Organization skills for administrative assistants are one of the most valuable skills to have as an administrative assistant.
Without the ability to organize your work and your resources, you could be twisting in the wind in no time.3D Marine - flugzeug 920 Fototapeten Wandbild Fototapete BildTapete Familie DE You may have been able to muddle along back in the day, but in today’s competitive environment, you need to work any advantage in your favor.
Fortunately, there are at least 9 ways to improve your organization skills as an administrative assistant without too much effort on your part.3D Marine dolphins135 Wall Paper wall Print Decal Wall Deco Indoor wall Mural
Most people take the work one day at a time, coming in ready to take on whatever happens. However, that means you are reacting to a situation rather than preparing for it in advance. 3D Markante bilder 4094 Fototapeten Wandbild Fototapete BildTapete FamilieThe best way to make the most of your day is to prepare for it in advance. 3D Mask Umbrella Girl 215 Japan Anime Wandaufkleber Vinyl Wandbilder Tapete DEKnow what you need to do for the next day and make preparations for them before you leave for the day. This not only takes the guesswork out of your workday, it might even give you some insights or ideas of how to do the work better.
Part of being proactive is making a list of all the things you need to do for each day. The benefits of this are of course so you don’t forget anything.3D Mauer Vogel 785 Fototapeten Wandbild Fototapete BildTapete Familie DE Kyra An added bonus to making a list is crossing it out. It gives you not only a concrete way to keep track of the tasks you need to do, but it motivates you to keep doing it because it gives you such a sense of satisfaction and accomplishing crossing each item on your list.3D Meadow Lighthouse 8 Wall Paper Murals Wall Print Wall Wallpaper Mural AU Kyra This is putting all your ducks in a row, and you shoot them down one by one, metaphorically speaking.
At the same time you are planning the day and making your list of tasks, you should make a schedule, giving each task a prescribed time to do each one.3D Méchant Mignon 3 Photo Papier Peint en Autocollant Murale Plafond Chambre Art You can ensure you meet all your deadlines, and nothing is left by the wayside.
You are more likely to get more things done, and in time, if you start early. 3D Meer Haus Delfin 97 Tapete Wandgemälde Tapete Tapeten Bild Familie DE SummerOf course, this should reflect on the work schedule you make, but getting started early also means there are other things you can do to keep you on your toes, such as daily exercise and a good breakfast. Starting early also means you avoid stress by having plenty of time to get to work and do anything else you need to do.3D Meer Sonne 216 Fototapeten Wandbild Fototapete Bild Tapete Familie Kinder
Most of your files are probably going to be digital, but you still need to know where everything you need is stored. Looking for lost files will take up as much of your time as looking for misplaced items. You need to make sure all your files are in its proper place.3D Meer, freude der tiere 294 Fototapeten Wandbild Fototapete BildTapete Familie You should also have a master document of all your files, and the location of those files.
Everybody has a certain time of the day when they are most productive. Some work better early in the morning, while others work best in the evening.3D Meeresbalkon Schönheit68 Tapete Tapeten Mauer Foto Familie Tapete Wandgemälde You should schedule all your most demanding or challenging work during this time. Of course, if your business involves meeting with other people, you need to coordinate your prime time with theirs.
You may think it is obvious, but you waste a lot of time dealing with interruptions to your work. This is why it is important to make a schedule. 3D Meerjungfrau 117 Mauer Murals Mauer Aufklebe Decal Durchbruch AJ WALLPAPER DEFollow the schedule and avoid distractions as much as possible. Turn off your mobile phone, close the door to your office, and avoid useless meetings. If you travel frequently, you should travel in as comfortable surroundings as you can so you can do work.
You might think you are saving money by doing everything yourself. The fact is, you can save a considerable amount of time and effort by delegating tasks to the right people and focusing on core activities that will make you money.
Whether you work alone, or you have employees, you want to arrange your work area so you can be more efficient. 3D Mega Fashion Pink Flowers 632 Wall Paper Wall Print Decal Wall AJ Wall PaperYou can minimize the time and effort it takes to get things done. Even putting the photocopier next to where you keep your paper supplies can help save a few steps and trips that ultimately increase your productivity, and that of your employees.
Organizational skills for administrative assistants are crucial to the success of any business. Some people are naturally organized, but even if you aren’t, you can develop them.3D Mensch und Hund 877 Wandbild Fototapete Bild Tapete Familie AJSTORE DE These 9 ways can help you improve your organization skills in practical and workable ways.
We want to hear from you, what are your favorite tips for better organization? Share some of your organization skills, tips, and tricks in the comments below.
Learn more administrative professional skills that will launch you further into career success by attending our World Class Assistant™ course and obtaining the Certified World Class Assistant designation.
Kristine Raya says
May 1, 2019 at 9:55 amI agree that learning to delegate is an important thing to do to improve organization skills. Besides taking off some tasks you have on plate that can be done by others, you will also know how your coworkers perform and maybe explore what else they can do to help you in the future.
Laura Hall-Daniels says
April 22, 2019 at 12:52 pmI keep my to-do list, incoming phone messages, instructions from my manager and all my notes from meetings, as well as ideas for things to do during down time, in a single spiral notebook. That way everything is in one place and I don’t have post-it notes all over my desk, phone messages laying loose, and ideas lost because I never wrote them down. The spiral notebook is good because it lays flat, and I can use flags on certain pages to remind me where a certain subject is located. I also update my to-do list periodically as things get crossed off so it’s not just a list of things checked off mixed with the ones still needing to be done. A lot of people write their lists at the end of every day, but I find I only need to do it about once a week.