This may sound odd, but you should always hide at least one blue or black “safety” pen at your desk. Does this sound ridiculous? Maybe at first, but answer this question for me: How many times have you been ready to go to a meeting, but find that you have no pen to bring? This has happened to me more times than I can count. What’s that you say? Use the supply room? If only it were that easy.

The supply closet at my office seems constantly out of the things I need when I actually need them (and I have a sneaking suspicion that I’m not the only one this happens to). That’s why I keep old reliable right in my laptop bag, so I always have a backup plan. Also, as stated above, make sure it’s blue or black ink. This is because a red pen is not always acceptable as it is seen as more of a correction color in some cases.