How to Stay Organized at Work

Maintaining a planner is one way to stay organized.

Disorganization is the anathema of an efficient, professional employee. And yet, such disarray hits even the most prepared worker. Perhaps a deadline is at 4 o'clock but you completely forgot about the two meetings you booked concurrently by mistake. Whatever the situation, building your organizational skills in the office can be achieved in a number of ways. Candido Segarra, author of "How to Become a True Professional," advises starting with the cleanliness of your desk and removing all clutter. However, staying organized requires more than an aesthetically pleasing workspace.

Instructions

1. Keep a calendar of deadlines. Choose a planner that fits your style and one you will actually use: Some prefer online planners and PDAs while others prefer paper-based notebook planners. Enter any project deadline, meeting or appointment the moment dates are known. For any task requiring preparation, enter an additional reminder a few days before the event to ensure you are adequately prepared.

2. Set realistic time frames for tasks. An inaccurate estimate of your work flow throws any schedule into disarray. To avoid putting off tasks and skipping others, ensure you allocate enough time to each task. Overestimate the time it takes to complete something. A 2011 Walden University article, "Tips on Organizational Skills in Business," advises new hires to get input from the management team regarding expected time frames.

3. Plan your day ahead of time. At the end of every work day before you leave your desk, jot notes about how to tackle the next day. Scan your calendar to ensure you are in line to complete projects and work functions listed for tomorrow. Write notes regarding anything you need to do at home beforehand: Sending a suit to the dry cleaners for a presentation, getting snacks for tomorrow's meeting or bringing in your spare laptop with necessary software are examples.

4. Keep physical inventory of your tasks for a visual representation of outstanding work. For example, place all files of outstanding tasks on your desk in the order you wish to tackle them. If no file exists of the tasks, write each objective on a marker board. Or, write the task on a sticky note and place it on your computer monitor. Associate a physical action with completion of the task: Cross off the item from the marker board or manually tear the sticky note. Color-code the sticky notes according to the task's urgency.

Tips & Warnings

• Hang signs asking for no interruptions during the completion of critical tasks. If your schedule is tight and inflexible, getting off track leads to disorganization. Place a polite sign outside of your desk or on your chair asking for space and one sentence explaining the reason why. For instance, "As much as I would love to talk/help/eat lunch with you, I'm in the middle of quarterly closing --- please see John for questions. Thank you!"

• Perform related tasks in the same time frame. This enhances your work flow and makes it easier to accomplish similar tasks.

References

• "How to Become a True Professional"; Candido Segarra; 2007
• Walden University; Tips on Organizational Skills in Business; June 2011