Communication overload. Stress management courses. Endless meetings. Sound familiar? Wherever you work and whatever you do, the world of employment throws up all sorts of daily challenges.
Work does to some extent define us - there’s no doubt about that. It’s where we spend most of our waking hours. So who we are, how we treat people and what we do at work is important. In the busy-ness of business, it’s easy to overlook things like maintaining a healthy work/life balance ourselves, taking time to encourage and support our colleagues and being in the best shape to produce the best work.
Of course all of these things take time, planning and discipline - things that all get squeezed when we’re under pressure. So, anything we can do to make life easier in the office will no doubt be welcome. Here are a few tips for simplifying office life. Use any that apply to steal back some of that precious time, and to focus more on your contribution as a valued colleague:
1) Help, my email inbox is out of control!
Take a critical look at the emails you receive in an average day. What percentage would you say is ‘junk’ or not requiring a response? This is your first hit. Unsubscribe from everything you receive that you normally delete without reading - all it does is clutter up your inbox. Next it’s joke emails. There’s nothing like a bit of humour to lighten your day but if there’s someone who sends you far too many, ask them to remove you from their list. Anything else that you find yourself deleting as a matter of course is a candidate for pruning. Only when you do this will you see what really needs to be dealt with.
Try not to check your emails obsessively throughout the day. Everything does not need an immediate answer. Also, do you always have to answer an email with another email? Can you call? Or see the emailer face to face?
2) My desk is a mess and I can’t find anything
Having a well-organised workspace is crucial if you want to make the most of your time. How would it feel to be able to put your hand immediately on anything you’re asked for, or anything you need for a meeting? How would you appear to your colleagues? Calm? Efficient? On top of things?
Why not blitz your desk today - get rid of all junk, delegate whatever you can, prioritise your most important tasks, consign all papers to filing and look at what you’ve got left. Think about how you use your workspace. What tools do you use most often? Give them a suitable home somewhere close to your dominant hand. Once you can see the forest from the trees you’ll be amazed at how much easier life is.
3) I’ve got a to-do list as long as my arm and I can never get to the bottom of it!
Have you noticed that some things stay on that list for a long time? Why is that? Is it that they’re not actually very important, or are you procrastinating? If they’re not important, try ditching them. Free yourself from the tyranny of things you think you ‘ought’ to be doing. If you’re putting something off, ask yourself why. Do you need help? Can you set a realistic deadline? Then, look at your list and ask which are the five most important things you could do this week to help yourself and your career. Aim to focus on achieving one each day. That’s all. Just one. When you’ve done that, tackle the next three most important things. Focus on those things that will bring you the greatest reward or help you achieve your career goals.
Good luck with streamlining your office life, and enjoy the time you’ve stolen back for yourself. It’ll be well worth the initial effort.
