Organizational Skills and Practices

Organizational Skills and Practices Objectives: Discuss why it is important to be organized Identify the two components to being organized Discuss the two organization strategies Differentiate between being neat and organized Identify the ways in which to become organized Identify what hinders organization Explain the benefits of being organized

Introduction: Think about the last time you missed a scheduled appointment or couldnt find an important phone number. Ho w did that make you feel? Were you angry? Frustrated? Determined to change you habits? For many individuals, every day life activities, including work related activities, are impaired due to a lack of, or undeveloped organizational skills. What can be done to improve or enhance your organizational skills at work? First, you must understand that getting organized involves being both efficient (doing your work as quickly and easily as possible), and effective (doing the work that will bring the greatest return on your efforts). Secondly, you must be aware that, although there are hundreds of valid organizing and time management tips, there is absolutely no right way to organize, except for the way that works for you. You can tell if youre organizing your work practices effectively if you can find what you are looking for, youre on top of all tasks, and can easily keep track of your deadlines. Organizational skills can help you cope with a busy work environment, provide workplace structure, and create order in your life. This course provides a variety of practices and techniques that will assist you in becoming organized in your work setting. But, before we begin the discussion on organization skills, please take the time to fill out the following Organizing Quotient.

Why it is Important to be Organized: When someone is not organized, mistakes can happen at not only their own expense, but for both the pharmacy they work for and the customers. For example, in a pharmacy, confusion and disorganization can easily result in a mix up of prescriptions. The wrong label can end up on the wrong bottle, the wrong prescription can be handed over to the wrong customer, or a whole prescription can get lost. When careless accidents like this happen, the following sequence can result: 1) The customer has an allergic reaction to the medication in the bottle, or becomes ill (or even dies) 2) The pharmacy gets sued 3) You lose your job By not being organized, mix-ups, accidents, or loss of important things can result. The benefits of organizing clearly outweigh the costs. The following scenario is presented to give you an opportunity to think about ways in which you would react in order to get the pharmacy out of an organizational rut.

Scenario: A routine investigation of a local pharmacy resulted in issuing the store pharmacist a warning concerning the condition of the pharmacy. The pharmacy was not in compliance with board rules. The pharmacy was found to be dirty and unorganized. The pharmacists workspace was cluttered, the shelves were packed with empty containers and expired drugs, and the aisles were blocked with boxes and various other items. Filled prescriptions were stacked on one of the pharmacy counters along with patient profiles. The whole pharmacy was found to be in a constant state of disarray. What do you think can be done to satisfy corrections required to bring the pharmacy into compliance with board rules? Take a moment ponder this scenario. Scenario Response: The most appropriate approach to clean up the pharmacy is as follows: 1. Set up a filing system for prescriptions. 2. Utilize a suitable book, file or record (which shall be preserved for a period of no less than 5 years) for every prescription compounded or dispensed. 3. Dispose of all outdated drugs from the active inventory area with in 6 months of expiration. 4. Keep the pharmacy clean by being equipped with proper sanitary appliances, and keep the areas clean and orderly. By following these simple practices of organizing the pharmacy, the work place will be a much more condusive one.

The Components to Being Organized: There are two components to being organized; there are the structures and the regular actions (habits). The structures are the physical tools you use to hold things in which you are organizing such as your filing cabinet, computer database, desktop sorters, etc. Sometimes people simply do not have sufficient structures for all their papers, information, or supplies they want to organize. On the other hand, you can have all the structures in the world, but if you dont actually have the regular actions (habits) like filing papers into your files, or opening up your planner to see whats on the schedule, you wont be organized. You might be the type of individual that is great at writing things down, but you write them on stickies, scraps of paper, and on other miscellaneous pieces of paper. You have the habit, but not an effective structure (like a planner). Put both the structure and the action together and youll be organized.

The Organizational Tool Box Computer, computer database Daily planner, weekly calendar Electronic organizer (palm pilot, etc) Filing cabinet, filing systems Desktop organizers Dry erase board

Specific Organization Strategies: Organizational strategies impact a variety of aspects in the work place. Some strategies are designed to organize ones personal space. Others are intended to organize important and useful work related information. Lets take a look at two specific organiza tion strategies: Spatial organization and Information organization. Spatial Organization strategies deal with keeping ones physical space in order. In your work environment, it is important to keep counter space and the area around the computer organized so materials are easily located and one is not distracted. Spatial organization is important for locating pharmacy materials and other items when needed. It is a good idea to keep time management planners and schedules displayed in prominent places like the counter top or above the counter on a shelf. Information Organization aids things like memory, note taking, drug preparation, preparing insurance claim forms, etc. Pharmacy technicians should attempt to use a number of information strategies. The type of organizer used will depend on the nature of the information, the nature of the task at hand, and the preferred style of organizing. Information Organization includes the use of color-coding, three ring binders, matrices (tables), outline, hierarchical organizers, etc. For example, color-coding may be used to organize time management planners, or pill categories. Assign each block or group of information a different color. The colors are then used to quickly distinguish different activities or pieces of information. Three ring binders may be used to sort printed information by subject heading. Again, it is personal preference as to how you prefer to organize. There are a variety of methods to choose from.

