Productivity is difficult to achieve without order. In an increasingly competitive business climate, more things need to be done faster with fewer resources spent. A cluttered mindset, schedule, and/or workspace will not just stand in your way—they will actively work against you.
What follows is our list of organization tips for work, complete with the tools that can help you simplify the process.
Make Plans
At the end of every day, set aside a few minutes to think about your battle plan for the following morning. Leave out the details. Think of just one broad task to kick off the day. The rest of your schedule, you’ll notice, will fall into place organically.
Useful tool: Microsoft OneNote, a simple note-taking tool on the surface, a powerful personal planner on the inside
Don’t Let Your Commute Time Go to Waste
When you’re on your way to work, chances are your coworkers, teammates, and associates are too. Use this time to catch up on open projects, get updates, and find out if anyone needs help. This way, by the time you’re at your desk, you’ll have a better understanding of what lies ahead.
Useful tool: Microsoft Yammer, a social networking platform for effective internal communication
Go Paperless
The impact of workspace cleanliness on results is often overlooked. Sure, some people thrive in organized chaos, but you can’t be certain until you try it both ways. The easiest and most eco-friendly way to reduce clutter is to go paperless. Start by digitizing your existing documents. Turn the mess on your desk into a PDF archive.
Useful tool: Merge PDF by PDFChef, a free and reliable online PDF file combiner
Cut Meeting Times
Let’s face it; if you shorten your meetings by 20%, their effectiveness is unlikely to suffer. So much time is wasted on setting up conference calls, “getting in the zone,” and chitchat. Give it a go, track the run-times of your meetings, and see where you can do some trimming.
Useful tool: Toggl Track, a simple but versatile time-tracking application
Take Breaks
Working yourself to exhaustion is not productive. When you get tired, you lose focus. When you lose focus, you make mistakes. Find time in your schedule to stretch out and relax. Better yet, if you can swing it, go ahead and take that post-lunch snooze.
Useful tool: Stretchly, a break time reminder app
Take Control of Your Mobile Devices
Don’t let your gadgets interrupt your concentration with annoying popup messages every time a friend does something on Facebook. Turn off notifications on all the apps you don’t use at work.
Useful tool: Apus Message Center, an intelligent notification management tool
Learn to Delegate
The question of how to organize tasks at work is not yours alone to answer. Don’t try to do everything yourself. If you delegate well, you won’t just have the right people doing the right tasks; you will also improve trust and boost commitment levels.
Useful tool: Asana, a project management tool to delegate tasks and monitor their progress
Conclusion
These were our seven organizing tips for office work. Remember, you can’t get organized without developing certain habits. The process is a marathon, not a sprint. Be persistent, and, in time, the results will surprise you.
