You may think that
you don’t have time to organize your office, but if you really knew how much
time that disorganization cost you, you’d reconsider. Rearranging and moving
piles occasionally doesn’t count. Neither does clearing off your desk, if you
swipe the mess into a bin, or a desk drawer. A relatively neat and orderly
office space clears the way for higher productivity and less wasted time.
Organizing your office doesn’t have to take days, it can be done
a little at a time. In fact maintaining an organized office is much more
effective if you treat it like an ongoing project, instead of a massive
assault. So, if you’re ready to get started, the following tips will help you
transform your office into an efficient workspace.
Great
Tips to Organize Your Office Space
1. Purge
your office – De-clutter, empty, shred, get rid of everything that you
don’t need or want. Look around. What haven’t you used in a while? Take one
area at a time. If it doesn’t work, send it out for repair or toss it. If you
haven’t used it in months and can’t think of when you’ll actually need it, out
it goes. This goes for furniture, equipment, supplies, etc. Don’t forget about
knick-knacks, plants (real or artificial), and decorations – if they’re covered
with dust and make your office look shabby, they’re fair game.
2. Gather
and redistribute – Gather up every item that isn’t where it belongs and
put it where it does.
3. Establish
work “zones” – Decide what type of activity happens in each area of your
office. You’ll probably have a main workspace (most likely your desk,) a
reference area (filing cabinet, shelves, binders,) and a supply area (closet,
shelves or drawers.) Place the appropriate equipment and supplies are located
in the proper area as much as possible.
4. Close
proximity – Position the equipment and supplies that you use most within
reach. Things that you rarely use can be stored or put away.
5. Get a
good labeler – Choose a label maker that’s simple to use. Take the time to
label shelves, bins, baskets drawers. Not only will it remind you where things
go, but it will also help others who may have a need to find, use, or put away
anything in your workspace.
6. Revise your
filing system – As we move fully into the digital age, the need
to store paper files has decreased. What can your store digitally? Are you
duplicating files? You may be able to eliminate some of the files and folders
you’ve used in the past. If you’re storing files on your computer, make sure
you are doing regular back-ups. Some quick tips for creating a smooth filing
system:
7. Create
a meeting folder – Put all “items to be discussed” in there along with
items that need to be handed off, reports that need to be given, etc. It’ll
help you be prepared for meetings and save you stress in the even that a
meeting is moved up.
8. Create
a WOR folder – So much of our messy papers are things that are on hold
until someone else responds or acts. Corral them in a WOR (Waiting on Response)
folder. Check it every few days for outstanding actions you may need to
follow-up on.
9. Clear
off your desk – Remove everything, clean it thoroughly and put back only
those items that are essential for daily use.
10. Organize
your desktop – Now that you’ve streamlined you desktop, it’s a good idea
to organize it. Use desktop organizers or containers to organize the
items on your desk. Use trays for papers, containers for smaller items.
11. Organize
your drawers – Put items used together in the same drawer space, stamps
with envelopes, sticky pads with notepads, etc. Use drawer organizers for
little items – paper clips, tacks, etc. Use a separate drawer for personal
items.
12. Separate
inboxes – If you work regularly with other people create a folder, tray,
or inbox for each.
13. Clear
your piles – Hopefully with your new organized office, you won’t create
piles of paper anymore, but you still have to sort through the
old ones. Go through the pile (a little at a time if necessary) and put it in
the appropriate place or dump it.
14. Sort mail –
Don’t just stick mail in a pile to be sorted or rifle through and take out the
pieces you need right now. Sort it as soon as you get it – To act, To read, To
file, To delegate or hand off. .
15. Assign
discard dates – You don’t need to keep every piece of paper indefinitely.
Mark on files or documents when they can be tossed or shredded. Some legal or
financial documents must be kept for specified length of time. Make sure you
know what those requirements are.
16. Storage
boxes – Use inexpensive storage boxes to keep archived files and get them
out of your current file space.
17. Magazine
boxes – Use magazine boxes or binders to store magazines and catalogs you
really want to store. Please make sure you really need them for reference or
research, otherwise recycle them, or give away.
18. Reading
folder – Designate a file for print articles and documents you want to
read that aren’t urgent.
19. Archive
files – When a project is complete, put all of the materials together and
file them away. Keep your “working folders” for projects in progress.
20. Straighten
your desk – At the end of the day do a quick straighten, so you have a clean
start the next day.
21. File
weekly – Don’t let your filing pile up. Put your papers in a “To File”
folder and file everything once a week.
Use one tip or try them all. The amount of effort you put into creating
and maintaining an efficient work area will pay off in a big way. Instead of
spending time looking for things and shuffling piles, you’ll be able to spend
your time…well…working.
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