Getting Organized: Ten Small Tips
Submitted by Holly Uverity, CPO®, Office Organizers
281-655-5022 / Huverity@OfficeOrganizers.com / www.OfficeOrganizers.com
When working with clients, one of three things happens. 1) I will teach them something new - a new way to store something, a new way to look at something or a new way to work with something. 2) I will trigger a memory of a good organizational habit they used to have but no longer do. I’ve had clients say things like “I used to color code my files and it always worked, but now I can’t remember why I stopped.” 3) I will validate some technique they are already using with success.
Following is a list of tips to help you get and stay more organized. Hopefully, you will 1) learn a new technique for working with some area that is troubling you, 2) be reminded of a previous habit that used to work or 3) feel good because you are already using some, if not all, of the tips. Best of luck.
1. Break down large tasks into smaller chunks. Using a mountain of filing as an example, you can either create your chunks based on time (I’ll file for no more than 15 minutes) or quantity (I’ll file one inch of this mountain today, another inch next week, etc.).
2. Pre-sort your tasks. Using the same mountain of filing as an example, set up a system whereby you automatically pre-sort your “To Be Filed”. One client has to file invoices each month so as she gets them in, she pre-sorts them into an alphabetical filer. If she needs to find an invoice before it gets into the customer’s file, she only has to look under the appropriate letter in her filer, and not through her mountain.
3. Keep your receipts all in one place. Using reimbursable expense receipts as an example, place each month’s receipts in an envelope and at the end of each month, simply add up the receipts, seal the envelope and write the amount on the outside of the envelope. It will be much easier to fill out your expense report if you don’t have to sort out several months of receipts.
4. Don’t file paperclips. If you have to keep papers together inside a file, use staples. Clips can get accidentally clipped to something else, come off altogether and they take up more room in the files than staples.
5. Leave clear messages on voice mail. When you leave a message, include not only the reason you called, the date, time and your phone number, but also leave instructions about the best time you can be reached. This helps to eliminate telephone tag.
6. When moving your office, create a “Desk Box”. Put everything that’s in or on your desk in a separate, labeled envelope (left hand drawer, right hand drawer, lap drawer, etc) inside a box labeled “Desk”. Include supplies you use every day. When you get to your new office, you will be able to work out of your Desk Box immediately, even if the rest of your office is still in boxes.
7. Designate one place in your office for those things that need to go home. You can use a basket under your desk or by your door; some clients leave their briefcases open all day and simply toss home-bound items in the open briefcase.
8. To keep a shared area orderly, create a list of items that need to be done and checked off before leaving for the day. The list could include things like turning off the coffeepot, watering the plants, pushing the chairs back under the conference table, wiping down the sink, etc. The people who share the area can share the responsibility, and the list ensures that no one forgets to do any one thing.
9. Utilize your trashcan - don’t automatically file papers that come into your office. Research shows that 80% of what you file you never refer to again.
10. Before you make a phone call, create a mini-agenda. This will keep you from forgetting to mention something, as well as enable you check off items as they are discussed. It can also serve as a way to get you off the phone with someone who wants to continue talking (“Well, we’ve covered everything I had on my list, I’ve got to run, thanks for your help, goodbye’).
About Our Show Advisor: Holly Uverity is the founder of Office Organizers. Office Organizers is The Entrepreneur’s Organizers. They are a professional organizing and productivity consulting firm; simply put, they help entrepreneurs gain and keep control over their clutter and lead more productive lives. They work with their clients in those areas that are causing them the most stress – whether it’s their office space, their time management skills, their filing systems or their electronic communications and records. Clients of Office Organizers enjoy more freedom to do what they want in their business and personal lives. They take time off to spend with their families, they go on vacations, they read for pleasure, they stay in contact with important people in their lives and are happier and more productive. They enjoy decreased stress and increased space. Holly has served in leadership positions throughout her career and is committed to her clients, her industry, her company and her community.
Professional Affiliations: Holly Uverity is one of less than 300 Certified Professional Organizers® in the world. She founded Office Organizers in 1993 and is a very active member of the National Association of Professional Organizers, (NAPO), having served on several national committees. She is the founding president of NAPO’s Houston chapter and is currently NAPO’s National Membership Chair. She received NAPO’s prestigious President's Award in 1999 and was a nominee for NAPO's Founders' Award in 2001. Holly has also served in leadership positions with the Cy-Fair Houston Chamber of Commerce, the Houston chapter of NAWBO (the National Association of Women Business Owners) and is a graduate of the 2006 class of Leadership North Houston.
About Office Organizers: Founded in 1993, Office Organizers is a full service productivity consulting firm and works with business people to create solutions to their organizational challenges. Contact them at 281-655-5022 or www.OfficeOrganizers.com.
