Attn: Administrative Assistants

[anny]

I'd like to hear how you all keep organized.  How do you organize your inbox, pending and work in progress files.  What files do you keep in your right hand drawer?  Your filing tray?  I work for three people and I have 3 trays with filing I put in 3 big binders with subject dividers.  Since I enter a great deal of requisitions, I keep a separate file for that.  All reference materials are on my desk.  Any helpful hints appreciated.  

[raindance]

My Outlook inbox has sub-folders.  Once a day I shuffle emails that need to be kept into the sub-folders.  There are some that have to be printed out and filed, and those are actioned accordingly.  I aim, by the close of each day to have as little as possible in the main inbox folder - only those items that require further action.  Same thing with "sent" folder.  I also delete emails regularly, and every three months I go through my sub-folders to weed out old emails.  

My desk has only those things on it that are needed on a daily basis including a dictionary, map of London and atlas.  I have three stacking trays - intray is the top tray, pending in the middle and my notebooks for minutes in the third tray.  I keep a dayfile (old-fashioned, but it works), an information file, a scribbling block for quick notes and a telephone register.

I have one tray on top of my filing cabinets for filing.  

My job is very complex and I have an enormous amount of detail to deal with.  I have six desk drawers in two sets of three, both of which lock.  One set is for personal items - survival kit, small items of food, an emergency overnight bag in case I need to stay overnight in the city, a place to store my handbag etc.  The second set has pens, paper clips, stapler etc all store in a desk-tidy that looks rather like a cutlery tray; the second drawer has small stationery items, and the third has lables, my personal workfile, etc all in suspension files.  

I have four filing cabinets and a large cupboard with shelves.  I store my minute books there, and box files, and other larger items of stationery such as a couple of boxes of particular files I use, computer cleaning supplies, the odd bottle of wine and small items of stationery that I use less frequently (file dividers and plastic pockets).

I go through my stacking trays once a week to weed out rubbish and make sure that everything is being done in its proper order.  I never miss a deadline and I always know where things are.  

I keep a log of all the post that comes into my office, with a note of the action taken and any follow up.  I review and update it once a month and follow up outstanding matters with my boss or other people.  

Making lists is very important -whether you use a handwritten list or the task list in Outlook - but reviewing them regularly is even more important.

My advice to anyone wishing to be more organized is to look at what you wish to achieve and set up systems that will enable that goal. It is what works for you that matters.  

Best wishes,

Raindance

[itsme_calista]

I use Outlook heavily, and have a few sub folders; My boss's, and 5 other Directors plus one or two other "project" folders.  Outlook automatically directs these emails based on the person or keywords.  I also use the "flags" in outlook a lot to keep on top of work to be actioned.  Once an item has been dealt with it gets moved into the archive system where the folders replicate my inbox.  Only email that is current stays in the inbox.

I have two trays on my desk; work in progress and filing/pending.  I do my filing on a daily basis so the bottom tray is virtually always empty, and the top try only has current projects/action items in.

I have three filing cabinets that contain all my depot information, cheque requests, archive folders and payroll amendments.  I also have a large bookshelf with lever arch files for all my minutes, reports, capital expenditure requests, and Director reports.

I use the calender in outlook for deadlines for reports as well and staff whereabouts, and I also have a hard copy diary that I add various things to.  We operate a "Dolly Trolley" which is the bring forward system.  It is meant for items for my Boss but I actually use it more than he does for reports, emails asking Directors to submit information to me etc.

I definitely agree with the lists.  I have a Things to do book, which I update daily, I use an A4 pad for project notes and a shorthand notepad for telephone calls and quick requests.  I keep trying to eliminate one of the pads but fail each time.

[curliegirl57]

Hi Raindance,
I am interested in your dayfile.  What do you include in it? What format, and is it online, or paper copy?

[gee4]

Brought forward file for day to day stuff eg. useful as reminders for  meetings etc.

If working on one or two projects I keep the info and details in a clear plastic folder and label it.  That way I am not retrieving it from a filing cabinet every time I work on it or there is an update.  If it's a longer term project, I keep the file in a cabinet, cupboard and bring it out when I work on it or info needs updated.

I also work for 3 people and they have trays on another desk beside me for others to put in circulars, news cuttings, copies of letters etc.  I empty the trays and put the info on their desks at different times during the day.

As mentioned before I also use the Task feature in Outlook to set reminders and tasks for myself.

[raindance]

My day files are A4, leverarch ring-binders.  I put a copy in my day file of each piece of completed work in date order (most recent date at the front.  If the work is a letter in reply to an incoming letter, then I attach a copy of the incoming letter to the response and file both together.  

It's a bit old-fashioned but it works.  

The whole point about filing is not to keep things neat and tidy, but to be able to retrieve documents from the past  that you need to look at again in the future.  And what works for one person may not work for another.

Best wishes,

Raindance

[curliegirl57]

Thanks Raindance, I like that idea, I think it might work for me.
I am currently working with a temp. boss, and she fires stuff at me left and right, I like the idea of keeping things together, and being able to find them quickly!
Thanks again!