A well-organized workplace has several benefits. One of them is productivity, as it will be easier to find the things that you need when they are in place and another is it also sparks creativity, because your mind will be clearer if what you see is in order. Keeping the office clean will also help prevent stress because clutter induces a feeling of negativity.
Organizing your workplace will require time. However, you don’t have to finish everything at once. Do things that you can one at a time until you complete the tasks. Here are some tips on how to keep your work area clean and orderly.
Clean and organize your desk
The first thing that is within your reach and you often use is your desk. Start with this area by removing everything on it and inside its drawers. Wipe with clean cloth and table cleaner to remove dust and dirt sitting there. Put back the things that you always need for your day to day activities, so they are easily accessible.
Place things to where they should be
Designate areas around the office on where items should be placed. For example, create a space for printing and scanning. All equipment and supplies such as printers, scanners, bond papers, fasteners, staplers, and printer inks should be there. Another possible area is the filing cabinet, where you can place files and documents for convenient access.
Keep things often used near each other
Depending on the nature of your business there are things that you frequently use more than the other. Determine which are those particular items and keep them in a place that is easy to reach. Keep away items that you don’t often use and store them properly so you can still use them when you need them.
Dispose of things that are not needed
Things may have accumulated in your office overtime, and some of them may no longer be of use to you. Dispose things that you don’t need, but be sure to do it correctly; shred documents instead of just throwing them directly to the garbage can as this will prevent unauthorized people from using the information printed on those files. There are also recycling companies that you can call to dispose of recyclable items. Not only did you clean your office space, but you also helped in preserving the environment.
Go paperless as much as possible
You may still need to use papers in your business operation, but there are things that you can do lessen it. One way is to scan documents for digital filing so you can dispose of the paper copies to avoid piling up. Registration and filling up of various forms can also be done on the computer or online and using software for managing data in the office is also an efficient way. For instance, a sports club may invest in club membership database software to eliminate the need to use papers for their members’ information as this also makes work convenient for users, as the data they need will be readily accessible in the club’s software.
Once you successfully organized your workplace, maintain its cleanliness and order to keep it that way.
