One of the biggest keys to success is organisation. From time management to task planning, your drawers to your desk, organisation underpins so many areas of our work-life. By making a few small improvements to your organisational strategy, you can easily save yourself plenty of time. Time that’s better spent investing in other areas of your business!
Take a look at our top tips for staying organised and how you can improve your workflow and efficiency.
What is organisation?
Organisation is all about being able to plan carefully, keep tidy, and work effectively. Organisation is all about making high-level decisions that save you time and effort. When you plan to do something, how you plan to do it, right up to where to correctly file documents or how to maintain your inbox.
Why is organisation important?
Organisation is super important if you’re looking to become more effective at work. Being well-organised will ensure that you save time, and are able to achieve your goals more strategically as you’ll know exactly what you’re working towards and how you plan to do so. A strategically planned calendar will help you remember important deadlines, a well-filed inbox will help you locate important documents much faster and a tidy desk will help keep your surroundings and mind clear.
Aside from the obvious outcomes of improved organisation such as saved time and more effective business outcomes, becoming more organised actually comes with a whole host of benefits. Knowing what you’re doing, when and where is a great way to reduce stress and anxiety at work as you’ll feel more prepared. Reduced stress helps us eat better, sleep better and generally improves our mood and relationships.
What are organisational skills?
Organisational skills come in many forms but some areas you may want to consider looking at and maybe improving on include;
Time management: From calendars to alarms, sticky notes to reminders, time management is a key organisational skill.
File organisation: A neat inbox, well-kept computer filing system or manned DMs will help you stay on top of your messages and documents.
Project planning: A mindmap, to-do list or kanban can help you identify all your tasks in one handy place.
Housekeeping: A tidy office, desk or drawer space can help you locate what you need faster.
Prioritisation: Utilse frameworks such as The Eisenhower Matrix, a task management tool that helps you organise and prioritise tasks by urgency and importance.
Goal setting: A great way to stay organised is to know exactly what it is you’re working towards and how you plan to get there.
How to be more organised at work
Organisation apps, project management tools and project management software are some of the best organistaional tools that you can invest in. Of course, there are a lot of free tools available, simply using your Google Calendar is a great way to keep on top of your tasks!
What is the best project management software?
There are lots of project management tools, apps and softwares available. Some of the most popular ones include:
Click Up
Manage any project from start to finish with highly customizable views that make project planning a breeze.
Monday
monday.com Work OS is an open platform where anyone can create the tools they need to run every aspect of their work.
Jira
Make the impossible, possible in Jira. Plan, track, and release world-class software with the number one project management tool for agile teams.
Wrike
Wrike streamlines work processes for maximum efficiency, empowering teams across all departments to collaborate, manage projects, drive strategic initiatives, and achieve goals.
How to organise emails
We’re all guilty of it. An overflowing inbox full of unreads, spam emails and deal-of-the-day offers you can’t refuse. With so many communications taking up your inbox, it can often be hard to locate important emails or documents. The solution? Implementing a tagging or folder system is a sure-fire way to segment your inbox effectively. But the best thing you can do? File, flag or delete as soon as you can. Break the habit of letting your inbox fill up (unless you are on holiday of course) is a super simple way to keep on top of your inbox. Decide whether you need the email or not and if you don’t, delete it!
How to organise a desk
When we think about organisation at work, it usually conjures up thoughts about your time, your goals, your tasks and your computer. But what about away from your screen? Having an organised office and desk space is a great way to improve your productivity. As the saying goes, ‘tidy life, tidy mind’. A well-kept set of drawers, desk and working area is key to productivity, and generally being able to find loose sheets and sticky notes better! We’d recommend buying a handy desk organiser or drawer organiser if you’re thinking about tidying up.
How to organise with print
These days, most people tend to stay organised online. Through virtual calendars, project management apps and phone reminders, we’re able to stay organised at the click of a button. However, that doesn't mean that you have to turn your back on more traditional methods.
Writing something down has been scientifically proven to help us remember better. Making notes or writing something down is a great way to improve your retention and therefore organisation. It’s also always a good idea to have a physical backup should you get locked out of your account, the WiFi inevitably goes down or you break your computer.
So what are the best print materials to help you stay organised?
Diaries - Lined and organised by day, diaries are a fantastic way to organise your week. All of our diaries come wire bound with silver wire for a sleek and professional finish and are printed on 120gsm uncoated paper with a choice of matt or gloss lamination on the cover, perfect for any business.
Calendars - Wall calendars and desk calendars are ideal for keeping important dates and bookings right at your fingertips. All of our calendars come wire bound with silver wire for a sleek and professional finish and can be printed on a choice of 150gsm or 250gsm silk stock to suit any budget.
Whiteboards - Perfect for campaign planning, setting goals and scribbling down notes, our whiteboards are a perfect planning tool. Our custom whiteboards are printed on a lightweight yet durable write-on, wipe-off 400mic Staufen allowing you to update it in real time.
In Conclusion
There are lots of ways in which you can become more organised in your day to day. A few simple changes to your way of working and getting yourself into a routine can easily set you on the right path to being a highly effective and fully functioning business. Try some of our handy tips for yourself and see how you can reach your goals.
