Office Organization

Office organization is often considered to be an onerous task. Many people shy away from it and the result is an office that is a mess. Office organizing doesn’t really take much time if one is dedicated to it.

If you follow a few simple rules, your work doesn’t become much of a burden and going to office does not give you the heebie-jeebies.

Sort It Out

Take the time to sort out the mess on your desk. You can do four things with all the papers lying there:

• Tackle them,
• File them,
• Delegate the work, and
• Get rid of the junk.

In a very straightforward manner, if you need to take care of some things, do it. If there are files and papers that are part of a project that is already done, then file them away. If you have people who will take care of some of the jobs for you, then delegate those jobs. And at the very end, if you have piles of papers or files which do not fit under any of the above categories and consist of mostly junk, throw them away.

If your company subscribes to periodicals and magazines, then it makes sense to invest in a magazine box to store them. You can have boxes devoted to each magazine. Invest in sticker labels and stick them on to these boxes so you know where what’s at.

Organize your files in filing cabinets. Use simple filing methods so that you find a file when you need it and don’t spend time searching for it.

Plan Your Way

Plan your appointments, meetings and work. You can use a variety of methods for planning your day or month. A diary planner works well for people. Alternatively, several softwares are available in the market which will help you keep a track of things. You can often synchronize the software in your cell phone or PDA with your computer and thus keep a track of things at all times. Spend 5 minutes everyday going through your planner so that you have an idea of what your day is going to be like and which time slots are open for you.

You can also use several project management softwares to keep a track of all the projects on hand. This enables you to break up the entire project into small tasks and either assign them to your team, or to keep a track of time per task. This helps you know where you are with regards to your project(s) at any point of time.

Have a look at your e-mail program / client. These often have planners or organizers within them. You can even sort out your e-mail with tags such as ‘To Call’, ‘To Reply’ etc or put the mails into folders with these names. You can then address each e-mail one by one and take care of your work.

You can also assign each day to each task – such as meetings on Tuesdays, filing on Thursdays etc. This makes life easier for you as well as your sub-ordinates and they know when certain reports etc. fall due on a regular basis. This creates a routine and establishes a certain discipline. You can even periodically change this routine if it becomes to humdrum.

Neat and Clean Space

Maintaining a neat and clean work space or desk is the key to organizing your office. It also creates an aura of dependability, especially when you have your boss or client dropping by to visit you.

Keep a writing pad near the phone and a pencil or pen close to it for noting down numbers and other details. Keep your computer at an angle which will not obscure your view when you have visitors sitting on the other side of the desk. Keep a notepad ready when you have visitors or clients so that you can jot down the important details of the meeting. Keep a tray at one side of your table which holds all the files that you have to work on. The rest can be delegated, filed or dumped.

And here is the golden rule of neatness: When you take something from somewhere and are finished using it, put it back into its place. This is a time saver that has helped me so many times in my life. This helps you to not create the clutter in the first place.

Don’t put things off for later because often later results in clutter.

Invest in a few time saving accessories such as pegs, drawers, labels and shelves. They help you find space to keep things, organize them and identify them as and when required. Thus you will get things in order in absolutely no time at all!

So, what are you waiting for? Get going and all the best of luck!