Benefits of Being Organised at Work

Not everyone has great organisational skills so if you’re a bit of a procrastinator and put off those niggling tasks, things can start to get out of hand. But it’s not just your workspace that suffers, being disorganised can impact many areas of your life. Perhaps you can’t find an important piece of work, which inevitably makes you late for a meeting or you miss a vital deadline. The moment something doesn’t go to plan, everything else can spiral out of control and over time, continuous mishaps can cause stress and anxiety.

The importance of being organised

As well as causing unwanted disruptions, a lack of organisation can play havoc with your mental and physical wellbeing. You may feel like you’re constantly rushing around which can increase your blood pressure, or maybe it’s creating tension among work colleagues which is affecting your sleep. There are many benefits of being organised:

• Increased productivity as you spend less time searching for things.
• Better communication and work relationships.
• Reduced stress levels and anxiety.
• Improved punctuality.
• You don’t miss deadlines.

Ways to become more organised

If you’re not sure where to start, there are a few simple steps you can take to being more organised:

1. De-clutter your workspace

An untidy workspace can cause frustration and stress, especially when time is of the essence and you’re unable to find what you’re looking for. Start by clearing out any paper, documents or to-do lists that you no longer need. Remove any waste or dirty cups and dishes and give the area a good clean. When you’re working in a tidy and clean space, you’ll feel some of that stress start to wash away. In a study published by Princeton University Neuroscience Institute, it was also found that the chaos of clutter prevents you from focusing, meaning you’re less able to process information properly.

2. Organise online files

If you work with computers, it’s easy for unnecessary files and emails to build up. Not only will this slow down your computer, but it also means you’ll spend more time trying to locate a specific document. When your files are organised, you will find what you need more quickly, saving you time and stress.

3. Create shared drives

When working with colleagues or management who need to regularly access files that you’re working on, creating a shared drive reduces the time it takes to send emails back and forth. It also means that everyone can work more autonomously with fewer distractions.

4. Update your calendar

When we’re busy or stressed, it’s all to easy to forget or miss important meetings. Although you might feel as though you don’t have time to keep adding things to your calendar, in the long run it can save you a lot of stress as you’re less likely to be late or completely forget an appointment. And don’t forget to set automatic reminders just in case you forget to check your calendar!

6. Sync your devices

It’s not uncommon for people these days to use many different devices at work and home, but by making sure they’re all synced together, you’re more likely to keep on top of emails and appointments.

Further information

If you feel you're a bit of a procrastinator, read our FREE booklet, "Understanding And Beating Procrastination - A Workbook And Guide" 

Why a sense of purpose is valuable in the workplace

For many of us, we spend almost a quarter of our week working so when we’re doing a job without any sense of purpose, it can impact on our wellbeing. When we feel like we’re undertaking monotonous and repetitive tasks day-in, day-out, it can drain us of our mental and physical energy.

But a sense of purpose can mean different things to different people, depending on what motivates us or what gives us that feeling of fulfilment. Maybe you have an interest in a certain field that you’re passionate about and you want to feel as though you’re making a positive contribution towards a bigger goal. It’s these kinds of passions or interests that can influence our career choices in the first place.

Why do we need a sense of purpose?

Although you’ve probably experienced an unfulfilling job at some point in your life and you’ve craved for something more meaningful, there are also scientific studies that have shown how a sense of purpose can motivate us and create a barrier against stress and anxiety.

Some ways that having a sense of purpose can affect our health include:

• When there’s greater meaning behind the work we do it can minimise stress-related illnesses such as anxiety, stress, depression, and high blood pressure. In turn, this means that we are less likely to take sick days from work.
• By feeling like we are directing our energy towards something meaningful or a greater goal, we are more motivated and happier in our work. 
• Having an interest in or a reason for the work we do, gives us a sense of pride and encourages us to aim higher and achieve more. This means that we are more likely to be committed to our job.
• Time feels like it goes faster when we’re doing a job that we get enjoyment or satisfaction out of. When time drags it can make us feel resentful and anxious about going to work.

In The McKinsey Podcast, Naina Dhingra explains how through her studies, she has found that “about 70 per cent of people say they define their purpose through work. And, actually, millennials, even more so, are likely to see their work as their life calling. So what this means is that people are looking for opportunities in the work they do day-to-day to be actually contributing to what they believe their purpose is”.

From these findings it’s important that both employees and employers are clear about the purpose of the company and the staff roles within it. By ensuring there’s a clearer understanding of each role, employees will feel like they have a sense of purpose, and this will ultimately create confidence within individuals. Be clear about how each role contributes to the bigger picture of the company and its mission. This way all workers, regardless of how big or small they feel their role is in the workplace, will know that they are making an important contribution, and this will not only boost their wellbeing, but it can also significantly increase their motivation and levels of commitment.

