The Efficient Office
Almost everyone spends some time in an office – whether that time is in corporate America, for your small business, or at a home office for personal affairs. In order for you to get the most work done in the least amount of time, your office needs to be well organized, suitable for your workflow, uncluttered, and have appropriate storage. If your office is seen by colleagues or clients, it should also present a professional image. When clients see a disorganized office, they may wonder if you can be trusted with important business matters.
Unfortunately, not all offices operate efficiently. The list below shows some of the most common problems that prevent people from doing their best work in the offices.
- People can’t find their files and paperwork.
- There is no place to work
- There is no place to put things
- There is no filing system
- The office is used for other purposes
Undoubtedly, there is too much stuff in the office and either there is inadequate storage or the storage isn’t being used efficiently. To remedy these problems, first remove everything from the office that doesn’t contribute to the office function. Take out the toys, the tools, the old magazines, and the winter coats to make room for office supplies and files. Next, start in one corner of the room and examine every item and every paper. If you are happy with your filing system, file papers in the correct folder. If you are not happy with your filing system, just put the papers in stacks on the floor, grouped by subject. Throw out duplicates, out of date items, and offers you won’t have time to use. Put items that need immediate attention in a “Pending” stack and items that need to go to someone else in a “Pass On” stack. This will take several hours, but stick with the task! If the floor gets full or you need to break this task into several sessions, put the stacks into boxes so the stacks stay contained.
After you have done the sorting, purging and grouping, you can SEE what you REALLY have and can plan your office space. Do you have enough workspace? Do you have room for your computer? Do you have enough file storage for all the papers in stacks on the floor? If you are a business, do you have room for your samples, products, and equipment? Is your lighting adequate? If you answer “no” to any of these questions, you need to go shopping! I find that an L-shaped desk works well for me so I have a space for the computer and a space to write. Determine your need for lateral or vertical file cabinets, bookshelves, cabinets or drawers for office supplies, and lighting, and purchase accordingly.
Now that you have sorted, purged, and grouped, and you have the appropriate office furniture, it is time to find a home for each item, set up a workable filing system, and put each item in its assigned place. Identify specific places for office supplies, products and samples, the computer, the shredder, and the trash can. Set up your files for the way you would look for them. Keep frequently used files close to your desk and less frequently used files in a more remote location. Put the “Pending” file on your desk so you can conveniently work on your action items. Think through your work flow when deciding where to store things.
When your office is back together, sit back and congratulate yourself on a job well done. Organizing the office is only the first step, though. You will need to put time on your calendar to do your filing each week and always remember to put things in their assigned homes. Maintaining your office takes a fraction of the time it took to declutter and reorganize, so once the office is organized, make the effort to keep it organized. You will be more productive and feel less stress when you sit down to work.
