Oganize Your Office Papers

What is the worst thing to organize in the office? You guessed it – Papers. I don’t care what type of work you do or where you are on the so-called corporate ladder, we all have to handle paper work. Sometimes it seems to take over our lives. Here are a few ways to organize your office papers.

Set Up a System: This could be a simple inbox for receiving, reviewing and storing your daily mail and papers. The main thing is to have an exact place designated to hold incoming items. Also, have an outgoing box to add even greater organization. Avoid paper piles. When you acquire a piece of paper, you should do one of three things: file it, write the information down elsewhere (such as in your scheduler or computer) or toss it.

File Effectively: Files exist to assist us. Organize your filing system in a way that will permit you to recover papers swiftly and only keep the papers that are needed. When it comes to filing, "file to retrieve it - not to store it." Determine what system will work best for you such as by client, by project, by color coding and so on, then make sure everyone uses that system.

Sort and Eradicate: Look at your current files. Are others able to retrieve things in your absence? Are files easy to get to with space for future growth? Do you know the contents in each one of your files? If you answered "no" to any of these questions, you should spend some time sorting and eradicating.

Streamline the Papers: If you have an electronic document, don’t be tempted to print a hard copy too. Keep a task list stapled to the inside front cover of each file folder with all the steps or tasks needed for that project. This way you can refer to the list whenever you work on that file. Staple a few blank sheets of paper to the inside back cover of your file folder and use them to take notes of conversations, memos and meetings that pertain to that file. Then you will always have the notes right where you need them.

Master List: Stop keeping sticky notes or tiny pieces of paper all over the place. Almost every computer has some type of office software built in – USE IT. I use a task launcher program that has just about everything I need to stay organized: calendar, scheduler, to do list, contacts, etc. I leave this program minimized on my screen and whenever someone gives me a note, I enter the information into my computer then throw away the scrap of paper.

By implementing these simple ways to organize your office papers, you can increase your competency and productivity. As you develop systems to keep you organized, you will be able to transform your life, not just your space.