Tag Archive for: office

7 tips for leaving the office earlier

 

1. Stop participating in the cultural rules. Commit to getting out the door on time. Who decided that you should work until 7:00 p.m.? How much is the time "you're devoting because you're a salaried employee and obligated to do what it takes to get the job done" worth?

2. Start meetings before 4:00 p.m. If you have some say or control regarding meeting times, schedule them to end by 4:30. Preferably, start meetings right after lunch. Block out your calendar beginning at 4:00 every day so people can't schedule with you. And don't ask people to begin projects at 4:45 PM. Respect their right to a life, too.

3. Be assertive. Don't be afraid to tell others, "I leave work at 5:00, on time, every day. I have a 5:30 commitment I must adhere to." It's none of their business that your commitment is with yourself or your family. People tend to support others when their goals are made public.

4. Schedule fixed office hours. If you have an assistant, block off certain hours a few days a week to accept appointments. Perhaps Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, you take appointments from 9:00 to 10:30 and 2:00 to 3:30. This way you don't have interruptions overlapping the time you're trying to leave the office.

5. Make preparations to leave. Gather up your coat and put it in a visible spot so others can see you're on your way out. Close your door a few minutes before quitting time so people will think you're busy or already gone. Whatever they want, it can wait until tomorrow.

6. Challenge your assumptions. Long hours aren't "the way it is." To reduce the time pressure you feel, decide to reclaim your day, not by working longer, but to finish your work within the workday. Don't focus on "catching up." You will never catch up. There will always be more things to do than time to do them. By being more productive during the day, you'll get the same amount of work done and leave earlier.

7. Start small. Pick a single day, perhaps Thursdays, to be "the" day you leave work on time. To support this decision, you will automatically begin to be more productive on Thursdays and work your day more carefully. Keep working on productivity skills and adding more days, until you're working your 40-hour workweek again and accomplishing even better results.

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Laura Stack, MBA, CSP, is president of The Productivity Pro, Inc., an international consulting firm specializing in productivity improvement in high-stress industries and is the media's go-to expert on personal productivity and workplace issues. Laura is the author of the bestselling book Leave the Office Earlier (Broadway Books). She has appeared on many top news media outlets including CNN, NBC-TV, NPR, Bloomberg, the New York Times, and numerous leading magazines. Laura presents keynotes and seminars on surviving information overload, managing multiple priorities, reducing stress, and balancing work and family. (C) Copyright Laura Stack, MBA, CSP. All rights reserved.

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Maximizing the Space in Your Office

How should my office be organized so I can be the most effective? Two main ideas to consider when answering this question are: what is your vision for the space and what is the function of the space? What do you want the office to look like? What purpose are you using the office for? If it is an office, then theoretically the function should be business related.

Next, go through all the items in your office and determine if they are consistent with the vision and the function of the space. For example, should children toys be in the office? Should off-season clothing be stored here? Some offices serve multiple functions. In this case, try to divide your office into zones. Keep the bill paying portion in one section and the scrapbooking section in another section. Any item that is not consistent with your vision and function needs to be evicted to other areas of the house, the trash, or donated.

Once you have evicted all items that don't belong, take a look at what is left. Then keep this rule in mind, "location, location, location". Items you use often should be within reach (desk top or desk drawers). Items you use once a week or less should be further away (lower desk drawers or file cabinet). Items you reference once a month or less should be even further away (file cabinet or book shelves or closet storage).

When you are deciding on new homes for items, remember to keep like items together. Notepad and pens and pencils near the phone. Mailing envelopes, stamps, packing tape grouped together in a mailing center. All active files in one location. Reference book in another location.

At this point, when you grouped your items together, decide if you need any organizing supplies to keep everything corralled. I hesitate to advise clients to purchase any supplies until they have purged and sorted their items and looked at the various storage containers they may already have in their home. Repurpose your items before you purchase new. Also, before you purchase supplies, measure! There is nothing as frustrating as purchasing containers that do not fit in the space.

Finally, decide on a system to maintain your office. I advocate stopping in the doorway on your way out of the office, turning around, and looking back. If your office does not look the way you want it to, go back, put files away, and then leave.

The above ideas should help you maximize your office space. You probably have more space than you realize.

Lisa Crilley Mallis the owner of SystemSavvy Consulting and the creator of the College Success Initiative. She has assisted many students, solopreneurs, and busy moms, increase productivity and decrease clutter. Visit http://www.SystemSavvyConsulting.com for more helpful tips.