Get More Done at Your Office: Focus on These Eight Areas for Increased Productivity

Your productivity depends on good tools and effective environments, and on using them both well. It can be overwhelming to get your office into shape and still get your work done. Try attacking one of these areas each week. Pick one where you can make a positive change right now, to keep you motivated.

Task Lists.

These should be the centerpiece of your organizing system. Make lists for errands, expenses, phone calls, computer tasks and desk tasks. Create more detailed lists for your projects and ideas. Projects can have some steps fleshed out here, and ideas that you're not ready to work on have a holding spot so they're not forgotten. Work the lists everyday, skimming down each one and prioritizing daily as things change. This is a flexible, fast system that eliminates the need for physical reminders on your desk.

Calendar.

Use your calendar only for actual appointments, not for lists of errands (see above). This includes appointments with yourself to work on projects. Committing that time in your date book means it's as important as other appointments you make. It helps you avoid squeezing your work in between the demands of others.

Email.

What if you didn't check it first thing in the morning? Would the world come to an end? Once you start checking it, even if you turn off the reminder icons and sounds (which I recommend), it's hard not to get caught up in threads. The beginning of your day can be an emailess, phoneless oasis for you to think through projects, make plans and do other tasks that benefit from extended, focused thinking.

Phone.

It's usually not practical for people to ignore their phones during business hours. But you can make your phone calls more productive by getting to the point of the call right away. Alternatively, make an appointment for a specific day and time to call someone back so you can schedule in that time and be prepared for the call.

Inbox.

Even if you work for yourself and there's no one to fill the inbox but you, it's a handy item to have. Use it to hold any items that you haven't decided what to do with yet. Write yourself quick notes when you don't have time to jot down a task in your planner. Fill it with business cards and scribbled notes you come home from events with. Don't let it be a catchall graveyard. Take time regularly to go through your inbox, make decisions, assign actions and empty it.

Desk Layout.

Rule of thumb: stuff you use all the time should be close by and stuff you don't can be farther away. Reserve desktop real estate for computer, phone, inbox and other supplies you use everyday. Make sure you leave room to work comfortably. If you prefer to have things out, use a credenza behind your desk for those piles.

Computer Set Up.

If your desk is mainly your computer, you can similarly group and organize items. Geographically separate documents from programs from downloads on your desktop. Keep documents in folders just as you would in a file cabinet and browse your operating system's file index to locate them. Also, just as with paper, never label your folders "Miscellaneous"!

Meetings.

A meeting without a specific agenda is usually a waste of time. Meetings are most productive when only the people who need to be there are, they know what they're doing and they leave with a clear idea of what to do next. Does the meeting need to happen at all? Can the same result be achieved with a phone call or two? If you are required to attend meetings, make sure you know what's expected of you before you leave, and by when.

Claire Tompkins specializes in simple, efficient systems to help people be more productive, more easily. Before figuring out how to do something better, ask why you're doing it at all. Got to http://www.clairetompkins.com to find out more. Contact her at Claire@clairetompkins.com and 510-535-0856.

---

Discover Your Procrastination Personality

Determine Your Procrastination PersonalityBrook Noel is the author of The... Read More

Winning The Fight Between You And The Clock

"Slaves to the clock" was the cover story in the... Read More

Work at Home Moms: Time Management Tips

"How do you DO it?!" If I had a dime... Read More

7 Reasons to Take Breaks at Work

My job in Chicago began with three months of probation.I... Read More

The Power of Limited Time

The most powerful resource that we have is time. Everything... Read More

Effective Time Management - Delegating Techniques

Do you manage your time or does your time manage... Read More

Overcoming Procrastination

Procrastination, the habit of putting tasks off to the last... Read More

Save Your Time - Delegate!

Frustration is when an obstacle blocks your ability to achieve... Read More

Find The Time -- Before Its Too Late!

People always seem to be in such a hurry, everywhere... Read More

Being Busy Does Not Equal Being Productive

How many people do you know who are so busy... Read More

Plan Your Day and Stick to Your Plan

How many times have you remarked to someone that there... Read More

Expand Your Time

In our time-crazed society, lots of time is what most... Read More

7 Tips for Being Your Best Time Master

It is not enough if you are busy. The question... Read More

Achieve More With Less Through Proper Planning

One question a lot of people ask me recently is:... Read More

Time Invested Wisely = Your Dreams

This past Friday I was asked to speak with a... Read More

What is ?Life Balance? and How Can You Attain It?

We all face decisions that involve doing things that affect... Read More

Living Life In A Time Starved World

Recently I saw an advertisement for a time management booklet:... Read More

Do You Have The Time?

Show me, O Lord, my life's end and the number... Read More

Webmaster or Web Slave? Time Saving Tips for Cyberpreneurs

Time is money in your online business, just as in... Read More

Procrastination: Why We Do It and How to Change

PROCRASTINATION: You've known about it since high school or college,... Read More

The 3 Biggest Priority Busters

As a professional organizer, consultant and trainer, I have come... Read More

Six Foundational Reasons for Managing Your Time

Most of us know how to manage our time. It... Read More

Four Simple Ways To Take Control Of Your Time And Your Life

It's been said, "That no one has enough time yet,... Read More

Looking At Time With A Capital T

I keep a fossil on my desk at all times.... Read More

The Kaizen of Goal Setting

There is an old way of goal setting and a... Read More

Managing Time to Accomplish More

Time is inelastic. Despite what some of us persist in... Read More

9 Proven Principles for Increasing Productivity, Profit and Peace of Mind

Do you feel guilty about all the publications you purchase... Read More

How to Minimize Trips to the Grocery Store

Still awaiting the birth of my baby (I am overdue),... Read More

How Would You Like to Capture Some Time?

Women's health issues often are focused on goals to reach:... Read More

Prioritize Your Life for Success

Today, it is hard to open an e-mail newsletter, a... Read More

Everythings Blurry Except For You

Riding the subway home yesterday, my typically silent car was... Read More

Let Someone Else Do It

When you decide to become self-employed, you automatically become the... Read More

Organization Tips That Add More Hours To Your Day

One of the most common complaints that small business owners... Read More