers and co-workers. If you were a manager with an important assignment, who would you give it to? Karen (nods head toward Karen’s cube)? Or Paul (gestures to encompass Paul’s office)?
9.	Host eases out of Paul’s cube and leans on the exterior wall.	Host: (genially, with a smile) But all that’s about to change. Although he doesn’t know it yet, with Karen’s help, Paul is about to embark on a seven-day program that’s guaranteed to put his work life in order.

Character List

Set List

SFX: Briefings Opening Music

Camera pulls back to show both adjoining cubes. Karen stands up, possibly on tiptoe, and looks over at Paul's cube.

Scene continues under Host.

Host eases out of Paul’s cube and leans on the exterior wall.

Host: (genially, with a smile) But all that’s about to change. Although he doesn’t know it yet, with Karen’s help, Paul is about to embark on a seven-day program that’s guaranteed to put his work life in order.