Miscellaneous is a word that almost everyone can say they’ve used to describe a file in their office, a box in their house, or an email folder. The definition of miscellaneous is “consisting of diverse things or members” (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary).

The shortened version that many of us use on labels or to refer to piles we have is MISC. From here on out please think of this as the worst 4-letter word in your organizing vocabulary. When you give a drawer, file, or pile the label of MISC it means you have no intention of sorting or categorizing and thus are putting files or items in a place that you’re guarenteed not to find them again.

Labeling a file, drawer, etc as MISC is a direct reflection of our delay to correctly categorize the items. Or perhaps is a reflection of us being overwhelmed by decision making in our days and wanting to put something “there” gives you one less decision to make. But just think about all the time we are wasting when we have to find something later and we can’t find it “there” in the MISC pile.

Taking the split second to make a decision upfront to file or categorize each item where it belongs can save us all precious time later on!

Want additional file management help? Follow The Productivity School on twitter for daily tips!

© 2014 Gigaom, Inc.

With our extensive use of Evernote and our support of ScanSnap, we here at Innovatively Organized were thrilled to hear the news of the new Evernote Edition ScanSnap! Two of our favorite productivity tools coming together into one amazing device was reason enough for us to get excited, but here are some more reasons why this Evernote scanner is a must-have for 2014:

• Automatically organizes everything. The ScanSnap can detect what type of document you’re scanning and automatically file it where it needs to go within your Evernote account.
• Operates under a WiFi connection. With this scanner, you won’t be cluttering up your office with more cords because it can be used with a WiFi connection.
• Simple Operations. This ScanSnap automatically detects double-sided documents, rotates them, and detects color.
• Includes a free year of Evernote Premium. This allows you to use the ScanSnap without having to buy Evernote if you didn’t have it previously.

This partnership of two of our most recommended productivity tools can help declutter your office and get you a step closer to becoming paperless.

Want more useful tips and recommendations that can help boost your productivity? Follow The Productivity School on Twitter for daily tips!

Look around at your desk. If you have papers sitting next to you that you aren’t using for the task you are working on, then consider creating a file flow for all of your paperwork. An effective file flow solves the question of how you deal with incoming paperwork and where you store it all. First of all, you’ll want to schedule time for yourself for filing on a regular basis. This will ensure you’ll spend less time filing and looking for paperwork and more time being productive. You’ll also want to ensure that you and whoever else shares your filing system creates a file structure that everyone follows. If you still aren’t sure how a file flow could increase your productivity, take a look at our 3 reasons for developing a file flow in our office:

3 reasons why a file flow is important:

1. You won’t set papers down once you’re done with them, which creates piles of clutter around your desk or office

2. You can find what you’re looking for later - and so can your co-workers

3. You are saving time by batching tasks that the files represent into blocks of time. Don’t forget to put on your calendar though!

Need help creating an effective file flow for your office? Check out our file management consulting to see how we can help!

When a client signs a contract with you, the process of faxing or scanning documents is tedious and makes the negotiation process longer and more stressful for everyone involved. Fortunately, EchoSign has changed the way in which people can do business. EchoSign allows users to send, sign, track, manage and access documents digitally.

Here’s why we love this app:

• It works on your iPad and iPhone. However, the iPad is probably a little more user friendly if you want to use it with your clients
• It connects with Dropbox so you can upload an agreement directly from your Dropbox account
• It’s capable of in-person signing when you’re on-site with clients OR you can send a document to get signed via email
• You can easily access the status of documents that are out waiting for signatures

E-signing your documents through EchoSign is a great way to save time and paper. You also won’t have to worry about you or your client losing any service agreements or other important documents.

Want more app recommendations? Download our Free Essential Productivity Apps Checklist! 

For those busy professionals who constantly work on-the-go, we recommend a scanner app called JotNot. We love this app because users can easily convert their paper documents into a digital format by taking pictures of each page. It is a great and affordable option for a portable scanner.

