Office Organizing
Harold Taylor is a time management expert. He produces a monthly newsletter. Here is one of his articles. I hope you enjoy it.
Harold Taylor of Taylor in Time
Managing E-mail
Do you respond to a lot more email messages than you originate? Are you deleting emails unanswered or unread? Are you spending so much time reacting to email that you don’t have time for creativity, relaxation and renewal? If so, calculate your “Reactive Ratio.”
Reactive Ratio
Count the total number of email messages you receive during a day. Include spam, egroup messages and newsletters whether you still read them or not. Divide the total number of incoming email messages by the number that you send during the day. The resulting ratio should be as low as possible.
You can easily calculate this ratio if you don’t delete or move anything until the end of the day – even those that you have answered. The next morning, quickly count the total number of emails received the previous day as well as those sent the same day.
If the ratio is high, take action by cancelling newsletters that you seldom read, get off groups you don’t participate in, place spam filters at higher levels, and get off mailing lists. Consider using a different email address for purchases to avoid spam. Question whether all incoming messages require a reply. For instance, don’t thank people for thanking you. Consider adding “No reply necessary” to many of your outgoing messages. And investigate apps such as “unroll.me.”
Control Outgoing Email
Your outgoing messages also consume time and generate incoming messages. So question whether a quick phone call is better. Don’t copy people who have no need for the information.Decide whether a quick phone call is more productive than sending an email. Click To Tweet
Reduce the Total Time Spent on Emailing
Even more important than your “Reactive Ratio” is the total time you spend on email each day. Keep messages brief. Use text replacement software for longer & repetitive replies such as instructions or directions. Allocate specific times to check and respond to email. This could be one hour late morning and one hour late afternoon. If you can get by with less time, so much the better. But don’t fragment your day by checking email every few minutes or every hour.
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Share a hack that helps you to control the amount of time you spend on email.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situation. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home, office, mind and time. She guides and supports you to be accountable for your time, to complete projects and reach your goals. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Click here to learn more about her online course Create an Organized Home.
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
A lovely colleague sent me this first tip. Marie Mushing runs a networking group called People in Connection
1. Make the area a showcase
See what working with a professional organizer can do for you? Professional Organizers rub out junk. Where there was once chaos and huge piles of paper, is now a showcase. Thank you Julie! Replace the junk pile with something pretty as I did, then you won’t want to pile junk on that again. Great motivation to keep the filing done!
2. Prevent drop zones from forming
If you have an empty flat surface it sometimes calls to people, “to fill me with stuff.” To prevent that area from becoming cluttered, put a large object or two in that spot. It will make the area feel full and then you won’t drop things there. With only 2 larger objects, it is easy to pick them up and dust and clean. If you use a number of smaller items it may make the area harder to clean.
3. Designate a paper collection spot
Assign a place to put papers that need to be read, filed, signed etc. Place a tray, lovely baskets, eye catching red container etc in a convenient location. Why red? Red is a high energy colour, it increases your heartrate, and your eye is drawn to red items. By using a red basket it can help to make dealing with paperwork a high priority activity. Keeping paperwork consolidated in one spot makes it easier to find and work with. When paper is all over the office or house it becomes visual clutter, causing anxiety, the release of cortisol and you feel stress. Cut the visual clutter, collect the paper in one spot, and complete the tasks.
4. Avoid the L word – later
Piles of paper will continue to build up if you leave them for later. Later will never come. Schedule time to deal with paperwork: schedule time to read, file, and reply to paperwork that generates more work. Schedule these activities according to your level of energy at different times of the day. Scheduling reading after lunch at a low energy time of the day may not be productive but scheduling filing after lunch may be perfect because it gets you up and active. Scheduling time at the beginning of each day to concentrate on work generated by email, letters, and documents might work well when you are able to focus on single tasks. Remember not to multi-task.
Schedule time for paperwork
If you’re interested in learning how colour can affect your productivity, this guide is free and you can find it here.
What tricks do you use to help you complete paperwork?
