The Organised Times Vol 9.16- August 2005
In this issue:
There's Profit in Being Organised
Hi!
An article in a major American business magazine nominated personal organisation as the main reason that senior, top level super-executives are so successful.
The story admitted that while vision and energy were very important, the most vital of all the qualities needed by these men and women is that they all have their professional lives together and also have a life outside of work.
HOW???
For a start, they work in a clutter free environment. Everything in their office is in its right place. They prioritise and delegate.
They never waste time on trivialities. They use a strategy called LEVERAGING. This means that they reserve serious work for “prime times” when their energy level is at its peak. They work quickly and effectively.
Accomplish More in Less Time
You need to know how to maintain a tidy, organised working environment that will enable you to block out periods of the day when you are able to accomplish creative work without interruptions.
By using our weekly planner it is easy to plan to action your major objectives for the week for the business and your life as well.
These are times when you can be assured of being left alone in your own space to get things done… as long as you don’t let other people interrupt you. Often when they do, it’s because you’ve let it happen. You have to set the rules.
The problem in most cases is that people are unable to organise their office space (or anything else for that matter) and are surrounded by so much mess that they cannot put their hands on what they want when they want it.
The process of searching for needed files or other items often accounts for an extraordinary amount of vital time that could be better used to do productive work,
e.g. if you search 6 times per day for lost paperwork, you could be wasting a minimum of 30 minutes a day.
That’s unproductive time equivalent to:
10 hours per month, or 3 weeks per year.
If your time is worth $100 per hour, that’s costing you $12,000 a year!
Are You Losing Money and Don't Even Know It?
And how would you know how much time you waste?
Write down what you do with your time. You can design your own time sheet or use our weekly planner and record what you do as it occurs.
You may ‘think’ you are ‘busy’; well this will prove whether you are being effective or just wasting time.
You’ll find after analysing a minimum of one full week there will be areas you could have saved heaps of time by delegating, saying ‘no’ and taking your own time seriously.
The Lawyer
Sometime ago I was called in by a law firm that had a brilliant yet totally disorganised solicitor whom they wanted to organise.
This man was highly respected for his ability to grasp complex legal matters and reduce them to simple terms. He was also convinced that he did not have a problem.
One look at his office showed that he was in real trouble.
His desk was buried by a mountain of paper, there were stacks of files all over the floor and piles of reference books in all directions.
Through coaching he gradually whittled down the paper on his desk and at the bottom of the heap made an amazing discovery - a cheque from a client for $5,000 that had been there for months.
For you business owners reading this story, that would never happen to you in your business… or could it?
The Computer Maintenance Company
One of my clients who runs his own computer maintenance company admitted to me that prior to being coached, paperwork would often be lost amongst the clutter in his office. He would invoice clients much less than he should have because he couldn’t find the necessary information, particularly for parts he supplied.
Also his lack of systems and poor use of his time meant he didn’t invoice regularly and had major cash-flow issues.
Now that he has learned how to get himself organised, he’s now on top of his paperwork, his business and his life.
Clear the Clutter
Clearing the clutter helps to dissolve the procrastination that so many people experience in their work every day.
Of course you also need to motivate yourself to get started. That is a vital ingredient in the process of becoming a super-executive or business owner. The initial motivation is the desire to achieve and taking the necessary action.
Everything else is built on that. The object of the exercise is to get more done - faster. By MORE I mean more quality work. There is no point doing lots more work if most of it is meaningless.
The Final Word
The important thing about clearing the mess from your life is that it helps you to prioritise and then immediately put your hands on the files and reference works that can help you to get the job done fast and effectively.
Discover how organised you really are by filling in our free assessment. You’ll soon find out if you need to make changes. If you seriously want to profit from being organised, then take action now…because nothing changes if nothing changes!
Have a great week
Lorraine Pirihi
Free Assessment –
Are You Management Material?
Many people end up in managerial roles by default, not necessarily because they had all the attributes that a great manager really needs. You have to have certain skills and abilities to manage others successfully. Fill in our free assessment today and discover if you have what it takes to be a highly effective manager. Click here
The Personal Assistant Strikes Back
Thank you for the overwhelming responses we had from our last newsletter “How to Attract and Keep a Personal Assistant”.
Here’s what one PA had to say:
"As a PA for over 10 years, I can empathise, and certainly relate to your latest newsletter, but may I also add, the Receptionist is also HUGELY invaluable to any organisation, and more times than not, are treated far worse than any PA!
I also worked for a Company Director for a huge debt collection agency in Melbourne, he had a terrible track record for PA's not lasting more than a few months, some would attend to work, go for lunch and believe it or not, NOT COME BACK!!
