Take control of space
An organized work area can bring efficiency
For ajcjobs
Friday, July 25, 2008
People think that being organized will stifle their creativity, that it won’t matter to their businesses or that it will take too much time. Many don’t know where to start.
“People misunderstand the whole idea of organization; they think it’s for anal-retentive neat-freaks, and they don’t want to be like that,” said Barbara Hemphill, CEO of the Hemphill Institute, an organizational consulting company with nationwide consultants.
LEITA COWART/Special
Greg Vetter, president of Vetter Productivity, helps companies get organized. He is a proponent of keeping nothing extraneous on the desk. ‘The less you have in your office, the more you’ll get done,’ he said.
Most people underestimate the positive effects of working in a productive environment, which Hemphill defines as “an intentional setting in which everything around you supports who you are and who you want to be.”
“We all have too much stuff and need to get rid of what we don’t need. Eighty percent of what we save, we never use,” she said.
That clutter is distracting and overwhelming, and it causes people to procrastinate, said Peggy Duncan, an Atlanta-based professional organizer, project manager and computer programs trainer.
“You need to get rid of the clutter, so you can think,” Duncan said. “When you can find what you need, you have more time for all kinds of creative things to happen. You’ll work more efficiently and can make more money.”
While organizing will improve your productivity, there’s another reason to clear out the clutter, said Barbara Pachter, president of Pachter & Associates, a business communications and training organization.
“It’s your professional image,” she said. “When a client walks in and sees stacks of paper and clutter everywhere, you’re sending him a message that you work in chaos. He may question whether he wants to work with you.”
The client may wonder whether you can deliver on budget and on time.
“You want your workplace to reflect that you are on top of things and in charge of your work,” she added.
So, if you’re ready to get organized, start with where you do your work, Duncan advised.
A clear desk
“The less you have in your office, the more you’ll get done,” said Greg Vetter, president of Vetter Productivity, an Atlanta organizational and consulting firm.
He keeps only five things on his desk: an in-box and an out-box — on opposite sides of the desk to create an energy flow; a phone; a computer with a pullout tray for a keyboard; and a PDA (personal digital assistant) device.
“Your desk is meant to be a work surface. Think of it as a carpenter’s workbench,” he said. “I have two desk drawers and use the top one for tools that I use often, like my stapler, tape dispenser, staple puller, etc. I keep the drawer open so that it becomes an extension of my desk.”
The bottom drawer holds office supplies, such as sticky notes, index cards, pens and paper clips.
When he comes in from a meeting, everything he gathered there gets dumped into the in-box until it can be processed. In-box materials go to one of four places, which he gives the acronym OATS: the out-box, an action file, the trash or a support file (necessary reference materials). Similarly, e-mails get forwarded, put into an electronic action folder, deleted or stored in a support file.
All of his work is kept in computer files or well-organized hanging files in nearby file cabinets. Books and personal items are grouped together on shelves or a credenza — not kept on the desk.
The right technology
Duncan, who works mainly from her computer, keeps a laptop, an extra flat-top screen, a lamp and a phone with all the right features on her desk.
Tools, supplies and files are on a printer dock and file cabinet to the left. A small tray to the right holds necessary gadgets, such as a label printer, business-card and receipt scanners, a USB hub for computer attachments and a small digital camera.
Technology can be an asset or a detriment to working, Duncan said.
“The reason technology doesn’t always help is that people go out and buy it without figuring out what their problems are and what they need it to do,” she said. “If people are going to invest in it, then they should invest in training to learn how to use it well.”
Duncan backs up her computer files with an online media vault.
“My laptop crashed, and I didn’t skip a beat. I just downloaded my files to a loaner computer until mine was fixed,” she said.
Just the essentials
After organizing people for 30 years, Hemphill has come up with “the Magic Six.” These are the six tools that every office needs to have and manage well to be organized, she said.
• In, out and file boxes on a filing cabinet or credenza.
• Wastebasket, recycle bin and shredder. “If we all asked ourselves, ‘What’s the worst thing that could happen if I throw this out, and can I live with the consequences?,’ we’d have less stuff to organize.”
• A calendar. People can get creative here; there are numerous computer and paper systems.
• A contact-management system. This could be a Rolodex or a computer program such as ACT! The important things are ease and speed of retrieval. You need to be able to find your clients, sources or network easily.
• Action files. “These are where you store everything involved with the ball being in your court,” she said. It has to be a logical, easy-to-use system.
• Reference files. These support your work. Think corporate policies, templates, stock images or office-equipment manuals.
When a client thinks he or she doesn’t know how to start organizing, Hemphill sets up a “Magic Six” system to fit his or her vision and needs.
“Almost everything in their office will find a home in one of these places,” she said.
WHAT THE EXPERTS CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT
Peggy Duncan:
An Atlanta professional organizer, project manager and computer trainer; author of “Just Show Me Which Button to Click!” and “Time Management Memory Jogger” (due out in August).
Peggy’s pick: AT&T 993 corded two-line speakerphone.
Why it’s essential: “A phone is such an essential office tool and would seem to be a simple thing to buy, but finding the one with every feature you want can be a challenge,” Duncan said. “This model has call waiting/caller ID, with a window that slants up so that I can see who’s calling, as well as a new-message-waiting light, which tells me I have a voice mail waiting.”
Other features that she uses include the conference, hold and mute buttons; a headset jack; speed dial; the speakerphone; and volume adjustment. It’s perfect for a small business, because it supports two lines.
Barbara Hemphill:
CEO, Hemphill Institute and Paper Tiger Productivity Institute, a North Carolina-based organizational consulting company with consultants nationwide
Barbara’s Hemphill’s pick: Taming the Paper Tiger software
Why it’s essential: “Taming the Paper Tiger software turns your paper filing system into a ‘finding system,’ ” Hemphill said. “Because of its powerful keyword-search capability, you can find anything you file or store in your office in five seconds.”
The Paper Tiger software allows her to perform an “8-Hour Miracle,” or organizational intervention, with clients. In a day, she guarantees that they will know what to do with every new thing that comes into the office.
Clients also can implement the program using the software and company online training.
Barbara Pachter:
President of Pachter & Associates, a business communications and training organization, and author of “New Rules @ Work: 79 Etiquette Tips, Tools and Techniques to Get Ahead and Stay Ahead”
Barbara Pachter’s pick: ACT! by Sage Software
Why it’s essential: Pachter delivers business seminars worldwide and offers business communication advice in many newspapers, in magazines, and on TV and radio shows.
“I couldn’t function without a good contact-management system,” she said. “Using ACT! software, I subdivide my business contacts into clients and media and can find anyone quickly. It’s quicker than a Rolodex, and you don’t have to mess with business cards.”
The “Notes” application allows her to jot down the subjects she and the contact discussed.
Greg Vetter:
President of Vetter Productivity, an Atlanta organizational and consulting firm, and author of “Find It in 5 Seconds”
Greg’s pick: Pendaflex hanging file folders
Why it’s essential: Vetter uses the same filing categories for his paper, computer and e-mail files. His file cabinets are filled with Pendaflex hanging file folders.
“I should have bought stock in this company years ago. I bet I’ve used a bazillion of them over the years,” he said. “They’re far better than regular file folders, because they are sturdier, don’t crumple and are easier to maneuver.”
Vetter uses a color system for different file types and puts the tab at the front, rather than the back, of the folder, so that it’s easier to pull out.
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