Smead Office Products - Blog - Monday, February 11, 2008

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Smead Office Products - Blog - Monday, February 11, 2008

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The opinions expressed herein are my own personal opinions and do not represent my employer's view in anyway.

Monday, February 11, 2008

ESTIMATING TIME NEEDED FOR TASKS

ESTIMATING TIME NEEDED FOR TASKS

Do you keep running past your planned deadlines for getting things done? Most of us think we can get more done in less time. To be more realistic follow these ideas for estimation success.

• For one week, note how much time you think you need to accomplish each task on your To Do list.

• As each task is completed, jot down the actual time it took to get it done. Calculate the differences from actual to planned time and highlight the overages. Store the week’s To Do lists in a Smead Assorted Colors SuperTab File for quick retrieval.

• When planning each day’s To Do list in the next week, refer to the previous week’s history and realistically adjust time estimates for tasks. Continue to recap until your time estimation skills are on target.

2/11/2008 4:49:44 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Choosing the right calendar tool

CHOOSING THE RIGHT CALENDAR TOOL

When it comes to calendars, knowing we need one is the easy part. The difficulty comes in choosing the right one for you from the wide variety available.

• If your company has a networked electronic calendar system such as Microsoft Outlook, life will be easier if you join in. Plan commitments and meetings using the tools available and print out a daily schedule for quick reference and portability.

• If your workday is often spent away from the office or traveling out of town, using a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) calendar may be the best choice. No matter where you are, your calendar is just a few taps on a screen away.

• If you just can’t get on the technology bandwagon, then a traditional planner/calendar is the best choice. Choose one with either monthly/daily or monthly/weekly pages so you can get both a big picture overview of your schedule and the fine details of hour-by-hour activities.

1/23/2008 8:01:24 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Monday, September 24, 2007

95 Tips for Getting Organized

Each day, every office worker in America produces 45 new sheets of paper, adding up to more than 1,300 sheets of paper per month per person. Over the course of a year or two this adds up to be one big headache to manage.

The organizing experts at Smead have broken down the organizing process into the following categories:

Get Started
Often the most difficult step in getting organized is getting started. We have put together 10 tips to get your program off the ground.
Enhance Your Organizational Skills
Consistency is the key to maintaining an organized working environment. Find out how we suggest you enhance your skills.
Use Filing to Your Advantage
At Smead we believe filing can be fun. Check out our tips and learn how.
Make Organizing Tools Work for You
Like any job if you’re going to get the job done right you need the proper tools to ensure success.
Manage Your Space
A common excuse for not organizing is “there isn’t enough space to stay organized.” Learn how to maximize space and control that paper pile.
Prioritize
Sometimes the obvious ways to prioritize items are overlooked. Here are some ideas to keep in mind.
Maintain Organization
Once you have developed a system of organization it is essential that it is maintained. Try these ideas to stay ahead of the game.
Bring Organization to Your Office
After mastering our suggestions, consider sharing your good fortune with others in the office.

Get Started

1. Analyze your situation or hire a professional organizer
2. Research storage options
3. Choose organizing products you like
4. Consider daily activities
5. Know why you want to get organized
6. Set long-term and short-term goals
7. Develop a system for paper flow
8. Keep your organizing simple
9. Learn how to throw things away
10. Plan ahead

Enhance Your Organization Skills

11. Spend a few minutes each day organizing
12. Write down “how to” instructions
13. Create a comfortable environment to work in
14. Don’t throw too much away
15. Organize gradually
16. Stay ahead of yourself
17. Admit to the mistakes you have made, learn from them
18. Reduce clutter
19. Stop and think
20. Remember, when organized, you work faster and more efficiently

Use Filing to Your Advantage

21. Alphabetize items
22. Number things
23. Date materials
24. Use different colors
25. Create a place for everything
26. Put everything in its place
27. Sort items of importance
28. Use color folders to keep track of papers
29. Create a filing system
30. Use hanging folders to organize folders off your desk
31. Use file tabs to locate hanging folders faster
32. Keep loose notes in a notebook
33. File away last years stuff in storage
34. Keep only the current year in your work area
35. Use organizing products to help
36. Put your most important papers in the front of folders

Make Organizing Tools Work for You

37. Make the most of the basics
38. Keep papers together with staples and paper clips
39. Identify everything with labels
40. Reduce clutter with a desk organizer
41. Use larger paper for notes, don’t tear small pieces that can get lost
42. Use a three-hole punch to gather loose notes in a binder
43. Create a phone log to track important calls
44. Use a calendar
45. Use a personal organizer or PDA to stay on track
46. Consider new products that may work for you
47. Add extra life to your folders, protect labels and tabs
48. Store files electronically
49. Make organizing fun

Manage Your Space

50. Maximize space
51. Customize your space using a system that works for you
52. Control your paper and don’t let it control you
53. Write things down so you don’t forget
54. Reduce, reuse, recycle
55. Don’t be a pack rat
56. Break bad habits
57. Be willing to take a fresh approach
58. If you haven’t used it in the last 6 months, get rid of it
59. Rearrange items to reduce clutter
60. Create a space to call your own
61. Donate old materials to charity
62. Do things right the first time
63. Use shelf filing to save floor space
64. Limit storage to a confined area
65. It’s okay to create a few piles, temporarily
66. Keep everything you need in sight
67. Keep all of your information in the same place
68. Use containers to store documents or supplies
69. Don’t just set it down, put it in the correct place

Prioritize

70. Categorize your work
71. Prioritize your schedule
72. Manage your time by completing the most important task first
73. Prioritize your folders: Immediate, Current and Background
74. Concentrate on the big picture
75. Keep an inventory of organizing items most often used
76. Be concise
77. Take advantage of “down time”

Maintain Organization

78. Create a strategy
79. Review and adjust previously set goals
80. Find what works for you
81. Don’t overwhelm yourself
82. Take one project at a time
83. Relax, don’t panic, organization is a process
84. Don’t make excuses
85. Use common sense
86. Reward yourself for being organized
87. Stay focused when organizing
88. Don’t give up
89. Enjoy the benefits of being organized
90. Dust when necessary

Bring Organization to Your Office

91. Develop an organizational system within your department or company
92. Select one person to assign tasks
93. Share tips on how to become a better organizer
94. Save time with better organization
95. Remember, organize yourself before starting on others

9/24/2007 7:14:45 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Sunday, September 23, 2007

Who is Smead?

Smead is a world leading manufacturer of filing and organizational products. Smead Manufacturing has helped define the standards for better organization. From handy organizers for home or school to complete enterprise-wide document management systems, Smead and its operating divisions, Smead Software Solutions, S & W Manufacturing and subsidiary Smead Europe, have a solution to keep you organized.

For more than 100 years, Smead has brought a spirit of innovation and integrity to keeping businesses and home offices organized. Headquartered in Hastings, Minnesota, Smead is a privately held, woman-owned business offering 5,000 organizational products with more than 2,600 employees in 14 manufacturing plants located across North America and Europe, including its Smead-Europe operations in The Netherlands.

9/23/2007 9:04:18 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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