Related articles The truth about multitasking
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situation. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home, office, mind and time. She guides and supports you to be accountable for your time, to complete projects and reach your goals. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Click here to learn more about her online course Create an Organized Home.
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
Decluttering your desk at home and at the office is not just about having a space that looks good. Desktop chaos can take a toll on your productivity — and even lead to making unhealthy choices. Four in 10 workers say that having a tidy, organized space helps them behave more productively. Click To Tweet Another study published in the journal Psychological Science found that those who spent their time in an orderly office made healthier eating choices.
This week my guest blogger is Jessica Pyykkonen of Ghergich & Co. She has teamed up with Quill to create an infographic on decluttering and organizing your desk. It shows research on messy workplaces and benefits of a clean, clutter-free desk. Then they break down several strategies to keep your desk clean and organized. For instance, you can take advantage of vertical space with cork-boards, shelves, and pegboards to help keep your desk clear.
Enjoy these office organizing tips and become more productive, healthier and happier.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, in person and virtually. She enjoys working with her clients to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situation. She reduces clutter, streamlines processes and manages time to help her clients be more effective in reaching their goals. Julie can coach you to break-free of the physical or emotional clutter constraining you from living life of your dreams.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Join my Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
Click here to learn more about working with a Professional Organizer?
My guest blogger is Olivia Cordell from AppsGrooves
AppGrooves, just published this article on the Best Apps for Making Digital To-Do Lists which I thought would be super helpful to busy people like you! AppGrooves has one of the most comprehensive collections of app-related analytics data, and we use it to rank the top apps on the App Store in over 600 categories that we designed. We do this to save you the time and stress of figuring out which apps are best to download and use.
Best 10 To Do List Apps
AppGrooves has filtered the best 10 apps for “To Do List” in Productivity from 1,939 apps. Check it out!
1 Any.do: To-do list, Calendar, Reminders & Planner
By Any.do
Why we love this
- An intuitive, straightforward planner! Instantly create quick memos & organize your monthly calendar in a matter of seconds
- Need to buy fruit next time you visit a grocery store? Set up a smart reminder that will alert you when you reach a specific location
- With the powerful Home Widget you have your entire, neatly organized to-do list right on the home screen
2. TickTick: To Do List with Reminder, Day Planner
By Appest Inc.
How to manage time⏳, get things done ✔ and accomplish tasks! ??
Why we love this
- Thanks to Smart Date Parsing, adding notes via voice or type input automatically sets a reminder without you having to do anything.
- Smart with your productivity! Discover useful statistics that turn your working schedules into a beautiful graph.
3. To-Do List
by Splend Apps
SplenDO is a smart task list for everyday use. Truly usable, and splendid in action!
Collaborate with your friends & coworkers! Create joint task lists & effortlessly sync your mutual to-dos.
Why we love this
- The ability to group tasks in neat Task Lists makes sure your to-do list stays organized no matter how many notes you add.
- Staying organized made easy! Quickly set up due dates, view tasks that are past due & check off completed tasks to stay efficient.
- In a hurry? Instantly add tasks to the Quick Task Bar whenever you need to schedule something important.
4. To Do Reminder with Alarm
By App Innovation
Why we love this
- Remembers everything for you! Easily add reminders, set alarms & quickly sync with Facebook or Gmail to automatically add birthdays & anniversaries
- Scheduled a meeting two weeks ago? Easily send reminders to other people with a single tap
- Stay organized even while driving! The smart Drive Mode allows you to safely handle notifications without taking your eyes off the road
5. Todoist: To-do lists for task management & errands
By Doist
Stress less about getting things done. Create your task list & accomplish more.
To-do lists for task management & errands
Why we love this
- Remove the stress with colours! Use colour-coding to easily pinpoint crucial tasks and add a little fun
- Adding recurring tasks is super easy! Simply type “every second Thursday” & see notes magically appear on the calendar exactly as you want
- The intuitive Drag&Drop feature makes organizing folders & subfolders as easy as turning on your device.
