The Top 10 Document Controller Skills You Need to Succeed
Do you have what it takes to become a successful document controller?
Document controllers aren't uncommon. Almost every company has one (or a whole team of them), some better than others. So how do you become one of the “great” document controllers? It's simple but not easy, and it all starts with developing your document controller skills.
Get serious about your craft. Learn, grow, ask questions, and most importantly, understand the “why” behind each process. When you fully understand why a process has to happen in a specific sequence or why it has to happen at all, then you'll be able to troubleshoot like the best of them - which is a large part of a document controller's job!
Document control is one of those roles employers (especially smaller companies) just expect you to know how to carry out, even if you're brand new to the game. They'd rather you tell them what to do instead of inundating them with questions they don't have answers to. By reading this blog post, you're already taking the first step to improving your skills so you can carry out and perform the most common document controller tasks.
Top 10 Skills at a Glance
Here are the top document controller skills that we’ll examine in this article:
Curiosity
Seeking perfection requires curiosity. When problems arise, it's important for document controllers to seek to understand, practice humble inquiry, and not make assumptions.
Many people's frustrations with document control come from a place of lack; lack of understanding, or unawareness that a system or procedure exists. This is usually the time you'll start hearing from your team how document control makes everything harder and take longer. This is also your time to shine. Get curious and ask questions to help them fill in the gaps and show them that's not quite the case. They'll appreciate how knowledgeable you are, and you've likely just gained a spot in their minds as the subject matter expert.
But what about the day-to-day tasks?
Questions to ask yourself:
Does something look or feel off?
Were you asked to do something that goes against policy?
Is someone taking their frustration out on you?
Don't understand an instruction that was provided to you?
Dig in! A great document controller will ask questions and get to the bottom of any issue. Letting things slide is the fastest way to make problems for yourself down the line.
Simon Sinek gives an incredible speech on understanding the why behind everything you do. Do yourself a favour and give “Start with Why” a watch. Knowing the why behind every DC task and procedure is how you gain trust and momentum in a company. If you don't know why you carry out a task in a certain way (or why you do it at all), then you'll likely allow deviations where you shouldn't, miss errors completely, or be stumped when someone asks for clarification.
If you want to be a great document controller, then you need to know (and be able to explain) the ‘why’ behind every process.
It's also important to understand the broader why behind document control on an organizational level - as in why do we need it? The answer to that question dictates the types of procedures and processes that are put into place to ensure accurate, current, unaltered, authentic, and reliable documents.
Analytical Mindset
I don't know about you, but I love solving puzzles! And that's how I choose to see every problem that comes my way - like a puzzle needing to be solved. The ability to think outside the box is a critical skill that all great document controllers possess.
It's not enough to know how to follow the standard operating procedure (SOP) step-by-step. The SOP was produced for the most common tasks under ideal circumstances. Rarely do we live in such a simple world. Vendors, clients, and team members love to throw us curve balls, and it's usually at that exact moment the SOP goes right out the window. This is where analytical thinking comes in.
What is analytical thinking?
It's the ability to identify a problem, break it down into smaller pieces to understand why the problem has occurred, identify viable solutions, and make informed decisions on what to do next.
Questions to ask yourself:
Was this a simple mistake?
Was another party involved, and if so, were they aware of the procedure?
Is there a break in the process, or did they not understand the process?
Is this a variant of an SOP that wasn't previously accounted for?
Is it for a legacy document that requires different handling?
Once you have those answers, ask yourself:
Do any procedures need to be updated or created?
Is additional training required (for yourself or someone else)?
Is anyone else impacted by this, and do they need to be informed?
Want to improve your Document Controller Hard Skills?
This article details the best soft skills for document controllers, but what about the top hard skills?
Technical skills are developed through education and practice. Are you looking for the education piece to your puzzle?
Then consider enrolling in an online course to learn or improve your technical skills!
