Files and Paper: To find it, file it There is a place for everything.

Today, the average executive spends six weeks per year retrieving misplaced information. Disorganization is costing companies millions of dollars every year. Productivity experts tend to group people into two categories: pilers and filers. Which are you?

When filers get a piece of paper, they put it away––in a folder, in a binder, or in a drawer. When pilers get paper, they leave it out––on the desk, on a credenza, or on the floor. Sometimes it can look messy, which is why pilers tend to get a bad rep. But a healthy distribution of clutter actually can be good for creativity. For many people, those piles are a physical representation of what’s going on in their heads, a ment
al map of whatever they’re thinking about.

You may think that filers are the more organized of the two. Most people do. But are filers more productive? Not necessarily. Studies show that 80 percent of papers that are filed are never referenced again. And half of all filed materials are either duplicates or expired information.

Files
What’s going on here? Here are some keys on how to get organized with your paper files so you can check out of your office each day.

File as it comes in
File as you go or once a day. If you are absolutely too busy, put items in the “To File” tray and file once a week. Hire someone to help you file!

Set daily priorities
Make forty-three files:  Thirty-one files (one for each day of the month), plus
Twelve files (one for each month of the year)
File papers into the day you will need them. No more harried moments looking for tickets or invitations at the last minute!

Label trays
Use stackable file trays (bins, boxes). Put each item in its labeled slot. Make eight file trays.

1. In tray
Use for:
• Papers to review
• Coupons and discount offers
• Professional journals (one tray per title)    
• Action: Current projects (or require frequent attention)
• Reference: Less frequent use (if the office space is small, put in another room)
• Fire safe: Legal documents, warranties (put each in a plastic sheet protector)

2. Out tray
Use for outgoing mail.

3. To file
Keep it out of reach, not where you sit.

4. To scan
Put papers here to store on your computer hard drive.

5. To recycle
Remember the three R’s––reduce, reuse, recycle. Follow these steps to keep paper out of landfills and reduce pollution.
Paper in an office really adds up! And, recycling can pay (e.g., electronics, such as phones, screen monitors, and computers).

6. To donate
Keep track of business write-offs for your taxes (e.g., furniture, donations, pro-bono work,  equipment).

7. To shred
Protect your identity and confidential data.

8. Trash!  Throw away materials immediately that are not eco-friendly, recyclable, or confidential directly into a trash can.

Use a file cabinet
Box-bottom file folders
Use these when you have a large amount of content for a file or multiple manila folders within a file. Don’t overstuff.

Tab-hanging file folders
Put these in the front of your hanging file folder. This position makes it easier to pull a file.

Product manuals and warranties
Put these in a three-ring binder or box. Use top-loaded plastic sheet protectors when possible.

Inventory or create a table of contents of what is in the binder or box.  Tape the table of contents or inventory list to the front of the binder or box, or use a binder with an insert cover page.

Retain files and keep updated
Cull your files regularly. Know when it is time to throw something out. No more haphazard decisions. Write a list of which files you want to keep for future reference.

Mark favorite websites
Organize favorite websites by category or project in your computer hard drive (like a filing system).

Paper
If 15 percent of all paper handled is lost and 40 percent of U.S. workers think paper is a waste of their time, what’s going on here? Systems in place to manage your flow of paper can reduce the frustration of finding what you need when you need it.  Another benefit is that you will have clarity of what information you really need.

Here are some keys to managing your paper flow and information management.

Clear your work space
Clear it. Sometimes, you just need a fresh start. A clean desk can clear your mind.

Sort the mail
Sort it when it arrives. Put it in its designated container: in tray, out tray, file, scan, recycle, donate, shred, trash.

Minimize paper volume
Keep it at a minimum. Continually ask yourself, “What will happen if I do not keep this?” When it is old enough, throw it away or recycle it.

Organize great offers
Organize to take advantage of them.
Toss them when they are past their offer deadlines.

Sort magazines and journals
Cancel the ones you never get around to reading.
Have a deadline for how long you keep them (e.g., six months, not more than a year).
If they are for research, box, label, and store them in another room.

