People often wonder when wandering around the office how some people can always have such a clean desk whole others seem as if a daily tornado has whipped through the office.

1. Keeping Organized At Work
People often wonder when wandering around
the office how some people can always have
such a clean desk whole others seem as if a
daily tornado has whipped through the office.
And of course the ones that look as if the
tornado whipped through will always tell you
that “A clean desk is a sign of a sick mind,” or
“This is my filing system and I know where
everything is.”
To themselves, it is perfectly all right to have a desk that is piled high with paperwork and is a
bigger mess then your little brothers bedroom, but to the rest of us, it shows us that this person is
unorganized and probably would not make a good first impression if the bosses were to walk
through the office.
So now the question is; how the heck do I keep my desk organized and looking as if I never do
any work on it? Even though of course we all know that you do in fact do a lot of work behind
that desk or office which is your home away from home.
Your workspace should function like a cockpit with everything you need to be productive at
your fingertips and as easily accessible as possible. It should allow you to keep maximum focus
on what needs to done, and the ability to process everything you need without having to get up
to do it.
Obviously, you should have a computer on your desk since 90% of today’s office workers are
working from one of these. A printer close by and within an arm reach is also a necessity, so
when you need to print something you do not have to get up and walk half way across the
office to get it.
A sturdy set of stackable file baskets is also a good idea. One for work to be completed known
as an in-basket, one for work in progress, one for work completed, and one for work needing to
go somewhere else otherwise known as an out basket.
The in-basket can and should hold everything that is not yet organized, so there is no need to
have a cluttered desk.
Standing wire racks for file folders that are referenced often is also a good idea so that you will
not have to waste time searching through file cabinets.
Naturally a phone is a must, and one with a voice mail system to take messages is must these
days as well. This is of course that you don’t use it to screen calls and when you are actually in
your office you pick up your phone when it rings.
Of course you also need to have a writing pad, or some form of easy note-taking device should
always be right at hand in case the phone rings or you want to check your voice mail, or
Keeping Organized at Work
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2. someone pops into the office and lets you know something that you might want to do
something with later on, as well as a stapler, a tape dispenser and a desk tray and holders for
pens, post-its, paper clips, scissors, and stamps.
For ease and readability a labeler for files is always a nice thing to have. And always remember
to have lots of new file folders on hand so that they are readily available when you need them.
Of course you need to have filing cabinets or drawers within your reach.
A rolodex with all of the telephone numbers and address that you need is a must as well.
A nice wall calendar in also nice, it keeps you up to date and you have a nice picture every
month to look at. Seasonal calendars are nice with nice landscapes, or if you are a golfer,
different golf holes are always nice. Sports calendars of your favorite team would also work. But
keep the pinup calendars in your garage at home. That goes for you too girls.
And last but not least, have a place for any personal supplies you may need. The top middle
drawer of your desk is usually a good spot for these. Items such as aspirin, pen refills, batteries,
business cards, stationery, envelopes, small tools, and other such items fit very nicely in that
drawer.
Another important aspect to being organized in the workplace is to stay current. If you are
finished with a project, then file it away and get it off your desk, because if you don’t it will cause
clutter.
Don’t let things clog up your drawers and fill up your desk with stuff that you don’t use or don’t
need. Get rid of it, throw it away, or give it to someone else. It’s good to regularly purge and
reorganize the desk, drawers, shelves, countertops, and files. Just get rid of useless stuff.
Know what belongs there and what doesn’t. The only things that belong in your workspace are:
supplies, reference material, decoration, and equipment. Anything else goes first in the in-basket
to be processed and then is either filed, coded, sent to the appropriate person, or tossed in the
garbage.
Supplies would be things you need and use on a regular basis such as writing and printer paper,
stamps, paper clips, tissues, ink, etc.
Reference materials are your files, ring binders, directories, manuals, lists of codes, etc.
Decoration would be anything you personally brought there to make your home away from
home feel, well, more like home such as wall décor, art, plants, family pictures, nostalgia,
cartoons, sports pennants, etc.
Equipment would be mandatory items such as furniture, phones, computers, PDAs, printers, a
stapler, a letter opener, pens, pencils, chargers, projectors, briefcases, etc.
If your workspace is organized appropriately, it is not difficult to keep it up, and the more out of
control you can let it get because it is very easy to get things back into place when you are
finished with them.
Keeping Organized at Work
Want more advice about driving more traffic to your online business? Then I invite you to check out my blog at
http://DynastyWebMarketing.com for tools, tips and resources to be successful in your business and your life. And be
sure to leave me a comment or question there, I'd love to hear from you!