Office Organization

Office organization helps employees work more efficiently with less stress. A well-organized office allows employees to focus on their work while disorganization fuels feelings of being overwhelmed and can distract workers from accomplishing what really needs to be done. Professional help is available for those who feel inundated by the process.

Whether you run a small business or work within a larger corporation, an organized office is a productive office. When employees are organized they can juggle several tasks at once and still track their progress. Appointments will be kept, details won't be lost and projects are finished on time. Why? Because office organization promotes productivity.

One reason offices become cluttered and disorganized is because they don't have the tools necessary to keep thing in order, so where do you start?

Providing proper storage includes a place for everything. Clutter is not only distracting but bogs down efficiency as workers shuffle through papers or waste time looking for things because they do not have a designated place.

Start out with individual desks. Have workers take the time to clean out their desks drawers. This helps them to know what they have, where it is and frees up valuable storage space.

Once this is accomplished, have them clear off the tops of their desk and then put back only the essential items they need like their phone, computer, card file, etc. An uncluttered desk allows workers to see what really needs to be accomplished while reducing the stress of feeling overwhelmed. Stacking trays keep papers organized as they come to your desk rather than becoming a pile that needs to be searched through when you need something.

Encourage the use of these stacking trays to organize work flow and to create an inbox. This prevents new work from getting lost in the shuffling of papers on a cluttered desk.

When desktops are cleaned, work habits should change to maintain office organization. A few ways to keep desks clean is to only have the current project spread across the desk. When new items come in, they should be deposited in the established inbox. And when the project is completed, take time to organize related paperwork and files and store them in the proper place before beginning work on a susequent project.

1. File cabinets stuffed with old, overflowing files that are not accessed often is a waste of valuable storage space. Purchase storage boxes of uniform size for your files, and label the outside of the box with what files are stored and what year they are from.
2. Some paper files can be stored electronically. Scan documents and store them electronically.
3. As you establish new files within cleaned out file cabinets, color coding files makes it easier to find information at a glance. Make a point not to allow file drawers to become overstuffed. When files are difficult to get in and out, it encourages workers not to file in a timely manner. If files become too full, it's time to go through them and discard what is not needed or to separate the file into two. Subdividing files keeps them manageable and organized.
4. Clear labeling of files is another organizational tool that takes a little time on the front end but saves time in the long run because those who use the files can find what they need. A uniform labeling system should be used throughout the office. For example:

• Hanging file labels will be in front of the file
• File most recent papers at the front of the file
• Files will be organized in alphabetical order

Organizing your office will save time, and in turn learning to manage your time will help you become organized. Working in a clutter-free environment saves time, but when workers become overwhelmed by work load, filing, returning phone calls, etc.; cleaning their desk and other such low-priority tasks suffer. Learning to organize tasks keeps order and reduces stress. Here are a few tips to help manage time, increase productivity and keep things organized:

• To Do List - Keep a list of things that need to be done
• Straighten your desk at the end of the day putting things where they belong.
• Break large projects into smaller, manageable tasks
• Make phone calls and answer business emails in blocks of time
• Keep a "tickler file" to remind you of lose ends requiring follow-through. This can be an electronic file using software like Outlook or a planner.

Making organization part of the workplace routine offers benefits for both business and employee in reducing stress and getting the work done efficiently.

• Employee Not Pulling Her Weight
• Business Networking
• GoToMeeting.com
• Wi-fi Business Advantages
• Small Business Software

• Memo Layout
• 10 Best Home Based Businesses
• Business Thank You Notes
• The Myths Of Entrepreneurship
• Unethical Business Practices

• Sample Resume Objective
• Memo Examples
• Resume Objective Examples
• Resume Objective Statements
• Sample of Letter of Request

• Women Business Attire
• Clean Desk Policy
• Category:Business Operations
• Time Management and Organization
• Starting a Non-Profit Organization