Recycle your unread collection.

Sign up for “do not mail” lists
Feeling inundated with junk mail? Forty-four percent of mail goes to the landfill unopened, yet we still spend eight months of our lives dealing with it all. More than one hundred billion pieces of junk mail are delivered each year—that’s more than eight hundred pieces per household. In fact, junk mail in the United States accounts for one-third of all the mail delivered in the world. It’s not just cluttering our homes and wasting our time, junk mail also destroys our environment.

Register on the national databases to eliminate unwanted junk mail. Although it is not a 100 percent guarantee, your paper volume will significantly reduce (www.donotmail.org/take-action).

Make a daily “to do” list
Use whatever method works for you.
Create one. Use it every day.
Using your computer saves paper.
Use it whenever feasible.
Keeping paper lists means constant rewriting.

Organize books
Keep frequently used materials at your desk (e.g., dictionary, trade magazines, and reference books).
Keep periodic references in your immediate work space.
Keep occasional reference materials in a second room.
Keep long-term references in storage (the back room).

Whether you’re a piler or a filer, my message is the same: unless you can see the status of all your projects at a glance, you’re probably not as productive as you think. And that means you’re working harder and longer than you need to. Studies show that 90 percent of office documents are merely shuffled from one pile to another. Ninety percent. What’s going on here?

When you have the right key, the right system, for managing your files, physical and electronic, and for getting control of your day, physical and emotional clutter disappears. And when it does, it becomes much easier to manage your time and energy.

Source:
www.annemcgurty.com
480-442-2014
LinkedIn
https://www.facebook.com/StrategizeAndOrganize

Squeezed into a corner? Maximize whatever space you have.

Winston Churchill once said, “We shape our buildings; thereafter, they shape us.” How true, not just for hotels but for our offices as well.

Studies have found that the physical space in which we work affects satisfaction, productivity, and even learning. Yet few of us take time to strategize and organize our workplaces or our homes.

Imagine an office where you show up every day and feel excited each day to get started because your desk is inviting you to sit down. Your chair is ergonomically correct, you have all the latest technology, and you have comfortable seats for your guests. When your office is right, you will feel comfortable and energized. When you check into your office each morning, you will have the right keys for being organized.

Here are a few keys and a few simple steps, ranging from the right work-space system to ergonomic-friendly products that can help businesses boost employee productivity and ease.

Be ergonomically correct
Keep a massage ball handy to free your hands from stress. People performing repetitive activities on a keyboard or an adding machine can injure their hands. A stress ball will help you exercise your hands in new ways, rather than just typing.

Arrange your office room in such a way as to maintain appropriate air circulation. Position yourself away from air conditioning vents that push air right on top of you.

Position your computer monitor twenty-four to thirty-seven inches away from you with the screen at or below eye level to reduce strain on your neck and shoulders.

If you are on the phone a lot, use a headset or a quality speakerphone so that you can listen and write notes at the same time.


Create an at-home work-space 
Designate a spot in your home to do your business and money activities such as Internet research, writing thank-you notes, managing your schedule, and paying bills.

Always do work activities in that space and only that space.  Then you’ll always know where everything is.

Arrange your main office
Arrange your office furniture for maximum use of the space.
Create a specific location for specific things, such as client files, supplies, books, calendar, briefcase, and appointment book.
Place your most frequently accessed files nearest your work desk.
Place peripherals and hardware where you can reach them without crossing the room.
Secure cables off the floor. Label them, so you always know what they are and to which equipment they connect.

Work anywhere
Wherever you are, keep your works flowing.

Create a portable office 
Have an “on the go” system ready to roll whenever and wherever you go. Even at a moment’s notice, you can always have your schedule, work plan, and appointments list handy—in the car or however you travel.

Get set up for mobility
Keep your critical information at hand by using a PDA (personal digital assistant). These devices have become mainstream and have the functionality of a computer but are compact enough to throw in a briefcase, handbag, or pocket (e.g., iPhone, SmartPhone). This mobility can also be done with a laptop, which can be set up so you can work offline on your email, and once you hook up to the Internet it will synch, send, and reconcile your email.