Or check out The Top 6 Reasons to Enroll in Document Controller Training and learn how skill training can help advance your document control career.
Continuous Improvement Mindset
Things rarely turn out perfect the first time you create them. And that's okay!
Nor should you wait to implement a new procedure or process until you've deemed it perfect. The truth of the matter is an idea can sound great on paper, but it could be a whole different story once you test and use it. So don't strive for perfection right out of the gate. Part of process development is testing and updating, even if that's a year down the road once you've implemented a new process.
Take the time to ask your internal and external stakeholders what's working and what isn't. Now that you've had time to work with it, you'll be able to see the slight modifications or major overhauls that need to be executed. This is continuous improvement, and it applies to everything - work processes, training, procedures, and even your own self-improvement.
Now that you're actively learning how to be a great document controller, you're probably noticing some gaps in the systems you've been working with. Maybe there's a better way of doing things than the current process. Maybe there's a missing process altogether that would solve a lot of headaches.
Listen to what your peers are complaining about the most. Are you able to identify the root of the problem? Think you know how to fix it? Don't be afraid to speak up! Consider drafting what a new process would look like and present it to your team. Your company will appreciate your initiative to make life easier for your peers, and they'll quickly recognize you as an outstanding document controller.
Eagerness to Learn
Many people are afraid to ask questions. Don't be one of those people. Asking questions is how you learn, how you gain experience, and eventually, how you become a subject matter expert. There's an old ancient proverb that states, “He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; he who does not ask a question remains a fool forever.” Preach!
Most drawing control mistakes could have been avoided if the document controller simply asked for clarification or help when they needed it. Not only does this indicate you're a team player, but that you're also attentive, eager to learn, care about the quality of your work, and that you want to master your skill - all qualities hiring managers are looking for. While you may be worried that asking questions makes you look LESS intelligent, it's actually quite the opposite. So don't be afraid to speak up.
Have some free time on your hands? Or are you a new hire? Take the time to understand how your organization does document control. Dig up procedures and read them, get familiar with and poke around their document management system (whether it's online, a folder structure, or on a network drive), find out what templates exist (if any), and what their expectations are of you as their document controller. This will set the stage early on for your success.
Organizational Skills
Document Controllers love organizing (if you don't, you're probably in the wrong industry). I know I sure do! There's just something about creating a new systematic way of finding and organizing documents that really gets me going. If you're a creative individual, this is where you really get to have some fun. I could write pages on just this one topic, but I will spare you (for now).
Where should you focus your organizational skills?
The best places to start are either setting up or optimizing your:
Electronic Document Management Systems
Folder Structures
Numbering Conventions
Mailbox Organization
Task Prioritization
Organization equals productivity. What you lack in organization, you make up for in frustration and wasted time. Your time shouldn't be sacrificed searching for documents because a proper document management system doesn't exist.
Here are a few tips for getting organized:
Consistency is key
How you name documents, how you file them, and how you control them. Once you choose a format, stick to it.
Date formats are a prime example of this. You always need to consider how documents will sort in a folder structure.
Example: 2020-05-10 versus 10-05-2020 versus 10-05-20 (I never advise using a 2-digit identifier for the year, by the way).
Do you want the date at the beginning or end of the filename? 2020-05-10 Blog Post vs Blog Post 2020-05-10 will sort and display results much differently.
Neither is wrong; it just depends on how you want to sort and find documents.
Limit folder creation
Folder structures can become a nightmare for anyone who dares to enter. If they're not appropriately organized with rules and parameters on how to use them, they can quickly become a neverending sinkhole of subfolders that lead nowhere. How many times have you drilled down to the 10th subfolder, only to get excited that you finally found what you're looking for and there's nothing in it? All. The. Time.
Try your best to limit redundant folders. Consider the hierarchy of document types and group similar document types together in one folder.
If you can, limit who can save and create documents in a folder (to only document control). If you can't, you'll likely end up with team members saving documents anywhere they like and creating duplicates more times than you can imagine.
