A little known fact about paper organizing is that each individual piece represents a unique object with it’s own traits and information. We tend to think of a pile of paper as being a homogenous grouping of like objects. And while it’s true that paper is in one category on it’s own, to organize paper [Read more…]
Day 5 of the 5S Organizing Challenge: Sustain
In Lean methodology, the true nature of success is not based on reaching perfection, but rather on a culture of continuous improvement. Which brings us to the fifth and most crucial aspect of the 5S organizing process: Sustain. This 5S step may be the most challenging. It’s not terribly complicated to clean out a space [Read more…]
Day 4 of the 5S Organizing Challenge: Standardize
Congratulations! The first three 3’s of 5S are now complete. The final steps of 5S, Standardize and Sustain, are the elements of this process that differentiate it from other organizing methods. In the Standardize step of the 5S Organizing aspect of Lean Daily Management, the workspace goes from simply organized to efficiently streamlined. I recommend [Read more…]
Day 3 of the 5S Organizing Challenge: Shine
Now that you have sorted and set in order, it is the perfect time to clean the area. In 5S, the step “Shine” does not only refer to cleaning: it also refers to performing maintenance duties and general inspection, catching money-wasting malfunctions before they occur. In addition, this step in the 5S Organizing aspect of [Read more…]
Day 2 of the 5S Organizing Challenge: Set in Order
Now that you have effectively sorted the contents of your office, you are ready to Set in Order. This step in the 5S Organizing aspect of Lean Daily Management is about being extremely intentional about what goes back into the emptied space. One goal in removing items from the space during the “Sort” phase of 5S [Read more…]
Five Days to 5S your Office Organizing Challenge
For those of you who implement Lean principles in your office, you’ll know the importance of the 5S Organizing aspect of Lean Daily Management. 5S is an organizing method that allows you to maintain order and eliminate waste in the workplace by reviewing office items and minimizing clutter. The 5 S’s are Sort, Set in [Read more…]
Life Documents Organizer Kit Product Review
When the lovely folks over at Smead Organomics contacted us recently, asking if we would like to do a product review for their Life Documents Organizer Kit, I jumped all over it. Smead does a great job of creating beautiful, colorful paper organizing products that actually keep you organized instead of being clutter magnets.
8 Time Blocking Tips That Boost Productivity & Office Organization
Time blocking is a strategy that has been widely accepted to help increase focus and productivity in the office. The approach is simple: block out chunks of time each day and assign that blocked time to given tasks, eliminating all distractions during the scheduled time. Looking to boost productivity and office organization?
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The Inbox Zero Challenge on June 9th
Get your inbox under control and reduce the stress of managing daily email. Organizers Northwest is teaming up with Think Productive to help you understand how to organize your email, ninja-style, with a hands-on approach toward cleaning your entire inbox. Learn tips and tricks specific to Outlook. Read more…
Organize your Receipts and Papers for Tax Season
For some, tax season is an enjoyable time for reviewing and organizing last year’s finances. For others, it brings a wave of dread as they know that they will soon be searching through old receipts, combing through duplicate files and stressing about due dates. Read more…
4 Best Organizing Tips to Keep Your Inbox Empty
Keeping our desks and computers free of clutter can sometimes feel like a full-time job of its own. When we let things build up, they have a tendency to spill over and become even more overwhelming, continuing the endless cycle of paper and electronic clutter.
So how to keep your inbox under control?
Small Space Organizing: Creating your own Tiny Home Office!
This upcoming Fall season will bring some big changes to my home along with the cooler weather – the arrival of our first child. Along with the usual activities inerrant in this new chapter (baby shower, birthing classes, trying not to panic, etc.) comes another, more elusive action item on my list: downsizing our stuff to make room for baby.
Recycle Event July 18, 2015
The Metropolitan Senior Network is sponsoring their 4th annual Recycling Event at the Tigard High School parking lot on July 18th. Join them from 10am to 2pm and get rid of your old computers, cables & cords, cell phones, televisions, stereo electronics and more!
Ten ways to Stay Organized while Posting to Social Media
Small Business Solutions Whether we like it or not, participation in Social Media has become an irreplaceable necessity of running any business these days. Whether you run a small business and create your own web content and social media marketing or work for a large organization and promote from within, staying on top of all [Read more…]
Learn How To Be A Productivity Ninja™ – May 2015
Organizers Northwest is teaming up with Graham Allcott, founder of Think Productive USA and author of the best-selling book How to be a Productivity Ninja to offer a 90 minute workshop on how you can be a Productivity Ninja™ and manage your attention, focus, projects and actions, as well as your choices and habits.