Tips for hiring the right candidate

Making sure you hire the right candidate is not only important to the financial success of your business, but it is also vital for creating an environment where work colleagues can work together amicably and efficiently. Choosing the wrong person for the job can be seriously damaging, not to mention costly, and could negatively impact the culture of your current workplace and employees. Research published in the journal Personnel Psychology, which analysed 200 individual studies, showed that employees who were compatible with the culture of the workplace would stay longer at the company, were more satisfied in their role and performed better overall.

Negative impacts of hiring the wrong person:

1. Missed deadlines may lose future contracts
2. Time and money are lost from correcting mistakes
3. Toxic work environment
4. Stress on managers’ and employees’ mental wellbeing

To avoid these issues, try not to rush the hiring process and make sure you have everything in place before you start the selection process. Understandably, you’re never going to please everyone with your choice of employee, so you need to figure out what’s most important for the role and the company. Trying to find someone who has the ideal skill set as well as being able to integrate harmoniously into the culture of the company can be a tricky task so we have a few pointers that might make your selection process less challenging.

Create a checklist

Make a comprehensive list of all the skills and personal qualities you would like the right candidate to possess before you begin advertising the job role. Consider who they are most likely going to be working alongside in their role and perhaps even ask those employees what kind of person would benefit them in their job.

Introduce candidates to present employees

At the interview stage, it’s always a good idea to introduce candidates to other members of your team. How they interact with other people, especially when it’s not the person interviewing them, can be very telling of their personality and communication skills.

Check previous career commitment

If you’re wanting to employ someone for the long term, someone who isn’t going to abandon you when the going gets tough or because they constantly strive for a new work environment, pay particular attention to the duration of their previous job roles, whether that’s on their CV or during the interview. If there are signs they seem unable to hold down a position for a considerable period of time, make sure you get to the bottom of why this is the case. If you find yourself having to go through the advertising, interviewing and selection process again a few months down the line, it will be a further expense as well as time consuming.

Don’t rely purely on someone’s CV

Of course, most of us use our CV to showcase the best of our achievements but it’s not unheard of for some to perhaps exaggerate or, in some instances, completely fabricate work experiences. So, although CVs are generally a good indication of a candidate’s skillset and experience, make sure you don’t wholly rely on it. It might be a good idea to set a task that tests the relevant skills needed for the job during the interview stage or alternatively ask candidates how they would respond in certain key situations. This way, the candidate will need to think on their feet, and you can get a sense of how they would respond if they were appointed to the role. 

Keep it conversational

You will find out more about candidates if you keep the interview process conversational and relaxed rather than confrontational. The job website Indeed suggests spending 5-10 minutes at the start of the interview to build rapport with the candidate. You could ask if they had any difficulties finding the location, how their day is going, or comment on something you have in common with them. You want to see if the person you are interviewing has the skills but you also want to employ someone who fits into your team and your organisation as a whole. You will only be able to determine this by having a conversation with them, so keep it professional but friendly.

Have more than one interviewer

Involving other members of staff in the interview process and decision making can provide different perspectives and could highlight either positives or negatives that when interviewing alone, you might miss.

Check social media

It might seem intrusive to check up on a person through their social media but if they set their profiles to public then they are open to public viewing. You might very well find some important giveaways about a person’s true character, whether that be good or not so good.

Make sure you request references and do background checks

This may seem like an obvious tip, but it can be tempting to put references and background checks on the back burner once you have the ideal candidate in mind. Regardless of how well suited you think a person is to the job, always request references from previous employers and follow through with background checks as you could learn something that may tip the scales.

During every part of the hiring process, remember to take your time and don’t rush into anything, even if you need to find someone urgently, as it could lose you even more time in the long run if you cut corners. 

Getting the right people working for your organisation is the key to success. 

Ways to cope with returning to work

There are many reasons why we might have a significant amount of time off from work. Whether It’s maternity/paternity leave, illness or unemployment, the mere thought of returning to work can be quite unnerving.

There will probably be countless negative thoughts running around in your head. Will I remember how to do my job? Will my boss be angry with me? Will my colleagues treat me differently? How will I manage to get up on time every morning?

Forward planning

Returning to work doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom, it can also be an exciting time. A bit of forward planning can help to avoid niggling worries and ease anxiety.

Before you return to work, ease yourself into your new routine by getting up at the required time and going to bed earlier so that your body starts to adjust to any new sleep patterns.

Do a practice run for a usual working day, from getting up in the morning and taking the kids to school (if necessary) to taking the commute to work. By doing a practice run, you can plan your time accordingly and minimise stressful situations.

Prepare meals and do household chores at the weekend (or on the days you’re not at work) so that you have less to worry about once you get home.

