Organised? That ghastly word which describes what everyone expects us all to be. Organised? Who has the time to be organised in this rat race we call life? At Brand Candy, I am the Office Coordinator, and a high level of organisation and attention to detail comes with the territory.
Here are a few simple tricks and tools from my desk, which I believe you can use to keep you one step ahead of the rest.
We live in a fast-paced world!
Let’s face it, emails are pretty much like instant messaging these days. When we are exchanging them numerous times each day, we need a system in place that allows us to streamline incoming and outgoing messages. So, what can we do to help us manage them more effectively? I make use of a handy little gem called Boomerang!
Boomerang is specifically for Gmail users. It allows you to perform a number of tasks:
- Set reminders to follow up with people who have not responded to you
- Set a reminder to attend to an email at a later time or date
- Schedule an email to send at a specific time and date
Having an external party assist with managing these tasks can make your life much easier. Remember, it’s all about the details! Give it a try.
What to do? What to do?
Dedicate the final 20 minutes of your day towards planning your activities for the next day. Having a succinct ‘To Do List’ ready when you sit down at your desk in the morning will help to lower your anxiety levels. Just grab your cup of coffee and get straight into your tasks! Booyah for productivity, because you did the heavy lifting the night before!
Task management tools
We use Trello to schedule all incoming work: to our administration team, resources department, and to our coordinators. Each card works its way from one board to the next, eventually resulting in the creation of our fantastic final product. I guess you could call it the central nervous system of our company.
“Trello works in real-time, real fast. When somebody moves a card, it moves on your board instantly, no matter what device you use. You keep your tab open all day and never have to refresh. Plus, Trello opens and loads so fast you won’t even notice.”
Trello, for fantastic project management and task scheduling. Get it here.
Attention to detail
The small things in life often don’t require a huge amount of effort, but they can make such a difference. Much like the fine capillaries that supply vital blood and oxygen to our organs, in the same way, the details of our day-to-day activities feed the relationships we have with our colleagues and clients. Being remembered fondly is what creates a positive and lasting impression. Here are a few Brand Candy attention to detail tips:
- Smile when you are on the phone – especially when you answer. It makes you sound happier and friendlier.
- During flu season keep tissues on hand. You don’t realise how popular you will be 😉
- Make a conscious effort to remember your clients’ names. Everyone loves to be remembered.
- Lastly, confidence is key! Be confident in your efforts and in your processes.
