Organized chaos, a temporary mess, work in progress … no matter what we call it, clutter is a problem we all have to deal with at some point. If you’re planning on moving to new office space, the first thing that you may want to keep in mind is how you can improve the company’s organizational skills. An office space with WiFi in Washington, D.C. can be a great way to start your new journey as a business owner in a new working space with an interior that is good for you and your employees. A good plan is to keep in mind everything you want before you start searching for an office to ensure that you invest in something that benefits you and your company.
And while such euphemisms might work at home or with your friends, clutter in the workplace is a serious problem — so much so that some have called office organization “the key to employee efficiency.” A disorderly workplace can result in:
- Increased incidence of pests
- Reduced employee efficiency
- Missing equipment and documents
- Damage to employees’ well-being and company property
- A less professional and manageable work environment
Given how hazardous a disorganized workplace can be, here are some design tips for your business that will make your work area safer and more pleasant for everyone.
Containerize!
The best way to get clutter off of tables, counters, and floors is to have a contained place for everything. Consider all the kinds of objects found in your workplace and decide one place for each category to go. Lots of desk junk at work stations? Provide trays for each employee to keep their things separated. Financial documents and other sensitive information? Have one file cabinet area where everything goes. Cleaning supplies and equipment? Have a storage locker somewhere out of the way to prevent accidents. Provide your employees with their own storage spaces so that their own clutter doesn’t contribute to that generated by the work environment.
Have Clear Policies on Workplace Cleanliness
No matter how well-contained your workplace is, your efforts are sure to fail if your employees don’t have precise directions and definitions concerning what you expect. A great deal of clutter generated at work happens when there is confusion on where something goes and when it is needed. Reduce confusion and the consequential clutter by being precise on your office or company’s cleanliness policies. Emphasize that anything taken should be immediately returned when an employee is done with it, or put “return” bins in certain areas of the workplace if there is a large amount of traffic. Let employees know exactly when and what day the break room fridge will be cleaned out, and that they are accountable for maintaining the cleanliness of their work stations. Have a specific procedure on dealing with messes and spills in the workplace, and make sure your staff is aware of them. And, as elementary as it sounds, it’s also a wise policy to protect employee property by establishing a workplace “lost-and-found” should anything go missing or get misplaced.
What’s Your Sign?
The best surefire way to ensure your policies actually work is to remind your employees that they exist. Clear digital signage from https://www.risevision.com/ should be abundant in any well-designed workplace. Focus particularly on rest areas like the break room or cafeteria, where employee property is most likely to be found lying around and messes are most likely to happen. Your signs should be large and easily read with an eye-catching color set; bright colors and high contrast are ideal. Post signs in trouble areas, such as on the fridge, in high traffic halls, and near any outside area where smokers might group.
Go Paperless
Nowadays, it’s not as hard to go paperless as it was maybe 10 or 20 years ago. However, because of how far we’ve advanced digitally, going almost completely without paper is now a possibility. “Going paperless isn’t right for every business. That being said, it is possible for every business to go paperless,” writes Larry Alton with Inc.com. “By going paperless, a firm can free up closets, boardrooms, and even entire offices. Digital files, on the other hand, take no physical space on your premises at all. They’re stored remotely and accessible from anywhere, which means you no longer have to waste overhead on physical file storage.” Beyond eliminating clutter, there are plenty of reasons to go paperless, including going green through record scanning and digitizing. Look into how your company can eliminate paper today.
Working From Home
Lastly, if you’re part of the growing portion of the workforce that call their home their office, don’t underestimate just how important a clean space is to productivity. Your external environment can have implications on your internal climate, and keeping your home working space clean will keep you moving along efficiently. If you haven’t already, consider separating your office space and the rest of your home with a dedicated room or area where you get your work done. Make sure that you transition into working hours by cleaning your area up before you work, much like a commute. Maybe even take this time to practice feng shui in your space! Following these tips, you can help shape a workplace environment where, hopefully, euphemisms aren’t necessary. An orderly workplace is the showcase that helps establish the competency and professionalism of your business. Make sure you do your part in keeping it at its cleanest.
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