Even though much of the work we do these days is conducted electronically, you still might find yourself searching for a misplaced file, email or piece of paper from time to time. Nearly half of office workers report losing an important work-related item each year – a file, a memory drive, even their phone. The time it takes to find them costs companies lost productivity – up to an average of one workweek per year, per employee. In the U.S., this loss of productivity is estimated to be $89 billion annually.
Organize your desk
If your workspace could stand to be more organized, we looked to Marie Kondo, world-famous tidying expert, for inspiration. She recommends organizing your space in blocks of time that are close together – perhaps every morning for 30 minutes – until you’re organized. She suggests tidying by categories, starting with books, moving on to papers and finishing with miscellaneous and sentimental items.
Streamline electronic files
Next, focus on cleaning up your digital space. Kondo advises that three main folders are usually all you need:
- A current projects folder should hold sub-folders for each project
- A folder for records can corral policies and procedures you regularly access or items such as legal contracts or employee files.
- Saved work contains documents from past projects you’ll use in the future. This could include a presentation that could serve as a template for a future one, research that can be helpful later or benchmarking of competitors and industry research files.
Run a tidy meeting
According to a study, more than 15% of an employee’s satisfaction with their job is based on how satisfied they are with the meetings they attend. Meetings that are unproductive or inefficient decrease engagement. Consider these points before you schedule your next meeting.
- Know what you want to accomplish.
- Think carefully about the participants you need to invite.
- State the goals in the invitation.
- Encourage participation.
- Set timelines for the meeting.
Want more organizational ideas for your office? Check out this Blue Cross® Virtual Well-Being webinar. You can sign up for future employer-focused and general interest webinars here, where you’ll also find past sessions and resources. Related:
- Focusing on Heart Health and Gratitude at Work
- Tech Tips for Employee Well-Being
- Addressing Loneliness at Work
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