6. To-Do List, Task List
By Pocket Universe, LLC
A playful to-do list in the spirit of Eisenhower’s priority matrix
7. Wunderlist: To-Do List & Tasks
By 6 Wunderkinder GmbH
8. GTasks: Todo List & Task List
By Appest Inc.
Synchronize Your To Do Tasks | List with Google
9. Tasks: Astrid To-Do List Clone
By Alex Baker
10. Microsoft To-Do
By Microsoft Corporation
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, virtually. She enjoys working with her clients to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situation. She reduces clutter, streamlines processes and manages time to help her clients be more effective in reaching their goals. Julie can coach you to break-free of the physical or emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
Click here to learn more about working with a Professional Organizer?
Do you want your desk to say you are a leader, hard worker, and creative? Could your desk say that you are messy, boring, and behind the times? Let your workspace be your business card. You may have a physical office or a portable office, organize it to suit your needs so you can work efficiently, and show your clients that you are knowledgeable and a leader in your field.
This mobile work station can help to keep your work organized
Technology
Use technology that helps you accomplish your business. Having state of the art technology that you don’t understand and can’t use competently or having outdated technology will give your clients the wrong impression. Purchase the technology that is right for you and your budget. Don’t fall into the trap of buying technology that is more powerful than you need to make a “good” impression. Clients may feel like you are showing off. Show your clients that you are knowledgeable, prepared appropriately and ready to lead them through the task at hand.
Desk Photo / Screen Saver
Use a photo that lets your clients learn something new about you. Make yourself memorable to your clients. Make sure it is in good taste, you want to make a professional impression on your potential clients. Be authentic, not boring. An interesting screen saver on your laptop will have the same effect.
Business Cards
Have them close at hand so you can give them out at the appropriate time. You don’t want people to take them because they feel obligated, you want them to have them because they are interested in you. Make sure your business card is professionally designed. If you want to show you are a leader don’t use the free sites. Make sure they are readable, scannable, classic and interesting. Good supplies show that you value quality and do quality work.
Piles on Your Desk / Piles of Paper in your Bag
This relates to your organizing style. Too many piles gives the impression you are behind in your work and may not be able to help your clients in a timely manner. The perfect office will make some clients feel uncomfortable because they will feel like they are not good enough to work with you. Determine how you function best, piles, filing cabinets, trays, desktoppers. Remember to keep loose papers neatly piled or stored in the way that works best for you. Lead by example, if you are prepared to work then others follow your work ethic making it easier to accomplish the job on time.
Lighting
When you enter your office is it dark and stark or bright and light? What does that say about you? I don’t care, I don’t notice details or I am open and I want you to be comfortable. Adding lighting to your office can make the space more inviting, and interesting and make it easier for clients to read information. If you are dealing with an older population eyesight can be declining. Good lighting makes it easier for them to engage with the information. The more ways you show your clients you understand their needs the more likely they are to trust that you are an expert.
Books
Keep up with popular books in your industry, even if you don’t find them interesting. Your clients may ask you about them. You want to be able to make a comment that helps them to understand the value of the book or article. You can also display a few books to show your clients that you have diverse interests in intriguing topics. It shows them that you like to expand your knowledge. Leaders develop many skills not just the ones directly related to their business. Skills and knowledge learned from others make you a better leader.
Pictures on the Wall
Displaying your certification and education reassures clients of your expertise. But a wall full of outdated certificates may not give the best impression. Have a couple that shows your current accomplishments. You want your clients to know you value education and keeping current is important.
Try to Avoid
- Leaving your unfinished lunch on display
- Having your desk cluttered with staplers, pens, tape dispensers, post-it notes, etc. Keep them in your desk drawer or in a box. Have your desk say that you are a leader and expert.
- Silly objects, you are trying to show your clients that you are a leader, not the funny one.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situation. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home, office, mind and time. She guides and supports you to be accountable for your time, to complete projects and reach your goals. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Click here to learn more about her online course Create an Organized Home.
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
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