Neat vs. Organized: Here is an important principle in organizing: Neat and organized are not the same thing. It is totally possible to be organized without being neat and to be neat and be disorganized. Organization refers to keeping things in predictable places or arranging things in an orderly or structured manner. Neat refers to cleanliness or tidiness. Some people are really organized (they know where everything is), yet to everyone else, their workspace looks like a mess. There are also people whos desks are very clear, yet open a file drawer, or ask them where they are supposed to be at 3pm, and they have no clue. It might be useful to determine if you are neat or organized, or both or neither, then see how youd like to be. Consider that being neat has its advantages. Its actually easier to focus on the task at hand when your environment isnt cluttered up with piles and messages all competing for your attention. Further, having a neat work environment is crucial when it comes to image, as customers will judge you and the pharmacy by appearances. Making it neat is often easier than making it organized; however, organization is the ever-important foundation of success.

Tips for Getting Organized: Disorganization can quietly eat away, day by day, at your productivity. You may wonder, do employers really care if you are organized? Employers look for qualities such as abilities to multi-task, arrange priorities and meet or beat deadlines. Without organization, these qualities are difficult or impossible to demonstrate. To become an organized person, you need to start thinking like one. The following is a list of tips to help you become organized and stay on the organized path: Its all in the plan- So how do you begin organizing your lifestyle? Its all in the plan. Most people think that planning is a boring and time-consuming activity. However, proper planning gives the overall picture of the task to be completed. It saves time in the long run. Day planners are the primary tools for organized folks. Besides helping you remember items on your schedule, day planners also provide a means of tracking; you can go back and look up when you did something and what the outcome was. In todays fast paced world, people need to be able to access information quickly, know how and where to find something and pull it all together in as little amount of time as possible. Time management- Time management is an important facet of our daily lives that goes most closely hand in hand with organization skills. In order to have a more organized, balanced work style, you need more time. Unfortunately, we cant control how many hours are in a day. Time is the one commodity that we all have in equal amounts. It's just that successful people spend their time wisely. So we must try to control, instead, how we spend the hours we have. This can be accomplished by putting balance into your work. You can begin by figuring what needs to be done and then setting an appropriate time in which to do it. Saving time can be accomplished by being more organized. It is true that perhaps the time you save may mean only seconds here and there, but throughout the course of a day or week, those seconds add up to minutes and hours.

Did you know that the average human being in our society loses AN HOUR A DAY due to disorganization? Just take a minute to think about itthats more than 2 weeks per year! Thats a whole vacation! Dont put It down; put it away- As an organized person you will come to realize that it is always easier to put something away rather than set it down for now. If you set something down you will have the second and third step of actually remembering that you need to find it and put it away.

A place for everything and everything in its place- Find a home for each item you posses and return it to its home after each use. Written prescriptions should have a place where you store them, pill counters and splitters should have a specific spot, reading materials should be grouped together, and so on. Let clutter annoy you- Thats right. Look around and feel that clutter is closing you in. Start to act out against it; throw it away or donate it. Act now! When you spot clutter, deal with it immediately. Clutter is anything you do not use and do not need. File it; dont pile it- Once and for all, create a filing system that works for you. Even a to file bin or folder is ok as long at you tend to it on a regular basis. At least you will have a place to put things that need to be filed. Set a maximum height for this pile and make the time file before it gets past this point. Open and process all mail- Dont let mail pile up. This can get out of hand just like any other paper work.

Other Suggestions: Break large projects down into small, sequential steps. Schedule these steps into your day with your planner. Keep only supplies you need on a daily basis on top of your work area Be clear when communicating to others, especially when leaving a message on an answering machine. This way you are more likely to get a full response, e ven if the other party doesnt reach you directly. Keep a file index (a master list of file names). Check the index before creating a new file so you avoid making duplicates. Also, use it to decide where to file a piece of paper. Date and title all materials

NOTE: It takes 21 days to form a new habit, which means you are only 3 weeks away from being an organized person.