Through Microsoft Outlook, you can synchronize your task list, calendar, and address book to your home computer using Microsoft Exchange.   However, assess your true needs before you purchase. Keep it simple.

Use the same organizing methods
Wherever you work—at the office or at home—consistency simplifies your thought process.  Use the same system.

Unclutter your brain. Let organizing do the work for you…so you do not have to try to remember what you were doing or where you put something.

An inefficient work-space is seldom life threatening, but it still hurts us on the job. Studies show that each year 1.8 million workers develop injuries related to ergonomic factors.

That translates into an annual productivity cost of more than $60 billion. The personal cost is even greater. A messy office hampers our job performance, robs us of our confidence, and prevents us from spending valuable time with our family and friends.

In 1982, there was a criminology theory called “broken windows theory.” The theory was about the effects of urban disorder and vandalism on crime and anti-social behavior. You know—park a car in a nice neighborhood and chances are no one will hurt it. Throw a brick through the windshield, however, and the car is likely to be vandalized. That’s the broken window theory. And that’s also the power of image and respect.

What about your workplace? What message are you sending out about your office? That you’re competent and efficient? Or that you’re disorganized and out of control?

Source:
www.annemcgurty.com
480-442-2014
Lost In Your Own Office:  Tips for Getting Organized

Everyone Doesn't Have to Know You're Still in Your Jammies. How to Be More Productive Working from Home

These days more and more people are working from home.  When I first started my business consulting practice in 2002, I thought I had to get dressed up before I hit my home office so I could "get in the mood" and feel professional.  Flexibility today is the name of the game when working at home for maximum business productivity.  I recently was interviewed for an article with Forbes.com for my expertise on being productive while working at home.  Read on . . .

There’s a lot to be said for working from home. The commute is a breeze, the kitchen is stocked and you can take meetings in your sweats. But is telecommuting more productive than working from an office?

For the last three years, Lauren Libert has been one of the estimated 67% Americans that the 2014 National Study of Employers reports is spending some amount of time each week telecommuting. A business development director for North Carolina-based N2 Publishing, Libert works full-time from her home office in northern New Jersey. The benefits?  “I have total flexibility about when and how I get my job done. I make my own hours and I don’t have to deal with the distractions that often come with working in a large office,” says Libert. “Of course, there are times when I miss the camaraderie of having co-workers close by. But at the end of the day, I get a lot more accomplished than if I had to commute to an office each day.”

Libert isn’t unusual. Experts point to numerous studies that demonstrate that people who work from home are on average more productive than other workers. They’ve also shown that telecommuting improves morale and reduces turnover.

In one recent study, Stanford professor of economics Nicholas Bloom teamed up with Ctrip, China’s largest travel agency, to test whether telecommuters were more or less productive than employees who came into the office. About 250 workers volunteered for the experience; half were randomly chosen to work at home for a nine-month period and half were in the office. The results, which appeared in a January 2014 Harvard Business Review article, To Raise Productivity, Let More Employees Work From Home, showed that home-based employees were 13.5% more productive than office workers; they also were sick less often and reported being happier and quit less frequently.

While the benefits of telecommuting are clear, working from home has its challenges, according to productivity expert Anne McGurty. McGurty is the president and founder of the Arizona-based consulting and coaching firm, Strategize and Organize. “There’s much to be desired about working from home, but even if you have managers and coworkers you’re accountable to, there are still temptations that can easily sap your productivity and motivation. These can make telecommuting difficult for many,” says McGurty. “If you’re not careful, they can also hurt your career.”

To make working from home a win-win for you and your employer, McGurty suggests 5 tips that can help you get ahead and stay ahead.

1.       Get a room. It might sound obvious, but having a designated workspace in your home is essential. “Some people think they can set up “shop” on the kitchen table or plop on the sofa, open a laptop and work. In my experience, that’s a recipe for distraction.” explains McGurty. “You need an organized space in your apartment or home that allows you to keep your works space and your home separate.”

