Most of us are
constantly endeavoring to be more productive AND to live a balanced life. I have
been asked several times for advice on office organization and management, and
while none of this is new, (in fact, to many it may be “old news”) here are a
few ideas and practical tools that have made a difference in my ministry work
that I hope you will find helpful. So here goes!
ARRIVE EARLY TO WORK EACH DAY
This
is absolutely the best time to spend ten minutes or so getting organized and reviewing your
list for what needs to be done that day. I value these few quiet minutes in my office
preparing and evaluating my priorities for the day before my actual work day
begins with the phone ringing and other staff members arriving.
KEEP A DAILY LOG
I keep a steno pad
right next to my desk phone and start a new, dated page each day. This is not my official to-do list but serves as an
effective assistant. I make a habit of jotting down each phone call with short
notes about the call, as well as any verbal requests from others, or just short
notes and reminders to myself. I also record what I actually accomplish, because the difference between what is on my to-do list and what I actually get done is usually quite different. A lot of things that I get done have never been on my list, and so this serves as an accurate reflection of my day. Also, with multiple
things going on at any given time, anything that I don’t attempt to keep in my head helps preserve my sanity and my productivity. This habit has paid off more times than I can tell you. Using an old-fashioned
steno pad is far superior to a post-it or a loose sheet of paper for this reason: it allows you
to be able to flip back quickly by date to locate details that would be lost
information if you hadn’t recorded it and kept it in a saved notepad form.
MAINTAIN A PUBLISHABLE, SHAREABLE CALENDAR
There are several of these that work equally well, such as Outlook or Google calendars. In our ministry I am responsible for maintaining the internal administrative church, Christian school, sports, and staff calendar. I have been able to manage this so much more efficiently using Outlook, and share it easily with other administrative staff. Being able to set reminders, share calendar changes effortlessly, and access the calendar from my phone is invaluable. While responsibilities in you ministry will differ from mine, having a publishable, shareable, syncable calendar is one great tool that acts as your own personal secretary! If you would like help getting started, click here.
ORGANIZE YOUR PROJECTS
Organize your file
folders, notebooks, and supplies in a purposeful way that works for you and that you will stick
with going forward. Use one folder, notepad, or notebook for each project that
you are working on. We regularly use notebook binders in our ministry for larger or annual projects. Your ministry will benefit from it, and when you or
someone else needs information on a particular project, you will easily be able
to locate it. If you would like more help in learning how to organize a project binder click here.
PRACTICE A DAILY AFTERNOON CLEAN UP
Spend a few minutes
every afternoon before leaving for the day tidying up your office and
preparing for the coming day. Prepare your to-do list for the coming day, sort and file paperwork, toss
any unneeded papers, and get anything
off your desk that is not going to be needed for the coming day. This is when you
also might spend a few minutes reorganizing an area that needs attention. You’ll
be thankful tomorrow morning when you return to a neat, organized, inviting space.
Of course, this list
could be much longer—so I would love you to contribute some ideas. What tools
and solutions have you found helpful to your ministry or personal productivity?
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