Cleaning out business files is not fun, but it is important if you want to keep up smooth, efficient flow in your daily work. In a recent study, 49% of workers said they had trouble locating documents on a regular basis. This obviously slows everything down, leading to a domino effect of wasted time. I hope these points really help you get organised and avoid such problems.
Give your team and yourself a fresh start for the new year!
“A good system shortens the road to the goal” Orison Swett Marden
Involve the whole team in maintenance:
It’s important to remember that maintenance is everyone’s job. Every person on the team needs to put in the effort with cleaning out your business files. If something is out of place, either fix it yourself or ask someone else to fix it, and make sure that it’s done immediately. It’s vital to make sure things don’t get overlooked, and that everyone pitches in. This way people know what they do really matters at work, and also the workload is not left to one person, or even worse, it’s not done at all.
Consistently archive or delete old files:
It’s also important to be consistent with archiving or deleting old files. So many of the filing systems I’ve helped business owners organise are full of old junk they will never use again. If you manage your old files well, you will keep all of the spaces clean and easy to use. This will reduce stress, not only for you, but for the rest of the people in your team as well. Make sure you maintain all your old files. Keep them well managed, so only fresh relevant files are right there, right at your fingertips.
Ask where things belong:
If you don’t know where something belongs when cleaning out your business files, simply ask! This is not only something you need to do as your business grows. Make sure you stay connected with your team, asking them how they would like everything organised. But also make sure they are asking you where things need to go. When you keep things organised, you’ve put things exactly where they belong the first time around. It keeps the system working for everyone, and allows everyone to stay in flow with their work.
Take pride in a clean workspace:
So often as business owners you can get really busy, and it’s completely understandable that things get overlooked or pushed away for another time. Unfortunately, the more often you overlook things, and walk away from things that are not working properly, the bigger the mess will be. When you push things aside for later, you’ll be progressively losing more time, because the mess only gets worse. So, clean things up and keep them clean along the way. You should always be proud of having a clean workspace.
Be positive about the systems you use each day:
Finally, have a positive attitude about cleaning out your business files. A little bit of effort from everyone creates massive rewards for everyone. If you and your team have been diligent, you have set up and maintained a really clean and clear workspace. It is going to make such a difference for everyone to be effective, engaged, and productive. This is especially true if you’re working in remote workplaces where meeting online is your worksite. Keep it clean, keep it clear and keep it flowing, and let the positivity shine through.
