Photo by Monique Schoenfeld, Town Crier
Organizational consultant Mary Anderson, left, talks with Jan Cummins about organizing her office located in downtown Los Altos.
Special to the Town Crier
Developing routines, "patterns for morning startup and evening wind down, is a key step toward better organization," according to Los Altos resident and organizational consultant Mary Anderson. "Simplify the process," she said.
Anderson said she has one client who has simplified his morning dressing routine by limiting his business wardrobe to an assortment of gray suits, white shirts and red ties.
October begins with national Get Organized Week so it's a good time to assess your organizational needs, Anderson said.
Anderson has been a consultant since 1984, following a 12-year tenure as a management training specialist at Hewlett-Packard. She's consulted to Silicon Graphics, Hewlett-Packard, Sun Microsystems, San Francisco State and Stanford universities, but her special interest is "work-family issues," balancing the needs of the two.
"Information can come at you 24 hours a day," Anderson said. "Be aware of that impact on your family. It becomes an issue of setting boundaries on when you are available, when you'll carry your portable phone."
"Look at the things that eat up time or get you sidetracked," she said. "If you're constantly looking for phone or fax numbers, think about getting them all in one place, for example."
Anderson also advises clients to anticipate their needs for adequate nutrition and rest. "If you know you're going to have a long, hard day, try not to schedule a busy night afterwards," she said.
Anderson's work with startup firms often includes developing job descriptions, interview processes and employment performance systems. A member of the San Francisco-based National Organization of Professional Organizers, she offers business and paper management, and residential organizing services. Her clients include kids as well as adults.
For more information, call 960-3772 or e-mail consultmga@aol.com.