10 Ways Office Organization Can Help With Productivity

I get a lot of Guest Posting requests for my blog.  And so many of them are about office organization or help with productivity hacks.  I don’t want my blog to be just about that, so I’ve been turning posts away.  I like this one, offered to me by The Tidy Maids, so read on and see if their tips can help with productivity!

Small changes can make a huge impact when you take the time to assess the organization of your office. Take a step back and consider if any of these organization hacks can help with productivity in your workspace.

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1. Track with Electronic Spreadsheets

One of the best ways to keep your information organized is to have a spreadsheet for everything: account usernames and passwords, customer billing info, employee contact info, office inventory, or items with renewal and expiration dates to remember.

2. Everything Has a Home

Decide what goes where and keep it that way. When thinking about where to store things like important keys, office supplies, bills, etc., try to create a flow that makes sense. A fitting example would be keeping your business expense receipts near your tax documents as they will both likely be needed at the same time. Ensuring each item has a place it ‘lives’ will reduce the amount of time you spend looking for things.

3. Calendars!

Whether it’s a whiteboard, e-mail calendar, or organization app, schedule everything so that you can create free time when needed and not double book yourself. Having a visual representation of your schedule helps to envision which weeks are going to be tight. Maybe have two calendars; one for personal and one for professional. Then you can see how they overlap and adjust conflicting events.

4. Good Ol’ File Cabinet

In this digital world, it’s easy to let everything be filed away in the cloud. There are certain documents, however, that should be in the paper as a fail-safe. Organize by year and create files for important for business licenses, receipts, contract agreements, tax documents, and certifications. These kinds of items need to be available regardless of whether your internet works.  

5. Label Everything

Don’t know what this cord is for? Can’t remember if this key is for the file cabinet or the safe? Labeling everything takes the organization to an expert level. If you are ever in a situation where you need a coworker or family member to grab something from the office—make these situations easy by thinking in advance. If you label something, you free up that much more space in your brain to remember other, more important things.

6. Comfortable Work Space

This one seems obvious, but never underestimate the power of a comfortable work space! Make sure the lighting is good so you’re not squinting at your monitor. Listen to relaxing or energizing music—whatever makes you focus best. If you need a quiet space, free yourself of distractions by creating white noise. Have soothing, enjoyable scents. Invest in a sturdy and comfortable chair.

7. Control Your E-mails

Letting your inbox get out of control can cause unnecessary stress. Create file folders within your account to keep things organized. Only emails that need a response should stay in your inbox. Try to create a ritual where you clean out your inbox as much as possible by the end of the day. If there’s anything left—you can even print them out, prioritize them, and stick those papers into your document tray.

8. Furniture Flow

If you notice you are walking back and forth between certain spaces regularly, consider how to reduce the movement in your office. Be deliberate about how your workspace is designed so that you create maximum efficiency. Decide whether you want your snacks and refreshments further away so you’re forced to stretch your legs. Or make sure your postage stamps aren’t in the supply closet when they could be in your desk.

9. To-Do Lists

Get your priorities straight with to-do lists. Create an annual, monthly, weekly, and daily one. By shifting your focus on which to-do list is most important at the time, you won’t waste energy and attention on tasks that should be done but aren’t pressing. As your free time increases, you can prematurely accomplish tasks ahead of schedule.

10. Save Those Settings

If you have phone numbers you call frequently, websites you visit frequently, passwords you need frequently, then save these! Take the time to create your phone directory and organize your favorite websites on your browser. Something so simple will save so much time and energy!

Apply these routines to your office and watch how the productivity flows. Having a comfortable and organized work space can really help with productivity, and allow you to concentrate. Try these tips and get busy doing what you do best!

Beverly Jenkins is proud of her staff at Tidy Maids in Raleigh, NC. She has 24 years of experience in house cleaning, customer service, and business operations. She knows all the tips and tricks and do-it-yourself hacks when it comes to cleaning and her clients’ homes are the best proof for that.