What Hinders Organization? Procrastination- Most of us wait for the problem to disappear on its own. No one really likes to perfo rm routine tasks. But when we postpone todays work until tomorrow it creates double work for us. Most of us wait until the work piles up. Interruptions- Interruptions reduce motivation to continue to work. Some interruptions are inevitable and can be accommodated without disturbing out schedule while others can be ignored. Mismatch between time and ones capacity- When people overestimate or under-estimate time taken to perform a task it leads to disorganization. When we try to do too many things in one time slot it can be frustrating. It reduces our pace. On the other hand, when we do too little in a give time period we are wasting valuable time. Setting wrong priorities- We all have priorities that should be set up in the order of importance. When people indulge in the activity that is interesting but not really important for a long time it obviously leaves no time for the essential tasks. When the work piles up it make out lives miserable.

Benefits of Being Organized: Those who are not organized often envy others who seem to have everything in order. But what exactly are those unorganized sole missing out on? There are several benefits to being organized. These benefits include saving time spent on looking for misplaced items; thus being more efficient in the work place, and the ever-important lower stress and frustration levels. Picture your -self running late for an important meeting because you cannot find the directions or even the keys to your car. You begin to panic, get frustrated, and become stressed. The type of stress that you are bringing upon your self is unnecessary and purely avoidable stress, and can be easily prevented if you were simply organized from the start. Having strong organization skills will help keep you in control at the work place. Once you have mastered the skill of being organized, you will find yourself feeling a sense of balance and composure. All you need to do is stick to the discipline.

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Conclusion: It is apparent that organizational skills a re the keystone to having a more balanced work place. Organization is being able to find what you are looking for, getting things done and being in control of your life. Keep in mind that organization is a personal thing. What is organized for one person may not seem very organized to another. It is important to develop organizational strategies that suit you personally. One you have mastered the skill of being organized, it is important to not to fall back on old habits and get your self out of the organized swing of life. Simple tasks such as planning and filing can keep you on the right track. Remember, it takes much more effort to find something after you have misplaced it than it does to file it accordingly in the first place. Only you will kno w what works best for you when it comes to being organized, but once you find it, keep at it and dont give up.

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Post Test: Please complete the items on the post test. This test will be graded and your score will be recorded. There is only one answer for each question. 1. Of the two types of organization strategies, information strategy refers to keeping ones physical space in order. A. True B. False 2. Which is not a component for being organized? A. B. C. D. Structures Habits Neatness None of the above

3. Being neat and organized are closely related; thus if you are always neat then you are always organized. A. True B. False 4. It is important to be organized at the pharmacy for what reason? A. B. C. D. Medication can get handed to the wrong customer Medications can get lost Medications can be distributed with the wrong label All of the above

5. Time management is a skill closely related to organization? A. True B. False 6. Which of the following hinders organization? A. B. C. D. Color coordinating Procrastinating Planning Filing

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7. It is all right to place papers in a to do or to file bin, as long as you tend to them on a regular basis. A. True B. False 8. Organizing is a specific skill, thus there is a standard, structured manner to follow that works for all types people. A. True B. False 9. Which of the following is not an example of Information Organization? A. B. C. D. Color Coding Hierarchical organizers Matrices Desk top Organizers

10. How long does it take the average person to form a new habit? A. B. C. D. 3 days 1 week 3 weeks 6 months

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Bibliography: 1. Allsands.com (2001). Get Organized! [Online]. Available: http://www.allsands.com/Home/tipsgettingorg_ha_gn.htm 2. Bordenaro, B. (n.d.). Being Organized in Not a Trait! [Online]. Available: http://www.ideamarketers.com/library/article.cfm?articleid=7414 3. Bridges.com. (2000). Organizational Skills. [Online]. Available: http://www.at.bridges.com/20010108/skills/main.htm 4. Hemphill, B. (2001). Six Ways to Improve Your Office Organization Skills. [Online]. Available: http://www.frogpondgroup.com/articles.cfm?articleid=bhemphill04 5. Karen Ussery (n.d.). The Basic Principles of Organizing. [Online]. Available: http://www.organizedforsuccess.com/articles/article13.htm **(602)248-2884, Karen@OrganizedForSuccess.com** 6. McLaug hlin-Hale, J. (1999). Organizational Skills. [Online]. Available: http://www.stretcher.com/stories/99/991018m.cfm 7. Middlesex Community College. (n.d.). Time Management and Organizational Skills. [Online]. Available: http://www.mxctc.commnet.edu/clc/timeman.htm 8. Muskingum College (1998). General Purpose Learning Strategies: Organization. [Online]. Available: http://www.muskingum.edu/~cal/database/organization.html 9. National Association of Professional Organizers ( 2001). Get Organized Week. [Online]. Available: http://www.napo.net/goweek/gwk.html 10. The Container Store (2000). Five keys to an Organized Work Space. [Online]. Available: http://www.containerstore.com/browse/tips/organizedWorkSpace.jhtml 11. Wetmore, D. (2000). Maintaining Daily Balance. [Online]. Available: http://www.onlineorganizing.com/Client_Article_Maintaining_Daily_Balance.htm

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