While the UK may not indulge in the Halloween festivities as much as our friends on the other side of the pond, there is always a risk of real scares in the office! Stick with us as we take you through the spookiest of spectres to watch out for – be careful, as they’ll sneak up on you, hexing your productivity and leaving your desk cluttered with paperwork!
The Ghost of Forgotten Deadlines
One minute everything seems peaceful, and the next your hairs stand on end, your mouth goes dry, and you start to panic. You realise that the important report you were supposed to submit was due yesterday, not tomorrow. You’ll often find this ghost looming over disorganised calendars, in spam folders, and on misplaced sticky notes.
Need help banishing? Start utilising your digital calendar and set reminders well in advance, not just on the due date to give yourself plenty of time to prepare. Colour coding can be really useful to highlight the priority of each task, and shared calendars will keep you up to speed on how your colleagues’ schedules are looking.
The Phantom of Misfiled Documents
Struggling to find an all-important file? You may be haunted by the phantom of misfiled documents. This phantom lurks in messy cabinets and in ambiguous “miscellaneous” folders.
Use a clear and logical filing system to ward off this phantom. Whether you are working with physical files, or digital ones, label folders in a way that make sense, and ensure that your team are doing the same thing.
Avoid the temptation to dump everything into one folder and hope for the best! Follow logic and ensure that your digital files are regularly backed up to avoid turning your hard drive into a graveyard!
The Spectre of Double Bookings
It would be a spooky trick to be able to be in two places at the same time. Unfortunately, none of us have that talent, rendering us at risk of the spectre of double bookings, but with careful planning you can be sure to avoid this one at all costs!
When managing meetings ensure you use a digital calendar to help with scheduling, most of which will alert you if you have a conflict in your diary. Before booking a meeting make sure you check availability before confirming dates and considering sending out confirmation emails to make sure everybody is kept on the same page.
The Ghoul of Missed Emails
This ghoul tends to creep at the foot of your inbox causing you to read an email, make a plan to respond, only to wipe your memory of it ever existing. It’s only when you receive a follow up message that realisation kicks in!
Send this ghoul to exile by properly managing your inbox. Use tags, filters and folders to organise your inbox, and ensure that if you plan on replying later in the day to mark the email as unread. If something needs a quick response then to address it there and then, otherwise flag it to follow up.
The Poltergeist of Incomplete Paperwork
Ever turn up to work on a Monday morning and feel like a poltergeist has thrown a tantrum across your desk? This spirit will leave unsigned forms, hide documents and cause clutter.
The best way to deal with this is by operating under a clear review process. Before filing documents, ensure that they have been reviewed thoroughly for any errors or missing pieces of information. By turning paperwork into a more structured process, you’ll do yourself a favour and keep this poltergeist far from your desk.
Let us know in the comments if you’ve got any scary admin stories this Halloween!