Catch up before you start

To lighten the load, it’s a good idea to spend a day at work before your start date to discuss your role and responsibilities. If someone has covered for you during your absence, they could run through both old and new procedures to refresh your memory and introduce you to any new systems. This could also be the perfect opportunity to catch up with work colleagues before you dive straight into work mode. Perhaps you could spend some time reading through emails and organising your workload. By easing yourself in gradually, you’ll hopefully find returning to work a little less intimidating and you might even start looking forward to it.

Stay healthy

Returning to work after a long break can be extremely tiring when you’re out of the swing of things. By eating a healthy diet and enjoying some exercise, you’ll not only find you have more energy and feel physically fitter, your mental wellbeing will benefit too.

Take a lunch break

When we’re snowed under with work and find ourselves constantly playing catch up, it’s tempting to work through our lunch breaks to get ahead. Although this might work as a quick fix, in the long run it can do more harm than good. It’s so important to take time out to clear our minds and escape from physical, emotional and mental stress. Even if it’s just for 20 minutes, try to get outside in the fresh air, eat your lunch away from your desk and replenish your water bottle.

Switch off

So many of us continue to think about work once we’re home, whether that’s discussing the day with our partner, reading emails or chewing over what we need to do the next day. Even though it can be difficult to switch off, we should try to avoid negative conversations, turn off the media and do something that relaxes our mind and body. You might want to put your favourite music on and cook up something special in the kitchen, take an evening walk or watch a film.

The website A Return To Work features a number of case studies about returning to work, which lets you read about real life situations.

Dare to delegate: maximising efficiency in the workplace

Returning to work after the summer break can be a little overwhelming and it’s easy to slip back into old habits – taking too much on and struggling to maintain the work/life balance we all crave.

For many of us, delegation is the one thing that we really struggle with. How many times have we agreed to more work than we can realistically handle? How many times do we do things ourselves, rather than spread the workload with others within our team or seeking freelance help from outside?

Doing everything ourselves might seem like the right thing to do, but the reality is that not only is it bad for business, it’s also not conducive to optimal wellbeing.

Here are our three tips to help you manage your workload and delegate effectively to maximise your effectiveness and efficiency in the workplace.

Start small and work up

For many of us, delegation marks a loss of control. We fear that other people won’t complete the task in the same way or to the same standard as we would and that makes us reluctant to let go. Delegation is a skill. And, as with most new skills, the key is to start small. To begin with, delegate only the smallest of tasks – then as your ability to let go grows, so too can the tasks you are willing to pass over to someone else.

Prioritise your workload

In order for you to successfully delegate, you need to be clear about your own workload. As work comes in, categorise it. Does it have a deadline? What is the expected outcome? Is there anyone else with the skills needed to complete the task? Anything with a less urgent deadline or a lower skill requirement, can be delegated, freeing up your time to the value-adding tasks. Keeping hold of tasks that could be easily or more quickly done by someone else doesn’t make good business sense – you should recognise your own strengths, and those of others. That’s the way to ensure efficiency at work.

Include instructions

This article from Psychology Today's blog suggests that the real reason we find it hard to delegate is not that we don’t want someone to share the burden, but that we are often dissatisfied with the results that come back to us. This can be easily overcome with the use of detailed instructions. These serve two purposes: to outline your expectations with regards to outcomes and to make it easier for you to let go of certain tasks. Even if the task is straightforward, the act of writing up instructions for whoever you delegate to, will avoid any misunderstandings in communication when handing over the task and help ensure that standards are maintained.


Still not convinced? Remember, delegation is not an indication that you are unable to manage your time effectively, it’s the opportunity for you to help others to grow, to strengthen collaboration skills and to develop trust / confidence within your team.

Delegating the tasks you haven’t had time to do could actually lead to greater creativity in the workplace – helping to identify efficiencies and finding better ways of doing things. So by delegating, you’re actually doing someone a favour!

The psychology of meetings – are you getting the most out of yours?

According to psychology today, up to three-quarters or more of a senior manager’s day may be taken up with meetings. There’s no denying that meetings are an integral part of many workplaces, the question is how we approach these meetings and make them a positive, productive element of our working day – rather than a waste of time and effort?

The above link gives some useful insight into the psychology of meetings and we’ve developed some simple tips to make sure you give your best in meetings to get the most out of them.

Mind over matter

Mindfulness is about training the mind to think about things differently. We are all creatures of habit and our working day is defined by a range of routines, tasks and practices. It doesn’t take much for these routines to change and this can leave us feeling unbalanced. If you feel the meetings you are asked to attend are mainly unproductive, take the initiative to ensure you’re at your best and present. Some simple mindfulness tips for meetings include writing with your non-dominant hand, sitting in a different seat than usual, or offering to chair the meeting / take the minutes, rather than be a passive participant.

