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3 Tips to Help You Get Organised at Work

  • Publish Date: Posted almost 7 years ago
  • Author:by VANRATH

There’s a reason why recruiters list 'organisational skills' as a desirable attribute; simply put, it’s harder than it looks. As occupants of a digital landscape, the reality is that we absorb an immeasurable volume of information every day, which can make it difficult to process things effectively. Do you find yourself, for example, confusing dates or forgetting to follow up on important emails? Yes, it’s perfectly normal to make mistakes, but these can quickly snowball into something more serious and really harm your work performance. If you’re a self-confessed scatterbrain who’s in need of help then listen closely, VANRATH has three tips for getting yourself organised at work.

 

1) It’s all about communication

Any couples therapist will tell you: the key to successful relationships (both in your personal and professional life) is communication. It’s ironic that we value communication so much in our external relationships yet we completely ignore it when it comes to ourselves. If you know that you’re forgetful, or that you often get things confused, then self-communication should be your top priority. This could be as simple as setting reminders in your calendar or leaving sticky notes on your desk to creating your own tick list. VANRATH’s top tip: choose a method that slots in naturally with your way of working. It should feel so effortless that it becomes habitual. If you’re always on the go for example with little time to check emails, create a work list on your phone that you can refer back to. That way, you won’t forget a thing- even if you are constantly on the move.

2) Make technology your friend 

Are you glued to your electronic device? Maybe an app is for you. We’ve been doing our research and as it turns out, we’ve found a number of apps that can really help to remedy disorganisation. Interested in hearing our top picks? See below.

  • 24me 

  • Evernote

  • Remember the Milk

  • Wunderlist

If you’re thinking these are just glorified to-do lists then think again; not only will you receive mobile notifications and reminders via text/email when a task is due, you’ll even be told when to leave for a meeting and how much traffic to expect. It’s essentially like having a personal assistant! Their features do vary slightly so we’d advise doing your research but all in all, we couldn’t recommend these apps enough.

3) Invest time, or else

We get it; between meetings and urgent tasks, there can be days where you barely get a moment at your desk, let alone touch your to-do list. It might seem redundant when you’re so overwhelmed, but taking the time to organise your workload is essential. If you don’t believe us, then trust the science behind it; following sleep deprivation, stress is the second biggest culprit for making mistakes. What’s more, there’s evidence to suggest an interlinking, cyclical relationship between the two. What does that mean? In short, the more stressed you are the more mistakes you make, which in turn makes you more stressed and even more mistake-prone. It’s a losing battle. The good news: you can avoid all of this with just a little bit of planning. Put aside ten minutes at the end of every day to make your action points and set your reminders. For little time spent you'll reap big rewards, which sounds like a no-brainer to us. 

If you’d like to read more articles like this, be sure to check out VANRATH’s Knowledge Centre and LinkedIn page. Looking for a new job? Call 028 9033 0250 to speak to a consultant.