Sarah Smith

Keeping Organised at Work



Printable Calendar
I see many posts these days about how to blog, or how to improve your blog etc. To be honest the most information that I can share some wisdom on is my job. I have been doing it for 12 years, love it and think I can impart a lot more wisdom on that subject than I can on blogging!
Hopefully some of these tips will help you if you are just starting out in any sort of office job. My current job has two titles (which is a bit odd) Technically I am a Director's Secretary but I generally just call myself a PA (personal assistant). Basically this means that I am the assistant of one person only, and she is one of the Directors of the FTSE 10 Company I work for. Even if you aren't in these jobs at all I think some tips are handy for other jobs, and just for life in general!
Organisation
Being organised doesn't suit some people but to do well, and just generally have an easier life. Doing everything you can to remain organised will really help you out and make you appear even more professional. It also really saves time, and means you are more productive and don't forget things.
Tips
  • Use your own work calendar to send out meeting invites on behalf of other people. That way you can keep an eye on who has or hasn't responded and it doesn't clog up your boss' email with a whole string of replies
  • Use colours in your calendar and your boss' to differentiate between meetings, appointments or personal events
  • Note in your boss's diary when you are on holiday or leaving early, at the dentist etc. Sometimes they forget as they are so busy, and you don't want anyone to just think you haven't showed up for work!
  • Set your email so emails from your boss and other important people come in different colours, it means you can deal with important emails first, and is handy if you need to find something your boss sent you really quickly

  • Keep your email folders named with the same names as those on your documents drive. That way when it comes time to archive your emails you have just saved yourself a lot of time
  • Unsubscribe to all of the spam emails that always seem to appear, the link is normally at the bottom of your email, they just clog up your inbox
  • Keep your work calendar on your computer and have a paper diary or calendar to take around with you at all times with all of you personal engagements in, update your personal calendar with any important work meetings for you or your boss where you have to be in early or work late so you don't double book
  • I would get a month to view calendar for personal use, or just print one from online, I got a template on Etsy. In your personal paper diary, keep every date you can think of, birthdays, holidays, MOT due date, when you need to go for your dental check up, when your botox runs out, when your contraceptive pill etc. runs out, etc. That way you can look at the overview for the month ahead and work out the plan and you won't run out of anything or forget something and you can plan in advance
  • Plan your workouts, if like me you often work long hours, plan to go on the days you don't have to work so long, or when your boss is out for lunch try and go to the gym then, exercise is good for clearing your mind as well as your health
  • Use your mobile phone, if it has an app, to keep lists, bits of paper flapping about tend to get lost and you will undoubtedly have your phone with you at all times
  • Always write a daily to do list, then once you've worked out everything, highlight the most important and work through those first
  • Remember, just because someone else thinks something they have asked you is important, it might not be as important as other things you have to do for your boss, it is OK to say no! But be polite and give a reason why you aren't able to help, and give them a suggested time of when you can help. People appreciate that honesty rather than just giving you something to do and then chasing as they think you haven't been bothered to do it when really you've been rushed off your feet
  • Accept help if it is offered sometimes, if you always say no people stop asking
  • Always write things down, you won't remember that phone number, or what your boss was saying, or when that meeting needed to be, just write it down
  • Always make notes if someone is explaining to you how to do something. Even if you think it is super easy and you will remember, they will assume you aren't really bothered if you don't make some sort of notes
  • Network, make friends with your peers, people are way more likely to help you if they know you, your name and your face
  • Help others, especially new people to the job
  • Dress smartly and not overly revealing, you want people to say you are good at you job or a nice person, not comment on your outfits because you look like a stripper
  • Create a handover pack or 'bible' for your job, at some point you'll be on holiday or away having a baby or something like that. Having a manual on how to do your job will really ensure that the work is done properly when you are away and you aren't left with a disaster when you return, section it out easily for the temp to understand, I have a lever arch file with tabs for every different job task that I do
  • Have email distribution lists and keep them regularly updated if you often send out emails to the same people
  • Always have passport photo spares for yourself and your boss, and photocopies of their and your passport and work credit cards, front and back, just in case
  • Get some large post it notes, I accidentally ordered the huge ones and thought 'wtf?!' but they are actually so much better
  • Get a dymo label maker, everything is so much easier to find when it's labelled
  • Keep your desk tidy at the end of the day, I put everything away in drawers and lock it away. It's more secure and looks more professional. People in offices are nosy, and WILL comment if your desk looks a mess. Mine is usually a mess when I am working, but always tidy every morning and evening

  • Keep a personal file at work with all of your bills, statements, insurance documents, warranties etc. in a lever arch divided by topic. You will undoubtedly have to deal with issues like this at work, because you are there during the times the phone lines for the companies are open! Having everything there also means you can scan or photocopy it quickly if necessary and doing things at home is a complete faff, it's also a lot safer than being at home as offices usually have security

  • If you have a stationery cupboard, take out and keep in your cupboard your boss' regularly used items so other people don't use things they will likely need up and not replace. I call it the secret stash

  • Keep a stash of Birthday, Christmas, Thank You and other random cards for you or your boss to use in an emergency, and some stamps
  • Sometimes they need you to remind them about their anniversary and valentines day, try and remind them in a subtle way or just ask if you should order something. Even if they say no and have totally remembered, they will appreciate that you thought of it, as it shows you care
  • Have labelled plastic folders for different things, each business trip, passports and visas, minutes that need signing, draft minutes, things that you are waiting for responses on etc. I also keep a personal tickets file and put all tickets to shows, theatre etc. in there so I don't lose them
  • Make an itinerary for any trips and include everything. From leaving the house or office to get there, to when you walk back in the front door on the way back.
  • Download the Camscanner app on your phone, you take a photo of a document and it scans it into a pdf and looks like a scanned or faxed document, this was you can sign something and send it back asap! So easy if you are at a hotel with no scanner or away from the office or if the scanner breaks at work
I do hope some of these tips are helpful to some people! If you have any of your own tips please post them below.

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