01/ 04/ 2006
by Kelle Campbell
A disorganized workplace results in mountains of paperwork, overdue bills and other obstacles to a smooth workflow. Any solution you choose will have to fit your personality, work style and environment, but a few guiding principles will help you get your work environment in shipshape.
1. Organizing your desk
Instead of letting items haphazardly gather on your desk, file them, throw them away or sort them for projects. Peter Walsh, author of How to Organize Just About Anything, recommends sorting papers in an inbox with no more than three sections. Label the sections in whatever method best suits your work style, such as “To Be Signed” if you regularly sign paperwork or “For Ted” if you think of projects in terms of people rather than tasks.
Julie Morgenstern, author of Making Work Work, suggests designating three zones on your desk: one for materials you haven’t looked at, one for projects in progress and one for completed work. You can use boxes, trays or whatever receptacle you prefer to organize items within those zones.
2. Creating a reminder system
Another option for sorting paperwork is setting up a series of file folders numbered for each day of the month and placing bills and paperwork in the day on which you want to take action. Some experts suggest having only files for the days of the current month, while others advise using one or two additional folders to hold items for subsequent months. Those items would be organized into the appropriate day folder as their month becomes current.
3. Filing
If you have trouble finding files, consider color coding a few of your folders for quick identification of important documents, such as blue for finance or yellow for creative tasks.
Also, avoid removing items from file folders since you may lose those materials or your employees may unsuspectingly work with incomplete files. Take the entire folder and consider devising a system that lets others know who has taken the folder. For example, insert an index card in the file cabinet with the name of the person who has the folder.
Regularly purge outdated information from your file cabinet and computer. Ask your financial advisor how long to keep items such as old returns and IRS paperwork. When you come across items that you hesitate to throw away, archive them in storage boxes. Print an archive inventory, mark the boxes to indicate the contents and the year and decide on the date and circumstances for finally discarding them. If you haven’t a consulted a document in six months, for example, trash it. Transfer outdated computer files onto CDs.
4. Prioritizing tasks
Morgenstern uses the term “revenue line” to describe the point at which your organization is making or saving money. Your highest priority tasks (and the ones that deserve the most time) should be tasks that are closest to the revenue line. They should be the tasks that save money, generate revenues, create products or deliver the service.
Of course, you will also have to deal with urgent tasks that may not contribute directly to the bottom line. To decide which projects should be next on your list, use the following questions:
- When is the deadline? Looming deadlines raise the priority of the project.
- How much work is needed? Most projects consist of several smaller tasks.
- How much time is required? Time estimates how much help you need when scheduling tasks.
- What’s the payoff? Potential consequences are a major factor in deciding how you’ll spend your time.
5. Planning your day
Before you leave work, make a to-do list for the next day so that your mind is at ease for after-hours activities, and you have an immediate plan of action when you come to work. You can put the list on paper or use software such as Outlook.
When you start the workday, check your inbox, phone messages and faxes and add any relevant items to your task list. Some experts recommend avoiding e-mail first thing in the morning, but this may not be possible if you receive to-do messages via e-mail. Still, remember this early morning time is strictly for confirming what you’ll be doing, and what you’ll delegate or do some other day.
Break your workday into time blocks assigned to particular tasks. Schedule high-priority work for times when your energy is highest. Use low-energy periods to answer routine e-mails and do administrative tasks. Your schedule won’t be set in stone, but if you’re interrupted, it can help you evaluate the time and tasks left for the remainder of the day.
Organization is a process, so you have to devote time and effort to maintain whatever system you choose. But over time, your new habits will become second nature, and you’ll reap the benefits of a streamlined work life.