Even better, move to an online document management system, use metadata and say goodbye to folders forever!
Use templates
Whether that's document templates or folder structure templates, templates equal consistency; consistency for naming conventions, formatting, document styles and branding, and filing.
Templates save you time so you don't have to re-create the wheel every time you want to create a new document. Just open the template, enter your new data into the appropriate fields, and you're done.
Attention to Detail
Small oversights lead to big problems. Complacency is not your friend, but it's a trap that many people find themselves in if they're not consciously checking their work. The longer it takes for a mistake to be discovered, the longer it has to cause problems, and the longer it will take you to fix everything that went wrong as a result of it. Here are some guidelines to focus on when it comes to document control:
Always check your work. It doesn't matter how simple a task is or how many times you've done it in the past. Little errors look unprofessional and, most times, could have been avoided with a quick review.
Don't take shortcuts. Shortcuts are rarely that, and not only can they produce subpar work (resulting in rework), but they can eventually form bad habits that are hard to break.
Try not to rush. This is usually when mistakes happen - you forget a few steps, you're distracted and flustered, and you cause yourself additional stress. Sometimes rushing is unavoidable, so in that case, point #1 (always check your work) becomes critical. If you're starting to feel overwhelmed, practice self-soothing strategies to help bring you back to focus. Try going for a walk around the office, stretching, switching tasks for a minute, taking a few deep belly breaths, or asking for help.
Team Player
It's no secret that approachable employees tend to climb the org chart faster than disgruntled ones. Providing friendly help and support to your peers and EPCs is a great way to gain recognition and distinguish yourself from your competition, especially if a promotion is on the line.
Team Player shows up on almost every document controller job description out there. And for good reason. Document Controllers provide support; to your management team, your peers, your vendors and EPCs, and the many projects you've been assigned to. If you're one of many document controllers at work, developing this skill is a great way to stand out amongst the crowd.
Be the one who goes above and beyond to help. Even if you can't help, be thoughtful and kind in your message and help steer them in the right direction. Our goal as document controllers is to work in harmony with our peers, clients, and EPCs, not against them.
What does it mean to be a team player?
Actively contributing to projects and tasks.
Offering a helping hand or guidance when you see someone struggling.
Always answering inquiries with respect (even if you've already explained it to them).
Sharing responsibility when your team experiences difficulty.
Being open to feedback.
What's the opposite of a team player?
Assuming someone else will do your work without communicating that with them.
Working in silos and refusing to share information or knowledge.
Having a bad attitude and getting frustrated when others seek your help.
Pointing fingers and not taking accountability for your actions.
Time Management and Prioritization Skills
This is a topic that truly deserves its own post. Poor time management leads to feeling overwhelmed, thereby draining your energy and enforcing the belief there's never enough time. So how do you transition from a reactive state to a proactive state? By developing a thought-out plan, setting simple goals, prioritizing your work, and learning to delegate. Set aside time at the beginning of each week to structure your days, weeks, and even months if you have long-term projects on the go. Setting reminders or blocking off time in your calendar can really help you stay on track.
What are some time management techniques for work?
Start by summarizing your tasks:
What's in your inbox?
What major and minor projects are you working on?
What passion projects are you completing on the side?
Once you have a full scope of your tasks and projects, you can start to tackle your list by assigning deadlines, setting priorities, and determining the effort (time) required to complete each task.
Start with the low-hanging fruit, like cleaning up your mailbox (filling, deleting, and quick replies).
Next, finish off the small tasks you've been putting off. Most of the time, these are things we don't want to do, but in reality, they will take less than 20 minutes.
Once the smaller items are taken care of, start to address the high-priority tasks and complete the ones with the least amount of effort and the highest rank of importance first.
Fun fact: The simple act of crossing items off your to-do list causes your brain to release dopamine (the feel-good chemical).
