Every year, it is helpful reassess your workspace by cleaning up and rearranging your resources, furniture, and files. This process gives the space a new feel and its organisation system will improve each year with your personalised experience.

Make a Hot File to Sort Priorities

Begin by creating a “Hot File” and positioning it within easy reach on your desktop. Use this file to hold your most pressing project details, proposals, or other important information. Try to keep it small – everything on your desk can not be classified as “A Priority” for this method to be effective. Purchase a monthly file sorter to store your remaining, pending papers. Use this to contain all upcoming events, projects, invoices, and more by the month.

This practice will avoid messy, unorganised stacks of paperwork that pile up on most desks by the year’s end. At the beginning of each month, simply review the filed documents in your pending folder and deal with them accordingly.

Set up a Bulletin Board to Keep You Updated

Another useful tool to consider is a large bulletin board. It’s great to have this close to your desk and perfect to post those urgent, last minute notes, memos, informational guides, comic strips, and other mementos. If it’s important and needs to remain in clear sight as a resource or reminder to you, then this is the best place to put it in your newly, reorganized office.

Maintain a Clear, Defined Space For Your Work

Every office space needs a clear, work surface – perfect for assembling those important memos and reports, prepping direct mails, or just holding the extras that we all come across from time to time. Consider purchasing a credenza or small work table to place behind your desk – or perhaps to the side if space is limited. Even a simple folding table can work in a pinch and you can even put it away in a closet when it’s not in use. It’s portable too, so co-workers can use it too, whenever necessary.

File Your Paperwork, Properly

Make sure you have a quality system for filing paperwork. Whether you’re lucky enough to fit the necessary files in a simple, 2- or 4-drawer cabinet, or your office requires a more sophisticated filing setup, organization is the key to storing your most important information.

Whether you rearrange your furniture, desktop, or files you’ll benefit this year and increase your productivity in the long term. So, this year, don’t forget to put some thought into rearranging your office space when drafting a list of resolutions for 2010!

When deciding on a design for a new office, a lot of thought should go into the layout. The layout of an office will affect many factors, including productivity, interpersonal relationships, workflow, and the impression given to clients and prospects. Especially if you are moving your office to a new location, give some thought to how the layout of your existing office could have been improved. Proper planning on the layout of the new office will make the work experience and employee productivity much better. Here are several tips when thinking about the layout of the new office.
Managers & Executives

First, is the location of the managers and executives. You need to think about the layout of their space in relation to each other, and to their employees. Think about keeping managers with similar jobs and that need to interact close to each other. Also keep managers with a line of site to their employees. You will also want to consider the furniture selection and layout. Managers on the same level in the organizational chart should be given similar furniture and accessories.
Furnishings & Employees

Second, think about the layout of the furnishings for the employees. This should be done in such a fashion as to increase productivity. Again, employees with similar tasks or that need to interact should be kept close to each other, and have similar furnishings. The layout should be done in such a way as to minimize movement through the office and maximize productivity.
Office Flow

Third, think of the general flow through the office. You want to maximize workflow and the ability to quickly get things done. At the same time, keep the flow open and spaces wide enough between furnishings. This will not only help in terms of safety considerations, but you may need to implement barrier free access for those in wheelchairs.
Expansion

Fourth, you will want to plan the layout with an eye toward expansion. Don’t lock yourself into the current number of employees. There needs to be room and furnishings to accommodate growth, both in the employee side and the management side of the house. If you fill every available private office in the beginning, what happens when you need to hire more managers? A little extra planning and expense now can save you another move or construction in the future.

Impression

Finally, think of the layout in terms of how your clients and prospects will see it. You want to create a good first impression when they walk in the door. Spend some extra money on the layout and furnishings in the lobby area and the conference room. You can’t put a price on a great first impression, so don’t try to cut corners in these areas.