Office productivity zone

The physical layout of your office space is a significant psychological aspect for you to hone into your own productivity zone. When your physical space is organized, your focus increases and your momentum flows. You become more conscious of time factors which helps to stay on target and within deadlines.

The trick is to consistently maintaining your office space. How is this accomplished? By creating routines that fit your work style. Here are five quick, simple, and practical solutions:

 

1.  Your Office Productivity Zone

Create a workspace where you are able to hone in on your activities. Envision your office as the ultimate productivity headquarters by surrounding yourself with the correct equipment and supplies. Position items conveniently within reach but not encroaching on your workspace. Place file cabinets, shelves, drawers, binders and file holders for easy accessibility.

 

2.  Quality Furniture

There is nothing worse than working at a low functioning workspace. Spend the time and money by investing in a quality desk. For excellent support and comfort, an ergonomic chair is the gold standard. Be sure to have the correct layout measurements of your office space before you purchase. Be wary of being lured into trendy or flashy office décor, it may not fit or function properly for your style or office space.

 

3.  Professional Messaging System

When was the last time you checked your answering system? Is it clear and concise? Does is sound professional? Your reputation and image comes across with the message you leave for clients to get back to you. Clarity of your message is essential. A few suggestions are; state your business name, ask for their name, the best number to contact them and a brief description for their call. If you have a phone line, consider call forwarding to your cell phone. That way there is less chance of missing an important call.

 

4.  Computer and Printer

Invest in quality will it pay for itself and save your sanity. A slow computer and a mediocre printer will cost you lost time, frustration and lost revenue. Cloud storage is great but for extra security invest in a physical backup system for all your computer files. It is not a matter of how a computer will crash; the worry and reality is when it will happen. A quality printer provides crisp images and aligns paper properly. Be confident that what leaves your office is superior and represents your business with a positive image. Your clientele will take notice of the quality of your workmanship as well as the time and details.

 

5.  An Effective Day Planner

Paper, computer, electronic. They all work. What you need to do is choose a system that will work for you. Jumping from one to the other creates confusion and frustration. It also causes gaps and lost opportunities when you switch from one system to another. One solution that is very convenient to avoid gaps is to synchronize all your electronic devices. If you gravitate to old fashioned paper, make sure to use the same booklet or organizer consistently. You will stay sane and organized. The key point is to develop a consistent system to retrieve your valuable information in one location. Paper, computer or electronic are all reliable resources. Choose one and stick with it.

 

The biggest culprits that sidetrack your productivity zone are those meddling time-wasters. For example; playing with your dog or cat, eating, starring out the window, daydreaming, possibly cleaning.

Try these suggestions and see if they fit your work style. Hone into your productivity zone to get things done and improve your focus.

 

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.