2.       Keep it professional. Another important tip for staying productive? Treat your home office like a business. “Just because you’re working from what used to be the storage closet off your family room, doesn’t mean the same rules governing an office don’t apply,” says McGurty. “Ban barking dogs and playing children from your work space and keep your desk and work area organized; it’ll help create the right environment for getting things done. A clutter-free environment (and computer desktop) frees up space and is also easier to manage.

Get in the habit of putting “stuff” in the right place. “The average worker wastes six weeks a year retrieving misplaced information on office and computer files,” says McGurty. “Set up a system for organizing information and then use it. If you put stuff in the right place, rather than simply shoving it aside or dumping it onto your hard drive, you’ll be able to access what you need, when you need it.” She also urges telecommuters to be professional in how they handle and store sensitive work information. “It’s important to adhere to the same confidentiality rules that would apply if you worked at the home office. Keep a shredder handy to properly dispose of all sensitive documents and properly maintain all computer and cloud files.”

3.       Get ready, get set, go. One of the hidden dangers of telecommuting is procrastination. It can creep into your day because, when you work from home, it can seem like you have all the time in the world to get things done. But don’t let the clock get the better of you. “Working from home takes self-discipline, and that means getting things done in the right time,” says McGurty. “One way to keep your day on schedule is to set a daily start and stop time for working. The structure of a routine will help you avoid procrastination and boost your productivity,” says McGurty. “If you’re always wondering where the time went, consider using one of the many free online apps, such as RescueTime, to help you track your activities.”

McGurty also advises telecommuters to plan out their day the night before. “Whether you keep a written list or use a computer-based program like Outlook, creating daily goals gives structure to an otherwise flexible workday, helping you to hit your important deadlines.  And to avoid getting mired in day-to-day details, be sure to include at least one productive long-term goal-oriented task each day.”

4.       Play to your wheelhouse. As a corollary to setting priorities, McGurty also suggests getting more tactical about when you actually work. “One of the bonuses of telecommuting is having the freedom to schedule your time.  If you’re a morning person, use that time to tackle your most important goals and leave emails and other tasks for later in the day. If you have more energy in the afternoon, flip the order,” says McGurty. “Either way, keep your schedule consistent to promote concentration and motivation.” Some other ideas to ratchet-up your productivity? McGurty suggests getting a change of scenery once in the while. “There’s a reason why places like Starbucks and Panera are filled with people typing away on their computers during office hours. Leaving your house for an hour or two can do wonders for your focus,” explains McGurty.

5.       Don’t forget “me” time. It can be difficult to disengage when working from home, but don’t let that stop you from maintaining a healthy work-life balance. McGurty suggests setting clear boundaries around family and work time. She also encourages workers to join a gym or club, get involved in a hobby or interest that gets you out the door, and/or take regular vacations to avoid falling into a rut and to recharge your mind and body.

Staying focused can be tricky when working from home. The key is to develop habits and rituals that tell you brain (and you’re family if that’s relevant to your situation), “I’m at work now.” After working 9 to 5 at a company for more than 20 years, Libert says that telecommuting is the way to go, assuming you have the option. “Sure, working from home tests my discipline. But for me, the flexibility and quality of life it provides is far greater than the challenge of managing any occasional lapse in focus or motivation I may encounter along the way.”

Source:
www.annemcgurty.com
www.fb.com/strategizeandorganize
http://www.forbes.com/sites/northwesternmutual/2014/08/05/working-from-home-5-tips-for-being-more-productive-remotely/
480-442-2014

How Changing Your Breathing Can Change Your Life (INFOGRAPHIC) -

Top 10 Tips to Finally Organize Your Files

Did you know that the average executive spends six weeks per year retrieving or replacing lost documents?  As a business ciach, I tell my clients that it naturally it makes sense to create a system that is quick and easy so you can save that lost time.  Here are some ideas to get it done now once you have The Paper Tiger.  If you don’t have The Paper Tiger now, download this link to get started.  Here are the top ten tips I recommend:

Look at the “hot spot of files”.  You know the pile that seems the most urgent and makes your stomach churn every time you look at it.  Take the paperwork and make a decision on each piece and separate into four piles:

 Reference, those items you need, just not right now
Action, current projects, ongoing projects
Toss, you know where those are going
Timed, you need these on a specific date.

