VICKI
NORRIS
Office Supply Abuse
©Vicki Norris, Restoring Order®
2003
www.RestoringOrder.com
503.625.5774
Without even knowing it, you may be an “office supply abuser.” There are three telltale signs that you may suffer from this affliction:
- You own many office supplies, but are not using them correctly
- You have located your office supplies outside your range or point of use
- Access to your office supplies is blocked
The first sign of “office supply abuse” is when you are misusing the tools meant to help you create order. Our consultants find that the number one offender is the stacking plastic trays. Many clients simply use the stacking trays as a way to create taller piles. It gives them a sense of order to have an office product on their desk, but they have no clue how to use it. People start out using office products with good intentions, but unclear purposes. You must define from the beginning what the stacking trays will be used for—letterhead and printer paper, unpaid bills, or outstanding work to be completed? When you don’t start with a purpose for your office supplies, you will likely become an abuser.
The second sign of “office supply abuse” is when the organizing tool is not allowed inside your immediate work space. Implementing a desktop file or rolling supply cart is a good thought, but if it is not within reach, it will likely be abandoned. For something to be utilized to its full potential, it must be placed at the “point of use.” Certainly, we understand this when it comes to our computer and our phone. We would never put these important tools outside our immediate work zone. Yet, when it comes to office supplies, we often shove them to the outer edges of our desk, onto another surface, or worse, under the desk and out of sight. If you catch yourself beginning to relocate office supplies, containing your valuable documents or supplies, you should stop before you become an abuser.
The third sign of “office supply abuse” is blocking access to the organizing products you are attempting to use. When you cannot reach into your trays to pull out papers because they are blocked by your Kleenex box, lunch sack, and last week’s projects, your systems have been rendered impotent. When you lose sight of your pencil cup behind those mounting piles, you have officially become an abuser.
To avoid these traps, you must first understand the nature and causes of your disorder. Our consultants help people examine the kinds of paper and supplies they are using, and set up appropriate systems to manage them. If you are stymied by your perpetual accumulation and mismanagement of office supplies, let the experts at Restoring Order® help you turn your office into a powerhouse of productivity.
For more information on simplifying your life, contact Restoring Order®, a professional organizing service for residential and professional environments. www.RestoringOrder.com or (503) 625-5774.
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