Office Organisation for a Small Team
By Rebecca Standish
They say dynamite comes in small packages…but what about small companies?
Are they equipped enough to take on big projects and can they have as much of an impact as a larger, fully developed and resourced firm? What I like about a small (8-10 people sized) company is that it’s busy, yet the work which it is producing has meaning. A small firm is built by cohesive individuals who are genuine, with their unique characters and skill sets each having the ability to create an impact on the work they produce and influence the firm as a whole.
Each person has a particular skillset, background and experience and has the opportunity to bring important and necessary ideas, insights and tools to the table. It makes the company an ever growing, evolving and adapting commodity which somehow has the ability to expand and contract as and when the demand requires.
These ‘other’ skillsets are often not cultivated and grown within larger firms as there is usually no need for it due to whole departments or positions carrying out these tasks. However within a smaller firm, people’s capacity for versatility is exercised which in turn allows for a continual expanding way of thinking and generates new ways to approach tasks and projects.
For a smaller firm, it may not be so much about taking on excessively large projects, but more about creating a real impact and offering a genuine contribution in everything you do. I think it is possible with a smaller company, with dynamic individuals, to take on large projects and deliver work which has meaning and value.
Some of the best ways to navigate exceptional organisation within any company, no matter what its size are:
Have a brilliant filing system
Everyone should be able to store, locate and categorise any piece of information they need without taking up precious minutes of the day.
Communicate Cleanly
Information should be presented in a clear, concise way and all parties should make sure the information is received and interpretated correctly.
Keep it up-to-date
Keep your inbox fresh and current, along with any project notes, files and other miscellaneous items which are no longer needed. Archive old files for completed work and regularly set aside some time to delete and throw-out anything which is no longer necessary.
Keep those tools talking!
We are extremely lucky to have some incredibly helpful organisational tools to help record ideas, track of tasks, collaborate with others and monitor project progress. Google Docs is great for working with others to edit documents online, Evernote and Microsoft OneNote are helpful to record quick notes, ideas and first-drafts, whilst Trello and Airtable are brilliant tools to use to monitor projects, track and update task lists.
Image credit: Drew Beamer on Unsplash
