Three Things You Can Do Today for Better Office Management

As any administrator knows, a well-managed office is an efficient office. By making an effort to improve your office management skills, you can help your colleagues be more productive in 2014. Instead of aiming for large, time-consuming changes, choose small improvements that you can make today.

For administrative and clerical professionals, one of the most important office management skills is organization. In a disorganized office, everything is more difficult and time consuming, from finding supplies to running meetings. According to Wicked Local and the Marblehead Reporter, the best way to become more organized is to start with a single project. Today, take a step toward improving the office environment by tackling the supply cabinet. Because all employees need office supplies, this small action can reduce employees' wasted time and frustration, while saving you the time spent helping colleagues find what they need. Organize all your office supplies, making sure that commonly used items like printer paper, staplers, file folders, and paper clips are all at eye level. Identify the items your coworkers often have trouble finding and place them within easy reach. Label each area so that you can quickly find the supplies that need to be restocked.

Despite its convenience, email can be a major time sink for administrative professionals. Chances are, you receive emails from nearly everyone in the office as well as outside vendors, travel professionals, and clients. While your inbox may take more than a day to clean out, you can spend an hour today setting up special mailboxes to reduce future clutter. Start by creating three mailboxes: one for messages that require immediate action, one for messages that require action within the week, and one for items that can wait until you have time. As you get emails, sort them into each mailbox to make it easier to spot tasks that need your attention. Controlling your email is one of the most frequently overlooked office management skills, but it can have a significant impact on your daily productivity and stress levels.

When it comes to improving the office, one of the most important office management skills is filing. For many administrators, filing takes a back burner to more pressing tasks, causing documents to pile up around the office and making it difficult to locate specific files. Today, make it a point to reduce some of the clutter. File documents in their proper places, checking to make sure you haven't forgotten a signature or important action, and you'll enjoy greater peace of mind. Reviewing documents as you file them can also give you a quick refresher about recent projects. Even if you only have fifteen minutes free to work on improving your office management skills, you'll be able to make a significant dent in your piles of files.

By focusing on small improvements to your office, you can make a difference immediately. Over time, small changes in your office management skills can lead to major organizational shifts and improvements.

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