There is an old saying that states - “a tidy house is a tidy mind” – or in office terms this can be described as “an organised work space is a productive work space”.
Does this mean that if you prefer to work in what I call “organised chaos” (you know where everything is but someone else wouldn’t be able to find anything) that you cannot be productive? No, what I am suggesting is that for most people, working in a reasonably organised environment means there is less clutter to take up space in your brain and therefore allowing you to use you brain, time and energy on your work or business.
Keeping your work space in an organised manner can be difficult if you are working from home and if it is a shared space. Ideally the work space would be kept separate but I fully appreciate that space may be a premium for you therefore having a totally separate space may just not be physically possible. Working in this way means that it is even more important to keep your space as organised as you possibly can – even if it means keeping your work in box files or similar.
For me, given my brand is “The Calm Coach”, I find it imperative to keep my work space as organised, tidy and in a manageable state as possible. The ultimate vision of a tidy office is one that has a “clear desk” policy i.e. at the end of the working day you pack all your work and file it in your desk drawers or on shelves so that your desk is kept clear. This is not always possible or practical for people to do and I haven’t managed it yet.
An organised office is an effective office. Keeping your work space in an organised or semi-organised manner means you not only spend less time looking for things but you also feel much more in control of your business.
To keep me “calm” I need a calm space to work in. I know that if my work space is disorganised my day will be disorganised and I may not even feel like being in my office because it creates a level of unease.
If you find that you come into your office or work space and feel like walking out again then take a really good look at the space and see how it could be improved or made more appealing to you.
So how do you go about “organising” your work-space:-
1 – De-clutter
Remove everything that you don’t actually need or use. You may wish to put this stuff in the recycling or give to someone else or just find a better place to store it
2 – Filing
Moving all “important” (but don’t need on your desk all the time) documents/ files into filing cabinets or desk drawers or in box-files or lever-arch files. Don’t forget to label the place where you store these documents so that you (and others) can find them with ease when needed.
3 – Optimum Desk Set-Up
Is your desk in the right place in the room; can you access your telephone and computer/laptop with ease; do you prefer facing a window, the door or a wall; is your seat comfortable, supportive and at the right height. If it is practical or possible then a clear-desk policy might be another option for you to consider.
4 – Boundaries
If this space is just yours then keeping this private is essential (particularly if you have client confidential material); if you are using a shared space it would be useful to setup some ground rules (boundaries) around when people can interrupt you and what is an acceptable interruption outside of those times.
5 – Review the Space
The acid test is to go out of the office for a few minutes and then come back in with fresh eyes and see how it feels to you. If there is anything that still needs tweaking you will be drawn to it immediately. You will get a feeling or sensation within you when it is either right or wrong.
Another consideration to ponder is if you have taken over the space from someone else. Do not be afraid to change things or move things around. This is now your space and in order to be most productive and effective you need it to be set up in a way that suits you and not someone else.
Here’s to calm, organised, and productive work spaces!
Recent Comments