Stop work from piling up

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WHEN we have a lot of work to attend to but new tasks keep coming in, the work will pile up slowly and before we know it we would be surrounded by heaps of documents and items to clear. There are certain things that are important and should be kept near at hand while there might be a lot of things that we do not really require and should be put aside.

We could become less efficient if we are surrounded by too many things, especially when not all of them are of good use to us. Regardless of how busy we are, we need to spare some time to do some spring cleaning so that we can keep a clean and organised working environment. A conducive environment will help to increase our efficiency and effectiveness.

First of all, sort out the documents and files piling up on your desk or even on your floor. Do you need them now? Are they still relevant? If not, then file them away properly. This will clear up some space and help you to locate the documents that are relevant a lot faster and easier.

Next, scan through any old books, magazines and articles. Is the information still useful or has it become outdated? Dispose of all the irrelevant or obsolete items if it is unlikely you will have another look at them again. Keep only those articles or magazines that you are going to refer to now or in the near future.

Avoid unnecessary duplication of documents. Do not make copies of every single document that passes through your hands. Only duplicate documents that you need to constantly refer to and circulate; and file the original document to prevent damage.

Ensure your files and documents are kept up-to-date. Only retain the latest version of letters and proposals. Keeping too many versions of the documents could create a lot of confusion. It is also very time-consuming for you to try to figure out which version is the latest. This is especially true when you are in a hurry — scanning through the files for the right version is a waste of time and can be very frustrating.

Keeping an updated to-do folder and placing all the most up-to-date documents in it will help to save a lot of time and effort. Rather than having to search for documents that are kept all over the place, or having to fumble through piles of documents, you would know exactly where the documents are kept.

You just need to reach for this folder and everything you need to do is in there for you to work on. Once you have completed the work, file the documents in the cabinet. This will definitely increase your efficiency and prevent files from piling up.

Maintain an updated contact list of current and potential sources; categorised by subject or by territory. This list will come in handy when you need to contact your source to get updated information or source for relevant information.

Minimise the equipment or supplies around you. Only keep the supplies you need and get rid of the bulky items that occupy a lot of space but are not currently in use.

Keep a list of the basic supplies that you need so that you know the equipment or materials that you often use. Go through the list and get rid any supplies that you do not need. With this, you can access the supplies easily and conveniently.

It is important that we do not allow work to pile up on us so that we will not feel overwhelmed. Hence, keeping only what is necessary and relevant in our workplace is a practice we should consistently maintain.

Priscilla Hiu is a career guidance consultant of Gracia Management and a certified behavioural consultant of DISC Personality Profiling System, Institution of Motivation Living, USA and Extended DISC Personality Profiling System, Extended DISC Northgate.