Get Organized at Work

Do you have an office desk that is covered with piles and piles of paper that resemble the Leaning Tower of Pisa?



Are you overwhelmed by the amount of sticky notes on your desktop computer, your work phone, and anywhere else there is space to put them?



Is the wrapper from yesterday’s lunch (and the wrappers from all the lunches prior) staring back at you from your desk drawer?



At the end of the day, do you find it difficult to find your ID card or keys under all of the mess?



Then it is time to get you organized! A messy desk might seem like organized chaos to you. But, to other co-workers and your boss it is just a messy desk…a really messy desk. Here are a few tips and tricks to get your office nice and tidy:



• Buy a corkboard (or use the one that has been hanging behind you all of this time! It is not just for cute pictures of your kids or your beloved guinea pig). Let everyone in the office know that if they need to relay a message to you while you stepped away from your desk, tell them to tack it onto the corkboard. You will immediately see it when you walk in, and when you have read the message, put the note in the trash. This will prevent a huge collection of notes all over the place, and you will know which messages have already been read and which ones have yet to be checked.

• File away the piles of paper. Use a desk organizer such as a rack with a few shelves. Label the shelves accordingly, and file the papers where they need to go. For instance, one shelf could be for meeting minutes, another for incoming mail, and another for interoffice memos. Important paperwork should not just be in a pile that looks sloppy. Even though you might know exactly where that piece of paper is, anyone else who comes into your office might think that you are “all over the place” and will not trust that you can responsibly keep paperwork in order. Piles of papers are becoming obsolete as most offices correspond electronically, but if you need paper copies for any reason, file them, don’t pile them!





• Get a lanyard and a badge reel for your employee ID card. Rather than a plain one, shop around for beaded lanyards for a more fashionable look. However, look into company policy or ask a supervisor if you are allowed to even use beaded lanyards. Some businesses are strict about their dress code policies and may not let you wear anything they might consider unprofessional or too flashy for the office. A badge reel would also be a wise investment. Attach it to the lanyard. Put your ID in a badge holder and attach that to the badge reel. If you have the tendency to place your ID somewhere, and then cannot find it at the end of the day, you might have an easier chance locating if it is attached to a lanyard. Wear the lanyard or hang it on a nail in the wall so it is almost impossible to lose. At the end of the day, if you swipe your ID to clock out, you do not have to detach the card because the badge reel will allow you to keep the card attached to the lanyard while you clock out for the day. This is very convenient.



• If you work through your lunch and eat at your desk, do not forget to throw away any wrappers or leftovers. Do not shove them in the drawer and say, “I’ll take care of that later” because if you did take care of it, you would not have a bunch of them hidden somewhere.



Most business people are busy people, and so cleaning the office may seem like a waste of time. However, any spare time you have should be dedicated to making sure that your office is presentable. The last thing you want is to be caught off guard by a visit from a corporate manager or an unsatisfied customer. Your office should always look professional in the event that someone important might drop in for an unexpected visit. Besides, a less cluttered desk will heighten your mood and you may not feel as overwhelmed by all of the work you must complete.



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