Office Organization - You Can Do It!

There are those among us who just seem to have it all together. Not only are they nicely groomed, with their shiny shoes and sharply creased trousers, they seem untroubled by the purposeful disorganization of the modern office. They wear their ID badges with a panache that we lack, and their smiles are honest and magnetic. That's because they're Organized, with a capital "Oh." Not only are their offices remarkably neat, but they can also find every file just when they need it, and their time is not merely disciplined, it's regimented to within an inch of its life.

While some people may protest that the lives of the Organized lack spontaneity, that they're tied down by to-do lists, that's not necessarily so; otherwise they'd have been replaced long since by more flexible folk. Their organization just helps them stay ahead of the game, that's all. At some level, we'd like to be the way they are: unhurried, comfortable, with little stashes of all the ID badge holder supplies we'll ever need so we'll never go crazy wondering where Human Resources has hidden them. Ready to join their ranks? We'll show you how to get a good start.

What's your path?

There's no single way to get your office organized, but we can offer some general guidelines. Keep in mind that office organization doesn't necessarily mean excessive tidiness: you needn't line up your pencils in one direction or arrange your ID badge supplies so that they're oriented just so. All you need to do is fix things so that they're easy to get to and find.

Put aside a block of time to sit down with all your mess, and go to it. Sort your files in an easily accessible and intuitive way, so when your boss asks you for something, you'll have it at your fingertips. This applies not just to physical files, but the ones you keep on your computer as well. Be sure you respond as immediately as possible to emails and phone calls, so you can get them off your plate and move on. Get those office supplies organized, so you don't prick your finger with a thumbtack when you reach for a paperclip. If you must have stacks of paper on your desk, organize them neatly: your desk needn't look like a series of geological strata. You may insist you know where everything is, but you'll still know where it is when it's in a neat pile, now won't you?

Electronic options

One way to simplify your office life is, ironically, by taking advantage of the complexities of modern technology. Instead of carrying around all the separate paraphernalia an office worker needs, from PDA to organizer to laptop, try combining them into as few items as possible. Laptop computers, for example, include organizer, PDA, calculator, and communications functions, while their new tablet-style brethren can do all that plus take the place of pen and paper; you write directly on the screen (and about time they perfected that technology). Your only problem might be in convincing your boss that you really need a tablet PC, especially since they still carry hefty price tags. You might want to point out that it can even take the place of your desktop computer, and save the company money in the long run. If worse comes to worse, you might have to buy one yourself, and you know what? The cost may just be worth all the aggravation you save. Wouldn't it be nice to be serene and untroubled at the office for once?

Published with permission (FCDMInc)