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March 2008 > How to manage your clutter and improve productivity
How to manage your clutter and improve office productivity
When you look around your office, does the paper clutter look overwhelming?
If you answered yes, you're not alone.
The average company executive spends a combined total of about six weeks per year looking for missing information in piles of papers or computer files, according to the National Association of Professional Organizers.
That document you just stuck into a file drawer, thinking you'll need to reference it at a later time? There's an 80 percent chance you won't need it, according to NAPO.
In a typical business office, 45 new sheets of paper are generated each day.
For most small businesses - especially those in paper-centric industries such as real estate and insurance - managing the weekly and yearly paperflow becomes crucial, as tracking down documents means lost productivity.
Christa Patchen Wagner, a Certified Professional Organizer®, says the primary reason many small businesses can't get their paper organized is that they have "a huge fear" of throwing away paper.
"We encourage our clients to seriously think about how often they are really accessing their paper, often times it's not as much as we think it is," Wagner says. "And of course we would never suggest tossing a vital or needed document, but when you think about the duplication and lost time searching for misplaced information, it's important to making organizing a priority."
Another challenge: In many small firms, each person assumes he/she knows where all of the key documents have been filed away, should they be needed in a pinch. But if someone else needs that document, will they be able to find it easily?
"Many companies have a feeling of hopelessness and they could never be organized, but there is hope," Wagner says. "A lot of businesses have not put the foundation pieces in place and so it's no surprise that years later piles have turned into boxes of paper and companies have no idea how to deal with them."
Wagner founded Savvy Solutions Organizing Inc. to help small businesses (mainly one to five employees) put structures in place that will help them prioritize and get control of their paper and files. She also helps residential clients organize their homes, and helps corporate clients solve complex organizational and productivity challenges through consulting and organizing seminars.
Her company is based in Seattle, though she recently moved to Vancouver, Canada, and uses GotVMail's Virtual Phone Service to stay better connected with her clients and employees.
Wagner says there is no fool-proof organizing method that will work for every company. You have to identify what will work well for your organization and execute the plan. Small businesses should dedicate at least one day each year to clean house.
"You can make it a fun day. Have it on Cinco de Mayo or St. Patrick's Day. You can order pizzas for everyone," Wagner says. "Everyone is given permission to clear the clutter. Bring in the shredder and extra recycle cans and you will be shocked at how much is tossed."
One key step to managing paper is to identify "action papers," those which require your attention and need to be easily accessible, and separate those from papers that can be archived or tossed into the shredder.
For more information, visit www.savvysolutionsllc.com.
By the Numbers
The cost incurred by U.S. businesses from lost productivity due to spam.
Source: Nucleus Research for KnowledgeStorm
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