Being more organised at work was my New Year's Resolution, as I felt I was incredibly disorganised and always playing catch-up.
(Obviously, make sure you are complying with your company’s data storage and sharing policies.)
This is what I've done (bear in mind, it’s taken me 4 months to get here):
Short version:
- Don't collect paper - this is the biggest thing.
- Set up your ICT to work for you, especially how you save documents
- Have a work bag with sections, so you don't lose things.
- Set aside a time every week to organise yourself - you will recoup it over the rest of the week by being more efficient.
- Have an Always book (like a Bullet Journal that's always with you) where you keep all your notes in one place.
- Run a "To Do" list.
Long version:
Scan and save everything you receive in paper form and get rid of the paper version. Take a photo or use an app like Scannable so you can do it on the move as well. Take a photo of things that may be useful later, including business cards and information shared on a whiteboard.
Make sure your phone synchs to your computer and v.v. Set up folders for storing what you need electronically in a logical order.
Ask for an electronic copy of any documents or presentations. Save things found online or in emails by downloading or using the Print Screen option, so they are in your filing system. In Printer Options, if in the list of printers you can send to includes Save to pdf, then you can save big documents in sections, or just the relevant parts, by choosing which pages to "print".
Call files something obvious and use the View option that shows what documents in the folder look like so you can find them easily and only have the number of folders in each layer that you can see on-screen at one time.
Have a "live" section where everything needed for current tasks is stored. Once the task is done, cull the documents so you only keep what will be needed in the future, and move those to a permanent folder.
In your To Do list, start every task listed with a verb other than "Do", have a way of identifying priority tasks, break up big jobs into smaller chunks, and set a time in your diary to focus on them.
Build in enough time between meetings, so you arrive in good time to set out whatever you need, and have time to pack things away properly. Use your phone alarm to remind you of things at set time, or if you move between locations, when you arrive in a particular place.
Use the Always book for meetings, including phone calls and pass-in-the-corridor meetings, (at the front), and reminders of things to say to particular people (at the back). Have a system (codes or colours) to highlight dates and actions allocated to you and transfer those outstanding to the diary or To Do list during the weekly organising session. Use a large elastic band or paper clip so it only opens at the page you need. Put your name and phone number at the front so it will always be returned to you.
Hope these help. If you post what your job is, even vaguely, people may be able to give you more specific tips.