Exclusive Interview: Smart Steps To Organizing Your Company To Create A Work-Life Balance
New York City-based professional organizer and productivity consultant Rashelle Isip, from TheOrderExpert.com, is helping eve more people get organized with new new services for companies. Among the offerings are live online video group trainings and workshops. These services are geared towards work-life balance during the pandemic and beyond and can include such topics as effective time management, productivity skills, email management, paper management, task management and more.
The New York Trend chatted with Isip about organization.
NY Trend: What do the live online video group training and workshops entail?
Rashelle Isip: The live online video group trainings and workshops cover common issues that arise in the workplace such as time management issues, work-life balance, task prioritization, email management, new manager training (through the lens of organization, time management, and productivity), and so on. The trainings and workshops can include instruction of key workplace skills, how to incorporate these skills into daily work, as well as coaching (either group or individual) help people navigate the challenges that arise when learning new skills.
NY Trend: Can you give three tips for a work-life balance?
Rashelle Isip:
1. Define clear workday hours. Working from home doesn’t mean working all the time. Clearly identify when your workday begins and ends, and don’t forget to include your lunch as well as other breaks. Schedule your work time and breaks directly into your calendar or planner so you have a physical reference point for yourself. As an added planning bonus, you may want to add thirty minutes of buffer time at the start of your day so that you can focus on transitioning to the workday, and thirty minutes at the end of your workday so you can wind down your work hours.
2. Drill down on distractions. Conduct a brief survey of your workspace environment. Is there anything in your immediate environment steals or takes away your attention while you work? Review all forms of potential distractions including: electronic alerts, messages, and notices, phone calls and texts, social media updates, as interruptions from others in your household. Once you’ve identified a distraction, you can take steps to remove or reduce it, such as disabling updates, temporarily silencing your phone, asking others not to disturb you while you work, and so on.
3. Create room for work. Make sure you’ve created space in your home for your work. If you have a dedicated work room or area in your home, be sure to remove any personal items that might unnecessarily distract you from your work and store them appropriately in your home. If you’re using a shared space to work, such as a table or other area, be sure to contain your work in one area so it’s easy to access and out of your way when you’re not working. Some simple work storage solutions include storing files and office supplies in a sturdy empty bookcase, rolling trolley or cart, credenza, or filing cabinet.
NY Trend: How can companies make the most in terms of productivity with remote employees?
Rashelle Isip: Companies can make the most of productivity with remote employees by setting clear boundaries that both honor the workday and respect the time and energy of their workers. Some ideas include implementing email-only hours when emails and messages are to be sent internally and externally within the organization, offering no-meeting or no-communication hours or days during the week, and strongly encouraging employees to use their vacation and personal time regularly throughout the year to prevent burnout and work fatigue.
