Organizing and productivity

Apr 01

Tips for Organizing Your Cubicle Office Space

By Sherry Borsheim Blog, Business Organizing, Quick Organizing Tips No Comments

Every weekday, like many people in the corporate world, you work in a cubicle. From the outside, these grey, politically correct drab walls might look bare and uninteresting, but from where you are, you know the importance of keeping things unique, simple, and your own. Here are a few tips to get you started.

Tip # 1: Remember That It’s all About You

At your job, it’s important to be efficient as possible. Therefore, it is important to keep the important things in easy reach. Do you spend the majority of your time on the phone, dealing with clients, or trying to create new ones? Make sure you have all their information in your computer contacts list. You may need a small corkboard on the cubicle wall near your phone with quick reference phone numbers or phone scripts. That way the information you need is easily accessible exactly when you need it – both on the computer and visually in front of you. Do you spend the majority of your time reviewing files, plans or paper documents? Make sure that you have enough desk space to spread out your files or plans and easily put them away when you are finished at the end of your day. Another great tip is to have a small whiteboard hanging on your cubicle wall with your tentative schedule or list of current projects. People will know at a glance what your latest project is, and if you have available time.

Tip # 2: Don’t Forget The Paperwork!

Chances are there will always be paperwork in the corporate world. Keeping your paper files organized can not only help you become more productive, it can also make your time at the office a little less stressful. It’s best to keep things simple. Start with four trays stacked on your desk or hanging on your wall divider. One for incoming material, one for material that is awaiting additional information, or is currently being worked on, one for out-going material, and one for filing or better yet, file papers right away and eliminate this tray altogether.

Tip #3: Add that Personal Touch

It’s important in the business world to be reminded exactly why you are working this hard. While over the top displays of personal items might be frowned upon, most work places have no problem with small, tasteful pictures or little trinkets to remind you of your family. Keep your desk clutter-free with lots of work surface to do your work efficiently!

Tip #4: Clear Out Those Boxes Under Your Desk!

We all know it’s easier to just toss things under the desk so no one can see all your stuff. Having piles of paper, boxes and binders under your desk can create undo stress because you know you should deal with it but don’t have time to right now. Keep the space under your desk free for extra leg room and peace of mind that you don’t have to deal with some random box of papers someday. We all know someday never comes.

These are just a few things that you can do to make your cubicle more habitable and user friendly. Give them a try!

Mar 12

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Paper filing tips, Paper Tiger Filing System, organizing paper files, filing systems, records management, information management, document management,

3 Simple Ways to Help You File Correctly

By Sherry Borsheim Blog, Business Organizing, Free Articles, Organizing Paper Files, Quick Organizing Tips No Comments

Misfiling: It is the bane of the home business owner. How many minutes or hours are wasted each day frantically searching for that one document, that one letter that has been misfiled? How many gray hairs have been created as the office personnel searches frantically for the missing folder while you try to placate an irate client? While mistakes will always happen, there are ways that you can minimize the chance of them happening to you. Here are a few of my favorites.

Keep it Simple

One of the most common reasons why something gets put in the wrong place is because people don’t understand where the right place is located. Therefore, it pays to keep your filing system as straightforward and simple as possible. Personally, I use a combination of numbers and colors- each project is given a unique number, and each section within that project is given a specific color. For example- all my invoices are kept in a red sub-folder in the project file, and all my vendor information is kept in a yellow one. Then it’s just a matter of making sure that the project number is placed on all items and that only things of that project are kept in the same location. While misfiling still can happen, keeping things simple does decrease the odds.

Keep Track of What is Being Used

Often, when a file is out of place, it is simply being used by another person. If this is the case, one of the easiest ways to prevent a panicked search for the missing file is to simply place an “out” card in its place with the name of the person who has it. One of the best methods I’ve seen is to take an opaque binder divider and write the word OUT on the tab, and have people write their names in an orderly fashion on the divider, and cross it out when it is returned. Then it’s easy to see who was last responsible for the file.

Archive What You Don’t Need

Let’s face it; sometimes there are a lot of things in your files that simply are not relevant to the situation at hand. While you may still need to keep them for record keeping purposes, there is no reason that you need to keep everything right there. It can be helpful to designate an archival file location where the inactive, or portions older than say five years can be kept. That way, you won’t have to spend valuable time going through old material to find the current ones you need.

These are just a few ways that you can use your filing system to keep things easily accessible, and help to prevent misfiling.

Mar 05

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garbage can, clocks, time-wasters, wasting time, image, productivity

3 Tips for an Efficient Work Schedule

By Sherry Borsheim Blog, Business Organizing, Quick Organizing Tips, Time Management No Comments

While having an organized office is essential for keeping things running smoothly, making sure you spend your time well is also vital to a successful work day.

Here are 3 tips for an efficient work schedule to help you make sure that your time is spent wisely:

Tip # 1: Start Your Day with a Plan

One of the biggest time wasters for most people is figuring out what to do, and when, during the day. Minutes are often wasted trying to determine the difference between what is more important and what can be shelved for a later time. Why not take a few minutes at the beginning of your day and write out a loose schedule or “to-do” list? By setting a schedule, you’ll be able to quickly see what is important, what can be delegated, and if you have the ability to deal with “surprises” that will undoubtedly come up during the day.

Full Focus Planner – Linen

Tip # 2: Designate Time for Email and Phone

One of the biggest setbacks for time efficiency when running a home office is multi-tasking. Taking a break every few moments to check emails or phone messages often eats up valuable time that could be spent perfecting your next service or project. Instead of jumping at every notification bell or dashing off to make that phone call to a client, designate specific times during your work day to communicate with the outside world. Not only will you get more accomplished by focusing on communication for those 15 minutes or so, but your clients will note that you took the time to respond to them, and that you made sure that there was enough time to address their needs.

Tip # 3: Take Breaks

Despite what you may have thought, working a straight eight hours without a break doesn’t make you more dedicated, more productive, or a better business owner. The only thing that working without a break accomplishes is making you tired, irritable, and actually less productive. So in your daily schedule make sure you schedule a few moments to get up, walk around, stretch, and take a break. It only has to be a few minutes at a time, and you’ll be surprised at the effect it has on your day!

Tip #4: Break the Project Down

If you’re working on a big project for a client, it is often better to break it down into a number of mini-projects that lead to the overall goal. Not only does this make it easier to handle, but it helps to keep you on track when distractions come your way. Think of it this way – you wouldn’t try to make a four-course meal all at the same time, would you? No, you’d concentrate on each individual part, and then bring them together at the time of serving. Use the same idea when you’re tackling that project.

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