August 25, 2006

MGHers organize for success

In many workplaces today, creating and maintaining an efficient system to organize information and paper can be a challenge, one that many MGHers have experienced firsthand. To help hospital employees better organize their work areas, the MGH Employee Assistance Program (EAP) recently sponsored a series of seminars, "Organize Your Workspace for Success," led by Cristin Lind, a productivity and organizing consultant. Each session had a tremendous turnout, with more than 200 people attending.

At each session, Lind detailed her 6S Model for tackling office clutter. This method is comprised of six steps: strategize, sort, select, store, systemize and sustain. Lind also discussed the many benefits of a properly organized work environment — including improved focus, fewer distractions, increased job productivity and decreased stress. "Taking a methodical approach to getting organized helps you get organized faster and stay organized longer," says Lind. "It's important to spend time setting up a system to deal with paper and e-mail before they become a problem."

For more information about other programs offered by the EAP, visit www.eap.partners.org.