When deciding on whether to file something or throw it away, ask yourself if how difficult would it be to find this information again?  Does it have any legal or financial ramifications if you were to throw it away?  If you can live with the answer of throwing it away after those thoughts, let it go.

Set up the Paper Tiger Filing System Software and Document Management, an indexing system that works like a search engine for paper files to help you get organized and stay organized.  It’s essentially creating an inventory for all of your files.

Use names that you will be able to recall easily.  The obvious file names that you’ve used in the past.  Then the interesting thing is with The Paper Tiger is that will also be able to add keywords into the database so that any name you think of when you need to find a file, the software will be able to tell you where it is in seconds. So in the case of “Auto” the Item Name would be “Ford Explorer”, and in the keywords section, you would input the name of the company, i.e., “Vehicle, Car”, possible the name of the dealer, the service person’s name, etc., and you might use “Personal” in the Category section.

Oftentimes, people receive notices of an event and they never know what to do with the postcard. Set up a monthly filing system (a Tickler File) to keep track of when to throw them away.  Create 12 hanging file folders, one for each month.  As you rsvp or pull the information for “dress code” or directions. When the day rolls around, you can retrieve it for a reminder. This will ensure that you never miss an event or an expiration date on an rsvp or offer.

When sorting through paperwork make a decision. If you’re not in a decision-making mood, have a place set up for “unprocessed paperwork”.  Then when you’re ready, if you need to take action, do it now or place it in the appropriate action file.  If someone else needs to attend to it, give it to them.  If it is something to reference later on, add it to a reference file and place it there. Putting it back in the pile to address later is no longer an option for you as an organized person.

When you have a lot of tasks to do for the day, quickly sort the tasks in order of importance.  Do what is most profitable or important to you first, then move on from there.  Therefore, if you only have a little bit of time you will be addressing the most critical issues first.  All other tasks need to be scheduled for the when it makes sense.  This final step is critical otherwise you’ll be starting a new pile.

Print out reports of what you have inventoried in your filing system, place a folder in the front of each door labeled “File Index”.  Having a quick and easy reference when you don’t want to open your computer makes it easier to find quickly.

 Get into a maintenance habit of printing out a report of all of your files, quarterly or no less often than annually, and identify what you no longer need and purge or create steps to archive via off site store or scanning.

.Finally, create a time management habit.  Take 10-15 minutes every morning looking at your priorities, including your Actions within your Paper Tiger system and pulling files from your Tickler File.  Do the same thing each evening by placing all documents collected through the day back into your systems.

Congratulations on your progress, if you haven’t done it yet.  Set up your Paper Tiger system now and get started.  As you go throughout your day, keep in mind the task at hand and focus on completing that one task.  Remember that “things don’t clutter, people clutter”.  When we make simple decisions and take action, we can improve the quality of our life at work and at home.

Anne McGurty is CEO of Strategize & Organize, a company devoted to training individual’s to be more effective with the tools and resources to be productive in their work environment.
If you liked these tips, Anne is a dynamic strategist.   She can help you organize your business — and yourself — ranging from consulting to keynote speaking and corporate training programs to improve efficiencies in the workplace and improve productivity.

While Anne is best known for her expertise in productivity and expert office organizing, her clients share that her biggest impact comes from her philosophy of “personalizing her programs to fit the needs of her clients so they can streamline more efficiently with existing processes” – ensuring to create a sustainable work environment. This, Anne says, is the most important key to bringing an individual to personal freedom with time and organization.

Source:
You can learn more about Anne and her services, programs, and products for small businesses and to book her as a speaker or trainer, visit www.StrategizeAndOrganize.com.

For residential organizing services, please visit www.ResidentialOrganizing.com.


Twitter: @StratOrg for business, @organiz for residential, @AnneMcGurty for personal

www.StrategizeAndOrganize.com
303-881-0174  - mobile
480-442-2014  - office