Prepare to plan

Chairing or attending meetings on the hoof is a sure fire way to waste your time – and everyone else’s! If you know you have a meeting coming up, make it your business to plan well ahead and have a clear objective – what do you want to get out of the meeting? When are your expectations of others? If you have called the meeting, take the time to also plan what you want others to get out of it and the role you want them to play. How will you encourage collaboration and interaction? How will you work with others to set measureable goals? What processes can you put in place to make sure all actions are followed up on?

Essential etiquette

Do you know what a good meeting looks like? Before you begin, make sure you have an idea of how you want things to go from a logistics perspective. Try some visualisation techniques – imagine that the meeting goes well – how do people look around the table? How do you feel? There’s a good round-up in this helpful Business Insider article. It also helps to go through the ground rules of your meeting with participants before you begin, so people know exactly what is expected of them.

For more information about how to get the most out of your meetings, this article in Psychology Today looks at a special tool designed to improve the quality of meetings and increasing active participation. They identified two interesting patterns evident in the most productive meetings:

1. People take turns in an equal way and everyone is encouraged to give their ideas.
2. Periods of chattiness and side conversations serve to validate the ideas and build consensus. 

So, there you have it. With a bit of time and planning, you can make all your meetings matter.

Keeping calm when all around you are losing their heads: a manager’s guide

There’s a common perception that we’re all working longer and harder than ever before. A close eye on overheads and an increasingly competitive marketplace means less people are often doing more than they’re used to and this can only lead to one thing: a stressed-out, unfulfilled team.

As managers we have a role to play in ensuring the continued productivity and resilience of our team. Learning some simple stress-busting techniques to keep your team productive during busy, stressful times is time and effort well spent – for yourself and your organisation.

For some, relaxation techniques are seen as a luxury that many managers can’t afford, however this viewpoint is slowly changing with recent studies indicating that managers trained in mindfulness have been shown to make more rational decisions, which rubs off on their team. The skill of being able to detach from your feelings during periods of stress, means business decisions are more focussed and considered, based on evidence rather than emotions – and that can only be good for business.

It follows that those managers who plan a small amount of time into their diary each day to refocus and retain a calm centre, will provide more measured management to their teams which will, in turn, drive better performance and deliver improved results for their organisation.

There are a number of signs evident in the workplace that managers can look out for, as an early indication that they may be bearing more than their fair burden of stress:

• Forgetting someone’s name as soon as you hear it
• Listening to colleagues while doing something else at the same time
• Eating without being aware of eating
• Reacting emotionally to work scenarios
• Daydreaming when going about your daily tasks

We’ve compiled three simple exercises that managers can build into their working day to help keep calm at work, enabling them to better support and develop their teams.

With five minutes to spare: Become aware of your breathing

The purpose of this step is to really think about the act of breathing – you don’t have to breathe in a certain way, for a certain length of time, just think about what you are doing. Find a quiet space – a closed office or small meeting room is ideal – sit down and really focus on what you are doing. Concentrate on those parts of your body you use when you are taking a breath in; savour the moment before exhaling and relish in the calm that flows across your body as you breathe out. The objective is not to let the mind wander or enter a trance-like state – it is about taking notice of our body and what it does to stay alive. If other thoughts start to enter your head, acknowledge them, then click your fingers as a cue to bring your focus back to the physical act of breathing.

Ten minutes – concentrate on your colleagues

This is an exercise in observation. By taking in the actions and behaviours of those around us, we gain a deeper appreciation of them as individuals, which leads to improved working relationships. This helps managers make more grounded choices when communicating with others during times of stress. People watching is a popular pastime, usually undertaken for pleasure, but its value as a mindfulness exercise when done in relation to the workplace in underrated. The objective here is not to spy or pry, it is about observing what makes your most important asset – that is, your team, tick and using that knowledge to inform your future managerial decision making. Ask yourself questions as you observe: Why are they here? Are they happy? Nervous? Irritable? Why? What does the way they hold themselves say about them? Does the way they interact with colleagues match up with their body language? To spend just ten minutes observing those around you and learning from what you see, will result in much calmer team dynamics.

Fifteen minutes – take in the task

Multi-tasking is a skill in itself, but do you ever wonder about the quality of your outputs? There is nothing more productive and rewarding than being fully present and totally focused on one piece of work at a time. Mobile phones, emails, social media, and intranets are all competing for attention while we complete work tasks to the best of our ability. This exercise takes about fifteen minutes. Pick a task, any task that sits on your to-do list. Remove yourself away from all distractions, switch off all competing technology and just concern yourself with the task in hand. If you start to daydream, click your fingers as a cue to bring your focus back to the task you’re doing. When your fifteen minutes is done, review your work. The knowledge that the task has had your undivided attention brings with it a sense of pride, which in turn reduces anxiety and stress. You’ll find that after one task well done, you’ll be able to review your own workload – and that of your team – with a renewed clarity and focus.