When we feel the effects of dopamine, we're eager to repeat the actions that resulted in that success in the first place. This is how accomplishing even small goals can inspire productivity and wake up your dormant motivation!
The infamous drive-by.
Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love when my peers pop into my office to chat. But sometimes, these quick chats can eat up an entire day. Learn to get comfortable telling your colleagues you're in the middle of something but can catch up later.
This usually prompts them to skip to the point (aka, the request). If it'll take me less than 5 minutes (assuming I have 5 minutes to spare), I'll complete the task immediately. It helps build rapport and doesn't add to my never-ending to-do list. If I don't have time to discuss or complete the task, I'll politely ask them to send a detailed email with the desired completion date. It allows me to clear my head of clutter and prioritize my tasks in one place (my inbox).
I once considered having a button made that recited “can you send me an email with the details please?” as it was becoming the most popular phrase to leave my mouth in a day.
Effective Communicator
The ability to communicate effectively with superiors, colleagues, clients, and EPCs, is an essential document controller skill hiring managers often look for. And in today's digital age, that doesn't just mean in person. Now more than ever, we must know how to effectively convey and receive messages via phone, email, and online meetings.
How to communicate effectively
The ways are endless, but here are a few good skills to get you started:
Practice active listening. Listen to understand, not to respond. Ask clarifying questions. Repeat or rephrase what the speaker said to ensure understanding.
Be aware of non-verbal communication. This includes body language, tone of voice, eye contact, and facial expressions, just to name a few. Non-verbal communication can quickly create a positive and inviting environment or give off negative and standoffish energy to any situation.
Show empathy. A quick way to earn trust is through empathy. A simple “I understand where you are coming from" can make someone feel comfortable in your presence. Empathy doesn't equal agreement. You can disagree with a colleague and still show respect through empathy.
Be clear and concise in your message. You want to get your point across without rambling (and confusing the other person) or providing too little information (leaving them with more questions).
Be friendly. If you want to be approachable, be personable. A simple smile or asking a personal question to show interest will encourage coworkers to have open and honest communication with you.
Are you an administrative professional looking to improve your skills?
Then check out this blog post on the top soft and hard administrational skills that will turn you into an administrative all-star!
Adaptable
“Change is never painful. Only the resistance to change is painful.” While there's some debate about who actually said this, there's no question that resistance to change is a real issue. The way we perform document control is constantly evolving. We've moved from storing paper copies in massive filing rooms to digital records and metadata. From no control to revision control. To saving documents on USBs, desktops, and email to saving them in electronic document management systems (EDMS).
While it can feel painful when change is introduced, once you move from the disruption zone into the adoption zone and witness improved performance, it's hard to believe we ever did it the old way in the first place. Something I hear a lot (which makes me cringe) is, “that's not how we used to do it.” Fair enough, but we also didn't have access to the modern tools, technologies, and thought processes available to us today.
It could be you who's resisting change, or maybe it's a team member who doesn't like a new procedure that's been enforced. Change is inevitable, and the best way to get comfortable with it is to understand why it's happening. Get clear on the vision. If it's your new initiative, then you already have this information. If it's coming from someone else, don't be afraid to ask questions. Why is this change happening? What problem is it solving? Is there training available? What benefits does it provide?
Once you have those answers, educate your peers. Not only will you build trust, but you'll collectively move into the zone of adoption faster.
How can you improve your document controller skills?
I promise if you work on developing and strengthening these top 10 skills for document controllers, you will be unstoppable. Hone in, don't take shortcuts, don't skip steps, never be afraid to ask for help, put effort into understanding the problem, and be friendly to work with. You'll be a sought-after document controller in no time.
In today's world, learning is easier than ever. Try searching topics of interest in books, podcasts, or even better, find a mentor (like me!) and sign-up for one of my document control training courses.
Check out and enroll in the Document Control Mastery online course to learn the fundamentals of document control – what it is, why you need it, and how to perform the most common DC tasks so you can become a subject matter expert.
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