How to be Organized at Work

In order to remain an asset in a competitive work environment it’s vital to be able to pull information from your workspace in a timely manner. How will you possibly be able to find the latest report or financial figures if your workspace is unorganized? What could have taken 5 minutes and 3 clicks of a mouse, may take you hours of digging and searching for files in your desk or computer. Next time, your boss will go to Suzy Suckup for answers because she’ll be quicker and know where everything is. You don’t want opportunity to pass you by because of disorganization. It’s time to take action… let’s get organized at work by following these simple steps:

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Avoid stacking papers on your desk.
   “But I know where everything is!”
   “I’m organized in my own little way.”
   “But, everything is stacked up in organized piles!”
   No. No. No. The only thing that should be on your desk is what you are currently working on. When you’ve completed a certain task, file it away. A clean desktop is a vital part of being organized.

2. Make to-do lists.
   “But, when it’s on my desk I know I need to do it.”
   Excuses! This may be the case if you have 2-3 papers on your desk, but when your entire desk is covered you’ve completely lost your priority system. Instead of keeping everything out in the open so you do not forget, make detailed to-do lists. Once you’ve completed a task, cross it off and go to the next one. Prioritize your lists and start with the highest priority first. Without lists, higher priority items might get lost in the shuffle.

3. Set Reminders.
   If to-do lists aren’t enough, you can use post-it notes and outlook reminders on your desktop. This is especially important for projects with certain deadlines. Depending on the project, an outlook reminder that a project is due in a few hours or a few days can be very helpful.

4. Utilize electronic and paper file folders.
   Anything that needs to be printed out should have its own home in a file folder. Anything saved to your computer should be neatly organized in an electronic file folder. As is the case with paper file folders, you cannot logically put all of your electronic documents in 1 folder. For ease of use, name file folders by subject, date, category, etc. This will make locating documents much easier!

5. Don’t let it get this bad again!
   Don’t let the mess accumulate. The longer you go without filing or re-organizing the harder it will be when you can’t take it any longer! Set a specific day of the week, or time of day, to stop what you are doing and re-group. Not only will this help you stay organized, but it will give you the much needed break in the day for you to reflect on how productive you’ve become.

Resources

• How to Improve your Work Enviornment and Boost Morale
• How to Improve your Work Ethic