Getting organised starts with clearing the clutter!

The steps to decluttering whether it is the shed, office or home are the same. It can be difficult to know where to begin clearing the clutter but it can be a good idea to start in an area that does not need a lot done to it. This will take less time but it will give you a start.

The following are some steps to get you decluttering:
§ Have a plan
§ Know how you are going to organise the stuff while you are going through it
§ Use a systematic approach
§ Gather boxes and suppliers you will need, such as boxes or containers with the following labels
keep in this area
elsewhere
donate
recycle
micro sorting
and rubbish
§ The elsewhere box is for any object that belongs elsewhere [in the house or office] to stop you leaving the room you are working in
§ Keep your shredder handy to shred old paper on the spot

“I never have the time”.
In reality you do, just start with an area or space that you know you have enough time to complete and start decluttering. It may be a desk draw, a shelf or a filing draw. Take 5, 10 or even 15 minutes each day and you will make progress.

Each time you do spend some time decluttering you are moving towards your goal. See how much you can accomplish each time you spend decluttering and take notice of how good you feel.

Micro sorting
When you are sorting an area you will come across something that needs further sorting such as photos, business cards, meeting minutes etc. Place these into another container for micro-sorting. These are things you can sort another day.

Double check
Before you place everything back into place question yourself once more whether you really need it or should it go into one of the other boxes.

If you want to give yourself a real boost and see how successful you had been take some before and after photos.

Reward
You can also reward yourself after each milestone you reach. Big or small every bit is a success – celebrate your success.

When your space is clutter free you begin to save yourself TIME. This will make you more productive and be a small step to creating a better balance in your life.

LifeStyle Refocus is a Melbourne based personal assistant, corporate concierge and lifestyle management consultancy. They are all about saving you TIME. By taking care of your “to do or wish list” so you can spend time doing the things that are truly important to you. For more information go to www.lifestylerefocus.com.au or contact Silvana on 0417 595 744 or Michele on 0437 311 802.

You’ve got mail - Controlling your Inbox

We all have far too much to do everyday and would love more time to focus on the things we love, so why is it that so many of us double or triple handle our emails?

To control your “Inbox” you have to establish new habits. The following guidelines will assist you to “manage your mail”.

• Set times during the day to check your emails. Perhaps aim for 3 times a day - in the morning, after lunch and before you go home for the day.


• Use the 2 minute rule – action anything that can be done in less than two minutes. Read each email and action it then and there [don't forget to delete it once you have dealt with it]. The majority of our emails can be handled immediately with a quick answer.


• If it is not a quick email place the email into your follow up area and establish time in your day to action the follow up items. Don’t leave them there and forget about them. It is really important to follow up otherwise they will become urgent and take a lot more of your valuable time.


• Set a goal to have not more than 15 emails in your inbox at any one time.


• Try and delete emails every day, don’t forget your sent items, deleted items and junk email folders


• Make folders to place your emails that require further action – limit the number of folders and have meaningful folders like follow up, to read, to phone etc

LifeStyle Refocus is a Melbourne based personal assistant, corporate concierge and lifestyle management consultancy. They are all about saving you TIME. By taking care of your “to do or wish list” so you can spend time doing the things that are truly important to you. For more information go to www.lifestylerefocus.com.au or contact Silvana on 0417 595 744 or Michele on 0437 311 802.

Practical Staff Retention Ideas

Following from last weeks blog regarding focusing on staff retention rather than recruitment I felt it was appropriate to provide some positive solutions or ideas. The objective is to create happy and loyal employees. Elements are taken from an article written by Nukte Ogun in May 2008.

1. Salary
One of the biggest employee motivators, pay is what attracts us to most new positions and encourages us to stay.

2. Remuneration package
Think about other perks, besides pay, which you could use to lure and keep staff, including salary sacrifice, bonus super and novated leases.

3. Respect
Your grandmother had it right: treat others as you would like to be treated.

4. Resources
Staff tire pretty quickly of faulty and out-of-date equipment. It doesn’t have to be the newest or the best (it’ll help if it is though!), but it all needs to work.

5. Green factor
Green is in, and we’re now looking at a company’s vision before signing on the dotted line.

6. Location, location, location.
News flash: we don’t want to work hard to get to work. Consider parking and public transport availability when setting up shop or making a move.

7. Leadership
Make yourself approachable and available and give updates about changes in the business.

8. Recognise and compensate
It might seem obvious, but we hate not getting paid for work. Whether cash compensation or time in lieu, reimburse us if you want to keep us!

9. Take responsibility
Own your mistakes; don’t just dump them on us. We all make mistakes, so we’ll appreciate your maturity and show understanding when you make them too.

10. Listen
How often do you listen to your staff?

11. Follow-through from management
When issues are raised, do something about it.

12. Dress code
Adopt a relaxed dress code, or at least casual Fridays—it’s still a winner for many of us.

13. Goal-setting
Believe it or not, we actually like working towards something.

14. Fostering skills and ability
Training is a great way to ensure we don’t becoming stagnant and can move into new positions. Would you like being glued to your chair?

15. Incentives and bonuses
The best gifts are thought out and meaningful, so consider spa sessions and massages if your employees need to relax, or give out simple hampers at Christmas; a time when we’ll really appreciate them.

16. Adequate and stocked facilities
We don’t like nagging for supplies—so don’t make us.

17. Personal days
Even for those who love their job, work gets a little blahblah at times. Who wouldn’t want the occasional breather?

18. Coaching and mentoring
We actually like to learn in our jobs, and when managers take the time to coach or mentor, their charges tend to ‘blossom’ under their tutelage.

19. Reverse mentorship
Don’t be afraid to learn from us. You might be surprised by what we have to offer.

20. Job sharing
We like having time. And you might find that two part-timers suit your needs better than one full-timer.