Holly Uverity CPO®, Office Organizers
Have you ever tried to hammer in a nail with the sole of your shoe? Have you ever tried to change a light bulb on the ceiling while standing on a chair? Of course you have; we all have. Now remember how it feels to use those tools instead of using a hammer or a ladder. Certainly you can use the heel of your shoe to get the nail in the wall but isn’t using the hammer easier? Doesn’t using the correct tool make the job much less of a chore and more of a quick task?
The same principle holds true in your office with regards to organizing tools. It’s important that you use the correct tools when you are getting your office organized – and not just the current, new, hot organizing gizmos, but the proper tools for you and how you work. Remember that the goal here is to turn your chores into quick tasks.
So how do you figure out what tools will work for you? How do you stop yourself from buying organizing products in the mistaken belief that this is the one that will ‘work’?
Begin by recognizing that the people who make and sell organizing products want you to buy them and they don’t care if you need them or not; it’s in their best interests that you buy their products, not yours. Also remember that no tray will get you organized unless you change how you process what comes into your office. Don’t misunderstand me; it’s great to have bins and trays, but only if you need them and understand that they will only work if you do.
Now that you’ve resisted the impulse to go shopping, the first step is to assess your office. Take a critical look at your office environment; your equipment, your furniture, your tools, your processes. Ask yourself ‘why’ questions like – “Why is there always a pile on my floor?” “Why am I never able to find a phone number when I need it?” “Why is this (piece of equipment, piece of furniture, gizmo) here?” Ask ‘how’ and ‘what’ questions too – “How can I do this better?” “What am I always using?” “What am I never using?” While you’re in this assessment phase, don’t forget to recognize what IS working because you don’t ever want to change something that is working well for you.
Speaking of bins and trays, do you already have too many or do you really not have enough? Before you decide you don’t have enough, look at what’s in the ones you have and notice how you’re using them. Are they holding work or junk? When was the last time you actually put something in or took something out?
Look at all the furniture in your office and begin with your desk. Is your desk too big or too small for you? I’ve had clients whose desks were so large they had to stand up to reach the ‘top’ of the desk. Do you have to do that too? Are you missing a handle on a desk drawer? Do your drawers stick? Do you have enough drawer space in your desk for all the files that are currently on your desktop or on your floor? Do you have tables in your office that do nothing but hold up stacks of papers? What’s in the bookcases you have in your office? Are the shelves holding books and binders or piles? What else is in your office that you’re not using properly? Is your furniture pretty or functional?
Don’t forget to assess your technological tools also. Are you using what you’re using because it’s the latest thing? Does it do what you need it to do or would you be better off using something less complicated? Should you go back to using pen and paper? Does your tech tool need to be larger? Smaller? Easier to read? Does it need to be something you are less likely to misplace? Does it need to be something that fits better in your pocket or briefcase? If you’re fine with using your tech tools, are you updating the software on a regular basis? Many of my clients love their technology but don’t keep the software updated which is important to keep it working at its best.
The following is a perfect example of how a chore was turned into a simple task: One of my clients had lost one arm at a young age so he was well-adapted to living and working in the world with only one arm. After spending just a few minutes with him, however, I noticed that when he had to use a pen, he’d put the pen cap in his mouth to pull the pen out. When he wanted to recap the pen, he’d struggle to put the pen back in the cap, which was still in his teeth. I asked him if it was difficult to get the pen back into the cap and he said not only was it frustrating but it could be embarrassing; he’d often miss the cap and end up with small ink marks around his mouth.
My recommendation to him? Throw away all the pens with caps and only buy pens that click. While he could easily use a pen that clicks, for some reason, he’d always used pens with caps so the switching to a pen that he could operate with one hand had never occurred to him. This small change of a basic office tool literally transformed how he felt whenever he had to write something down.
You can have the same experience. – Once you’ve examined the tools you’re currently using, you are in the best possible place to begin turning a chore (re-capping a pen) into a quick task (click)!
________________________________________________________________
Office Organizers is The Entrepreneur’s Organizer. Founded in 1993, they work with business people to create solutions to their organizational challenges. Contact them at 281.655.5022, www.OfficeOrganizers.com or www.fb.com/OfficeOrganizers.
