Professional Behaviour - Organiseand Manage Services

Case study

Mandy, a student career practitioner at a local college, has been working there for a few years and has recently started supporting Sam, a first-year student. After a few sessions, Sam informs Mandy that, based on her advice, he is going to drop out of college. Mandy is shocked, as she is certain she never told Sam to drop out. She advises him at that moment not to act hastily and to come back the next day for a chat. As soon as Sam leaves, Mandy pulls his file to review his sessions and the advice she had given him.

Mandy is a very organised person who keeps both hard-copy files and electronic records in order. She quickly reviews Sam's progress and is relieved to find that she never advised him to drop out of college. The next day, when Sam returns, Mandy corrects his misunderstanding of her advice. After a lengthy discussion, Sam decides to stay in college. Mandy is pleased — first, because she helped prevent a student from leaving college, and second, because proper management of her client files allowed her to clarify exactly what had been said.

Benefits of organising and managing information and the services rendered

- Efficiency. Organising and managing your information, client files and session notes increases both your efficiency and that of your resources. Being organised means spending less time fixing mistakes or searching for documents, freeing up time to focus on other areas of your job, and increasing teamwork through greater functionality across the team.

- Tracking progress. Being organised allows you to track your own progress and that of your clients. Having relevant information sorted, filed and organised enables staff to find and use the information they need quickly, which in turn improves communication between team members.

- Better management skills. Being organised strengthens your management skills, as having all information and records in order allows you to make better decisions with the relevant information readily to hand.

- Instilling trust. Organising and managing your information and records creates a sense of professionalism and trust in your workplace.

- Reduced stress. When an organisation's information, systems and client records are properly managed, this creates a more relaxed working environment.

Organisational skills are sought-after by employers, as employees with strong organisational skills help a business remain functional and productive. They are more likely to produce quality work, manage documentation successfully, and deliver projects well — and often go on to receive promotions, leadership roles and greater responsibility.

Ways to improve your organising skills

- Create a clean workspace. As simple as it sounds, decluttering your workspace is one of the most effective ways to improve your organisational skills. Sort and prioritise the documents at your workstation, and set up a filing system to help keep your documents and information organised.

- Create a to-do list. This improves your time management by helping you focus on the most important tasks first, and makes larger projects more manageable by breaking them down into smaller, achievable tasks.

- Prioritise each task. Once your to-do list is complete, identify which tasks need your immediate attention. This improves your time management and organisational skills, helping you focus and deliver work ahead of deadlines.

- Create a schedule. List all tasks or projects requiring your attention, along with a timeline for each, to sharpen your focus and attention on each one.

- Improve storage. Store your information and documents so that retrieval is fast and easy, which further improves your time management and organising skills.

- Maintain a work-life balance. Studies show that the brain works best when it is also allowed time away from work. Set aside time each week for activities such as exercise, socialising or relaxing.

Conclusion

Organising and managing skills benefit both employees and managers. Possessing these skills allows an individual to maximise their productivity and increase their value and opportunities within the workplace. Career practitioners should focus on developing these skills, as they not only benefit their own work but also help them stand out from others in the field.