Time constraints force office managers to juggle several duties, causing emotional and mental stress.
Without a solid strategy to prioritize and organize your office tasks, you can easily forget crucial assignments and meetings.
This leads to even more stressful days and less productivity for you and your staff. Here are four strategies for staying organized as a medical office manager.
Establish priorities.
Establishing your daily priorities is the first step toward organizing the chaos. Create a to-do for the business ahead, whether electronic or old-fashioned handwritten. This will help provide a positive head start to your day as you enter the office.
Control your calendar.
Carefully controlling your monthly calendar is crucial, as every month includes its own set of issues and deadlines. These can consist of training requirements, financial reports, 401(k) and profit-sharing filings, and internal project milestones.
Document all these deadlines every month as soon as you learn of them. Don’t forget to include things such as:
- Board meetings
- Reminders for upcoming essential deadlines
- Staff gatherings
- Physicians’ rounds
- Online meetings
Designate times for specific tasks.
Another good tip for maintaining organization in the office area is designating a specific time each day for certain tasks such as opening mail and answering emails. If you don’t do this every day, you’ll end up doing it throughout your day, which will distract you from larger, more pressing tasks.
If you experience a high volume of regular and electronic mail, it might be worth your while to establish an approach to dealing with it by using a labeling system. Have a procedure that includes urgent, important, and less important labels. This is an excellent way to ensure you don’t overlook anything critical. It will also save you considerable time by temporarily ignoring the less important group until you have more time.
Many office managers are proud of their open-door policies for staff members, but those constant interruptions can set your day up for failure. Set aside an hour every day for quick visits from the staff and set criteria for the interaction. Ensure your team is adequately trained and also has the tools to problem solve on their end.
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Prepare for emergencies.
Organized office managers need to prepare and plan for any possible emergencies. Set up a system for storing vital financial and personnel records. Assemble a binder containing significant emergency-related and staff phone numbers in security breaches, fires, or spills. Planning will allow you to utilize the office manager’s most limited resource – time.
While working in the medical field can be rewarding, it is often overwhelming and demanding. Set yourself up for success by being organized; start by following these tips.
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