Why we recommend it:

• It can batch scan multiple pages into a single document
• You can adjust the file size and resolution
• You can save your document almost anywhere, including Dropbox, Evernote, etc
• It only costs $0.99 in the iTunes store

What do you think of JotNot? Let us know in the comments below!

If you are starting to feel envious of all the companies that find their documents with the click of a button while you have to sift through your piles of paper, it may be time to convince your team to go digital. The thought of converting all that paper may be frightening to some people, whether its because they fear something will get lost in the process or just because of the sheer amount of paper that must be scanned in. If you are ready to go paperless but have some uneasy coworkers that aren’t as ready, here are a few things that may help convince them:

1. File Structure

Make sure you have a clear file naming convention and folder structure for documents that are scanned and saved electronically. Your staff will be more likely to go paperless if they know they can file and retrieve electronic documents quickly and easily.

2. Training

Schedule a training session on digital organization to prevent digital clutter from accumulating. Without the proper training, workers may end up accidentally duplicating, deleting, or moving documents.

3. Transition Date

Pick a transition date of when you want to go paperless and stick to it. Plan ahead so your team knows what changes are coming and how to use the new technology.

4. Tablets

Make tablets available. It’s a pricey option, but having tablets readily available will help streamline the process of going paperless.

Schedule a digital organization training session with us to get the process of going paperless started!

© Krzysiek_z_poczty | Dreamstime Stock Photos & Stock Free Images

It may sound simple, but it’s important to think of everything as part of a workflow, including your paper piles. Take a look at your paperwork when you’re sitting at your desk. Do you have a designated place for papers once you complete the task associated with it, or are they placed at random around your space?

If you don’t create a workflow for your paper, it will hinder your productivity because there is no clear beginning, middle, or end. Too many people have all three stages in a single pile. Below is an example of a simple workflow to help you process your papers efficiently. You may want to designate a separate bin for each stage of the workflow.

Suggested workflow for your paperwork:

1. A place to arrive

2. A place to live when they’re in progress

3. A place to go when they exit the workflow or are complete

Being productive is about moving things along and not letting them get stagnant. A simple workflow can help you keep track of your paperwork and ensure everything is moving along.

Interested in additional help with your paperwork? Check out our file management consulting!

With more and more people constantly on-the-go and trying to go paperless, portable scanners are becoming extremely useful in situations when you want to convert paper documents into electronic files. In many ways, selecting a reliable and user-friendly scanner is more important than finding a good printer!

At Innovatively Organized, we are constantly encouraging our clients to “become friends” with their scanner to boost productivity and reduce paper clutter. After testing many of the scanners on the market, here is why we like to recommend Fujitsu’s ScanSnap S1300 Portable Scanner:

Lightweight & Portable: It’s easy to transport between locations and it doesn’t take up much room on your desk, which makes it perfect for small spaces.

Speed & Functionality:  The ScanSnap S1300 not only scans quickly, but it has a document feeder that can scan a pile of papers at once. It even scans double-sided documents and papers of varying sizes (receipts, brochures, etc.).

User Friendly: A good scanner must be easy enough to use so you can scan things quickly, and the ScanSnap S1300 does exactly that! It even saves documents to Evernote notebooks with a few clicks of a button.

Interested in The Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300 Portable Scanner? Find it here! 

This is a guest blog post by Bob Sadowski, APR, Public Relations & Social Media Manager, ACCO Brands

When we talk about productivity, it usually takes the slant of personal habits and processes that can enhance an individual’s ability to get the most out of every day. But what about multiple people or a team of colleagues working together in an office environment? Isn’t their productivity as a whole just as important?

As the saying goes, there is no “I” in “TEAM.” While it is helpful and actually quite necessary for individuals to be productive on their own personal levels, it’s imperative that this productivity spills over and is shared by the entire team.

