Do you usually spend a lot of time searching for papers, documents, emails, and supplies at the office? Are you having troubles staying organized? Because if that’s the case then it’s clear you’re losing productivity. It’s time to get back on track calls for a lot of commitment, planning, and consistency. CEOs, executives, managers, and business people in general, come to work extremely stressed. They just can’t keep their things organized. A messy work space leads to missed deadlines, and missed deadlines lead to lowered productivity. Don’t despair! Here are some tips you can use to stay organized at the office and increase output.
Purge your desk
Are you having troubles controlling your workspace? Is your desk a total mess? Does the mess interfere with your ability to work? If the answer to our 3 questions is “yes”, then you need to start purging your desk. Take everything that’s unnecessary out. Clean all your drawers and file cabinets (especially the ones you’re using to throw every piece of paper) and start prioritizing. Place documents you need on a daily basis in the upper cabinets, and leave lower cabinets for stuff you only need occasionally.
Smart accessorizing
Use office accessories to stay organized such as desktop sets and organizers, pen cups and stackable inboxes. Your desk should only contain gadgets and supplies you’re using daily. Make sure they’re all placed within easy reach. A computer, smartphone, notepad, a couple of pens, post-its, and a stapler should be right there, on the desk for you to use.
Incoming documents must never be left on the desk at random. Use desktop sets to help you stay organized. Have stackable inboxes properly categorized. Place items that you haven’t checked yet on top, and the ones in process, underneath. Without a proper filing system you’ll never become more productive at work.
Set up a strategic filing system
Setting up a proper filing system is the key to increasing productivity at the office. There’s no such thing as the perfect organizer though. Develop a system that matches with your work pace. Based on your preferences, you can arrange documents by project, alphabetically or by client. Find a way to stay organized that suits you. Using a master list or an index with file names might help avoid creating duplicate files.
Most recent documents should be placed close to your computer or laptop in case you need them. As for old documents and papers, it’s best that you keep them archived in a box. Or you can always invest in a digital scanner and store everything electronically.
Invest in a multi-purpose office desk
Whether you work at home or in a professional office space, having a proper desk will help you stay organized. Choosing such important piece of furniture can be extremely difficult though. Decide on a style and settle on a budget range. Some additional costs may be involved if you’re adding extra shelves, hutches, drawers, wings, and lateral file drawers. Multi-purpose desks are excellent for people with limited work spaces; when you’re spinning in a 4 by 4 cubicle eight hours a day, it’s literally impossible to stay organized.
Maximize storage space – go vertical
One of the coolest and most practical ways of keeping your office organized is to invest in a vertical drawer. Make sure it doesn’t have any doors because you want to be able to see your things. Place organizers and documents that you use daily on the top shelf and try not to make a mess. You can always label your documents to increase efficiency at work. Bins, containers, drawers, shelves and files should be properly organized so that you can have immediate access to them each time someone asks for something.
The only way you can boost productivity at the office is by organizing your stuff. Sometimes that can be difficult. Keeping papers, documents, and all kinds of office accessories in place is extremely daunting, especially if you’re a busy individual with lots of projects and daily chores to finish. The good news is there are easy ways to help keep your things properly structured. Invest in essential accessories for your desk, only place important items on your desk, and make time every on Fridays to clean things up a bit.