This is a great article from Barb Friedman highlighting Wilson Jones products. She’s a professional organizer! Write Now! carries everything you need to make sure your office is running efficiently – from filing cabinets to binder tabs. Check us out Write Now! to see how we can help you out.
“Is Your Office In Working Order?
Setting Up a Workspace That Suits Your Workstyle
By Barb Friedman
Many people think their office should be organized just like their co-worker’s. The truth is, setting up your office in your own way can be a lot of fun! It is your space to develop into a pleasant environment that best suits your personal workstyle. The problem is, we don’t usually dedicate time to finding systems that work the best for us. Before you tackle your work projects, it’s important that you decide what types of organizational systems will most effectively support you in getting your daily work done.
The key to setting up an office that works is creating a home, or a specific place, for all the papers, files and materials that make up your office. It’s just like organizing your garage: you identify a specific place for lawn & garden supplies, car maintenance supplies, winter accessories, toys, etc. In your office, just like in your garage, you should create a “home” for files and equipment alike.
Your Office’s Blueprint
Set up your office floor plan based on the role each piece of equipment plays in your work routine. The items used most often should be nearest to their point of use. Therefore, the home for your telephone should be nearest to your workspace, along with all your important phone numbers, pricing lists and contact information. Tools like Wilson Jones’ Big Mouth filer are great for organizing the frequently used files kept by the phone, plus it’s a durable, portable system that can go from the office to your car to meetings if need be.
Set up a home for the printer closest to your computer, so you don’t have to leave your office to retrieve your printed materials. Keep at least one ink cartridge and some printer paper stored near the printer, too.
Don’t forget that shelves are a helpful “home” for reference files. Consider using binders with tabs to sort research documents, archive files and other resources that your might refer to during your workday. Using a tab system that includes View-Tabs is a quick way to get organized because the translucent tabs are customized with a single sheet of paper inserted in the back of the binder. Free templates for the tabs are available on-line at wilsonjones.com, and are quick to type and print, which eliminates the need for time-consuming labeling and gives you the freedom to focus on other tasks.
Setting Up a Schedule
Next, it’s time to think about how you will plan out your workday. Find a calendar that you love! It can be paper, on the computer, or a PDA (personal digital assistant). Make sure the format has specific times, preferably by the half hour, which will give you more control over your time.
Jot down the order in which your business takes place, making a list until you have included everything done on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. Using your calendar, schedule each and every task, assigning a particular day and time to each one. This will keep you focused, on track and increase the probability that the tasks will get done.
Some tips on creating an effective schedule include:
- Write every activity that requires your time in your calendar, including phone calls, reports, tasks to work on, and clearing off your desk at the end of the day
- Set aside time to plan every day. It’s the most important part of your work day and will help you be more productive
- Schedule the most difficult tasks first thing in the morning – to get them over with!
- Work on complicated projects during your highest energy level period – for more productivity and efficiency
Getting organized is about creating systems that suit your workstyle, but staying organized is about maintenance. Your daily schedule should allow for 15-20 minutes to pick up and put away your office materials. Maintenance is the most important part – remember to keep it up.
Filing Away Each Detail
Now that you know when you’re going to get your daily work done, it’s time to decide how you’re going to organize all those work papers. Finding the right filing solutions will help you find a home for your paper work, including the invoices, receipts, investment statements, memos and more. There are many different systems that can be used, but the right one for you depends on your individual workstyle.
No matter what your workstyle, a successful filing system is one that is simple and consistent. Following are a few tips to try:
- Label your files with the words you would most likely remember when looking for the information.
- When files become too big, don’t be afraid to clean them out or subdivide them into smaller categories.
- Create a system for general information and resources, too. Try using a tool like Wilson Jones’ slash pocket folders, which have an expandable gusset and can be clipped into a binder or filed in a drawer.
- If you are involved in many different projects, consider creating a binder for each one. Label the spine and include index dividers to sort the papers inside. Wilson Jones’ snap folders, which are colored plastic folders that can snap in to or pulled out of any three-ring binder, are ideal for this type of system. The color-coding helps you assign a single color to a single type of information. For example, green folders always contain budget documents, and blue folders contain contracts.
- Whenever you begin work on a new project, or add a new client or customer, start a new file.
- When reviewing the paper you have to file, ask yourself:
- Do I really need this? Why?
- What would happen if I threw it away?
- Can I get it somewhere else if I need it?
- Is it timely?
- Is it accurate and reliable?
Remember, office clutter is simply indecision. Papers grow from single sheet to overwhelming stacks because decisions haven’t been made on existing papers. Try to handle each piece of paper only once during the decision making process. FILE, ACT or TOSS!
Having your own office space is a privilege. If you use it wisely, develop a filing system, and continue to maintain it – it will continue to work for you, increase your productivity and give you more free time. Remember, don’t agonize – organize!”