I got sick and tired of his berating, chauvanism and arrogance, that after one day being reduced to tears, when asked to book his flight to Sydney for a conference, purposely booked his business class flight to Adelaide. He was not impressed, but nonetheless, I did not care, as I tendered my resignation shortly thereafter.
Our relationship totally changed, as I told him in no uncertain terms that he was an arrogant pig, and had no right to treat ANYONE, let alone his employees in such a manner. He completely changed, toward me after that, and it actually became a pleasant work environment, as I stayed training my replacement.
Although he did ask me to stay, I'm glad I stood my ground and moved on. Until then, I'd been his longest lasting PA (12mths!). The following incumbent remained longer than that. Perhaps he learned from his lesson? Not sure, but one thing I was sure of, that no one deserves to be treated in such a disrespectful manner, no matter if you work in a mailroom or on executive level. Not even from someone who earned millions of dollars!"
Suzanne Brendel (Vic)
Readers' Comments...
Your Questions Answered
“How Do I Get on Top of the Clutter ?"
- Plan for a major clean out and then do it.
See: “Time for a Clean Out"
- Allocate 15 minutes at the end of each day to tidy up.
- Once a week allow 30 minutes to do the bigger clutter cleaning
If you have a question around getting organised in your business and your life, just email lorraine@office-organiser.com.au and insert into the subject line “Ask Lorraine”. Or, why not post something to our Blog?
Our Clients Say…
 “I underwent coaching to gain more control and achieve balance in my work and personal life.
I now have the ability to prioritise and focus on the important issues. I am much more energetic and confident through my ability to achieve more.”
Andrew MacLeod, General Manager
NSW - OBM International Trade Services, Ph: (02) 9699 5299 |
Unique 110% Money Back Guarantee
If you are not 100% delighted with the results you are able to experience through our products and services, then we are happy to offer you a 110% money back guarantee. We have so much belief in what we do, we are willing to back it with our own money. |
How to Have Less Mess, Less Stress
and More Success
Is work consuming your life?
Are you drowning in paperwork and technology?
Overwhelmed by your workload?
Feel like you're in a pressure cooker and ready to explode?
Wanting more time for living life outside the office?
In just 4-hours you will discover the secrets to turning your mess… into success! The simple strategies you will learn from this workshop will turn your life around. You’ll dramatically boost your productivity and your profits. You’ll have much more time to enjoy life.
"The best workshop I have attended (and I have been to quite a few), not only from a content point of view, but the structure and way it was delivered."
Jason Cunningham, The Practice, Tel: (03) 9347 2333 |
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This session that I attended today was extremely thought provoking and inspiring not only about my professional lifestyle but also enforced the important of personal lifestyle and finding the right balance between both to achieve an improved ‘you’.
Fiona Beard, Team Leader City of Maribyrnong, Tel: (03) 9688 0387
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"This program is ideal for small business owners who need to take control of their life. Without doubt, each one of our franchisees ‘must’ make this a priority to take them to the next level in their business."
Andrew Cooper, Impress Promotions, Tel: (03) 9702 4566 |
Melbourne
Workshop 25th August 2005 9-1pm. Don't miss out - book now!
The Buckingham International, Highett, Melbourne.
Sydney
Workshop 16th September 1-5pm.
*This program can be run on-site for your organisation/association. For more details contact Lorraine directly on (03) 9532 5497 or
lorraine@office-organiser.com.au
Book Lorraine
Book Lorraine Pirihi, Australia's Top Productivity Coach to ensure your next event is an outstanding success. Call today on (03) 9532 5497 or email your enquiry to lorraine@office-organiser.com.au
Topics include:
- How to Achieve Your Goals and Stay on Track
- How to Have Less Mess, Less Stress and More Success
- How to Successfully Grow Your Business…And Have A Life Too!
- How to Survive and Thrive At Work
- How to Increase Your Productivity and Your Profits
Free Articles For Your Publications
Lorraine has many articles available for reprint in your publication, company newsletter or ezine, etc. These articles may be reproduced providing they are published in their entirety, including the author's bio and all links.
See : http://www.office-organiser.com.au/freearticles.html
- Do you want to work less and have more time for you?
- Do you want your people to be more effective and more productive?
- Do you seriously want to achieve your goals this year?
We show businesspeople how to have less mess, less stress and more success in their personal and business lives!
Lorraine Pirihi, principal of The Office Organiser is Australia's Personal Productivity Coach. She specialises in working with businesspeople showing them how to dramatically boost their productivity, reduce the stress and the mess in their lives and have more time for enjoying their life.
We specialise in:
Take action today! Contact Lorraine to discuss your specific needs on (03) 9532 5497 or email lorraine@office-organiser.com.au
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