Here are 10 tips you can use in your office to help maximize productivity on both a personal and group level:

1. Keep It Clean: We all keep our living spaces, vehicles and the like clean (well, most of us do!)—why not your workspace? A clean and tidy office environment helps keep employees focused and working as a team. Make it a part of the daily routine and include common areas as well as personal work spaces—remember, you never know when a new prospect will be dropping in for a visit, and you definitely want to give them a good first impression.

2. Declutter: An extension of Tip #1, one of the biggest culprits to a messy, disorganized office is clutter. The filing cabinets, storage closets and network servers are there for a reason: To store important information for easy location and access. If it’s not important or critical for future reference, throw it away.

3. Open Floor Plan: Many offices are going to an open floor plan—we’ve done exactly that at AT-A-GLANCE. By placing team members and colleagues in an open air environment and out of closed-up offices, collaboration and creativity fuel productivity. This type of layout lends well to many of the following tips, too.

4. Your “Happy” Place: How does Happy Gilmore continue to do well on the golf course? He goes to his “happy” place! The office—while maybe not to Mr. Gilmore’s extreme—should be a happy and pleasant environment. While some locations may be limited by the physical structure, try your best to incorporate natural light and common areas where employees can just get away, such as a workout area or serenity room.

5. Central Schedule: The larger the workgroup, the more important a central schedule becomes. Most offices incorporate a common communications platform, like Microsoft Office or the entire Google platform. Take these a step further and create calendars and task lists for your individual groups or teams. A centrally located wall or dry erase calendar, for example, is a great tool for tracking everyone’s vacations and time out of the office.

6. Face Time: Don’t let your team hide behind email, IMs and voicemail. Make sure there is plenty of face time between all members of your group. While you don’t want to overdo meetings (see Tip #8 below), occasional meetings are necessary to build a sense of teamwork. Make sure to incorporate meetings that are “light” in nature.

7. Straight Talk: One of the core values at a previous employer was “Straight Talk.” Employees and team members want to be heard. No matter if what they have to say is good, bad or even ugly, a comfort level must be established so that everyone is on the same page. Suppressed thoughts and ideas will only lead to productivity road blocks.

8. Let’s Meet…or NOT! As stated above, some meetings are necessary, but don’t have meetings for the sake of having them. Everyone’s time is valuable, and unless a meeting has direct takeaways and action items, it may be best to keep it limited to email.

9. Teamwork and Camaraderie: If the tips listed here are taken to heart, teamwork and camaraderie will be the natural outcomes. While you don’t have to go out for happy hour every week, members of your team should view each other as more than mere work colleagues. 

10. Goals, Milestones and Celebrations: Without clearly stated and agreed-upon goals and objectives, productivity can’t happen. The entire team should be involved in setting the group’s goals and their accompanying milestones. Most importantly, don’t forget to recognized everyone’s hard work and celebrate your successes.

Get more productivity, planning and organizing tips for your personal and professional life by visiting the AT-A-GLANCE blog and the AT-A-GLANCE Success Center.

About Bob Sadowski, ACCO Brands

Bob Sadowski is an accredited public relations professional (APR) with 20 years of communications experience. He joined ACCO Brands, the makers of AT-A-GLANCE planning tools, as its marketing manager for public relations and social media in September 2011.

Have you ever spent time creating a filing system, then a couple months later you realize it needs some updating? Is it worth the trouble? The last thing you want to do is dig through a box of supplies to create a few simple labels for your new files.

Yes, it is worth the trouble. The important thing to remember is that filing systems are not static, they are constantly changing and need updating. The good news is that there are ways to simplify the maintenance process. Try creating a file-making station for quick and easy access to your file-making supplies. Some of the key items to include in your station are:

• Hanging files
• Manila folders
• A label maker
• Sharpies
• Labels
• Plastic file tabs
• Master file index

Once you have an effective method set up with all the supplies you need in close proximity, it will be easier to update and maintain.

Want additional help creating an effective filing system? Check out our file management consulting!