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Some people are natural-born organizers, while others just place things everywhere and hope for the best. 

As an office manager, you have to be responsible for your own work, as well as the work of the office. You have to make sure that every employee, procedure, and process is in place and working properly to ensure that the office runs smoothly and efficiently. 

To be able to do this successfully on a day to day basis, you have to be organized. Even though this may seem like a difficult task since office managers have a lot on their plate all the time, there are a few ways that make the process of organizing much easier and more effective.

What Does an Office Manager Do?

Before you can truly understand how to stay organized as an office manager, you have to know exactly what an office manager does on a daily basis. 

The roles and responsibilities of an office manager can change depending on where you work, but a lot of the tasks are the same in each office.

Some of the most common responsibilities of an office manager include:

• Organizing meetings and appointments 
• Managing inventory 
• Ordering new office supplies
• Monitoring the work of other employees 
• Preparing presentations and writing reports
• Implementing office protocols and procedures 
• Handling inquiries and complaints

Organization Tips for Office Managers

Now that you know what an office manager does on a day to day basis and what responsibilities are expected of them, it is time to discuss some helpful organization tips for office managers. 

Four organization tips for office managers are:

1. Organize your physical workspace
2. Organize your electronic workspace
3. Take and maintain detailed records
4. Create proper forms of communication

Organize Your Physical Workspace

The first step to becoming an organized office manager is to first tackle your personal workspace. 

If your desk is completely cluttered and you have things scattered all over your work area, you will not be able to keep any other aspect of your job organized either. 

Place all your pens and pencils in a holder, separate all of your papers and documents in folders, and give your desk a solid wipe down. You will notice a huge difference in your mood and in your productivity once your workspace is clean and organized.

Organize Your Electronic Workspace

Now that your physical workspace is organized, it is time to handle your electronic workspace. Go through your desktop or laptop and make sure that all of your documents and photos are in proper folders. 

Ensure that all of your software or programs that you use for your job are updated and organized as well. Organizing your electronic workplace gives you the opportunity to know where everything is quickly, and will lead to less confusion later on.

Take and Maintain Detailed Records

One of the most important things that you can do to keep yourself organized is to take and maintain detailed records of everything that goes on in the office. 

Take detailed notes at meetings and appointments, create detailed to-do lists every day and cross off everything that you have completed, and write down detailed reminders for you and other employees of what needs to be done. 

Whether you write things out by hand or use digital records, make sure that your written notes are organized in folders or binders, and your digital records are separated into folders with shortcuts to them for easy access.

Create Proper Forms of Communication

The best way to maintain organization as an office manager is to create proper and effective forms of communication between you and your employees. 

Every team member needs to know what the best ways to speak with you are, and you need to let them know how you will be speaking with them to give updates or feedback. 

It is important to have consistent check-ins with employees individually and on a team basis often, so that everyone knows where they stand and what is expected of them. 

Having clear communication allows for more organization in the office, and will lead to fewer issues arising in the future.

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