Workplace of Choice

Spring is the perfect time to get rid of all of the "stuff" that has been cluttering up your desk or office and doing an overall office clean-up.   Research has shown that the right office surroundings can result in increased employee morale, employee productivity and employee motivation - so what better reason to get started?  Whether you reside in a plush corner office or a small cubicle you can bring a breath of fresh air to your surroundings very easily. 

Office Cleanup:

If you haven't used or looked at it for more than six months, chances are you may not need it and you definitely don't need it sitting out on a desk or table. So start with three piles:

Trash: The trash pile gets shredded, if need be, or bagged up and off to the dumpster it goes.

File: Organize into piles that can be put into folders with labels. Remember these are the items you truly need for either research or legal reasons such as contracts, financial records, refer to often, etc.  Consider what needs to stay on-site and what can be sent to archive.  If you haven't looked at in more than year, seriously consider sending it to archives.  Be sure to catalog your archive files well so that you can retrieve them if necessary.

Have to deal with: You should have a very small pile of items that need to be addressed. Organize these into priority categories - what has to be done today, by the end of the week, by the end of the month, etc.

When your desk is not cluttered up with piles of paper you are more likely to get to the stuff that really has to be tackled.

Now get out the cleaning supplies and equipment. Dust everything in sight. Vacuum your floor. Use a can of air on your keyboard (you will be surprised at what gets in between the keys). Check with your IT department as to whether they will give you permission to blow out the dust from your computer's fan and CD/DW drives and pay attention to their instructions on how to do it carefully. Use specially treated cloths to clean your monitor. Any surfaces that can be cleaned with a disinfectant should get wiped down to get rid of all those nasty germs that have been floating around the office all winter.

Now open up your window(s) if possible even if it is only for a few minutes to let in some fresh air. Don't forget to close and lock before you leave.

Now that you have a clean office, add some fresh art work, flowers, plants, and maybe a great smelling candle. The candle is not to be lit, but will add a light pleasant scent to your office. The key words are light and pleasant. Don't overpower your space with heavy scents, no one enjoys this.  You'll be surprised by the effect that simply cleaning the office and your surroundings has on you and your co-workers - Enjoy!