Business Management

Getting things under control by clearing your desk, is that possible? Can you honestly say that you have everything under control if your desk is covered by stacks of documents? Well, if your desktop is a mess, you can't. With piles of paper on your desk, you are bound to overlook things from time to time. It is more than probable that you will overlook something really important more than once.
If your workplace and your desk are in disorder than your mind subconsciously is trying to create some order. You are most likely not aware of it. Your mind tries to remember where you put this or that letter, where you left the copy of an important contract currently under review, it is trying to remember something you must act upon today, if only you knew what it is and where the heck you have put the records.
There is a good method to protect yourself from clutter and information-overflow. This method consists of a few simple routines. Here they are:
Look at your mail (be it hard copies or e-mail) only once or twice a day. Don't let mail or e-mail interrupt your work.
The waste paper basket (the real basket or the electronic version) is your best friend. A lot of what you receive doesn't require your attention, so throw it away immediately.
Some documents need only to be read. File them in a folder named: To Be Read and read them later when it suits you. All the underlined folders mentioned here, should be stored in a drawer in your desk, or in case of electronic documents, on your computer desktop.
Other documents you may need later and must be filed. Put them in a folder To Be Filed. Empty this folder regularly and file the documents in their appropriate places. You can do filing when there is no urgent business to attend to or when you want to take break.
Some documents can be passed on to other people. Put them in a folder: Pass On. Distribute them regularly. At least once a week.
Sometimes you have to wait for extra information before you can process a document. Put those documents in a folder: Pending. When you get the information you need, you can finish such cases.
There are documents requiring action in the coming days. Put them in a folder: To Do This Week. Check this folder every day for papers that need to be processed today.
Put documents not requiring action this week in a folder To Do Next Week. Check this folder every Monday for documents that need to be processed today or this week and put them in the folders To Do Today and To Do This Week respectively.
Documents requiring action today are initially put in a folder named: To Do Today.Now your desktop should be emptied of documents. Turn to the folder To Do Today and pick the document that needs attention first. When you are done with it put it in the folder To Be Filed. Take out the next document form the folder To Do Today. There should be no other document on your desktop than the one you are currently working on.