Do you have a cluttered work surface?
We are all guilty of letting our work surface accumulate ‘things’ that aren’t necessarily ‘essential’ to our everyday productivity.
Control Rooms are a bustling environment. We get it, amidst your busy day keeping your work surface clean and organized is hard and far from a priority. Especially if you have left it for so long, it’s easier to make excuses to avoid cleaning it – but there is no time like the present to get cracking and get organized.
It’s A New Year and A New You!
With the hectic holiday season over and a new year upon us, decluttering your work surface will also declutter your mind and set you up for greater productivity. "Being in a clean room seemed to encourage people to do what was expected of them," Kathleen Vohs, lead researcher, said in an article published in the Science Daily. Plus, let’s face it, the cold season is still upon us and no one wants to get sick with the spread of germs. Keeping a clean workspace will help prevent the spread of pesky germs.
Here are 5 easy tips to your work surface clean and organized:
1. Declutter! – Rid your work surface of all unnecessary clutter. Keeping fewer things on your work surface seems so simple…and yet it’s often overlooked. Only keep the essentials easily accessible and visible, everything else can be a distraction and is taking up prime workspace real estate.
Less Clutter = Greater Productivity
2. A Trash Can – Your New Best Friend for 2018! – If you have to get up to dispose of garbage, it’s too far and your work surface becomes your dumping ground; simply for its convenience. Having a trash can at arm’s reach will help prevent your work surface from becoming a disposal area.
3. Disinfecting Wipes – These are an effective way to complete both cleaning and disinfecting of a surface. These little wet wipes annihilate germs and bacteria, helping to keep your surface healthy year-round. Keeping a container close by will help remind you to give your work surface a friendly wipe down on a regular basis; especially during flu season.
4. Create A System – One of the biggest culprits for a messy work surface is stacks of papers. It’s easier to stack papers and binders on top of one another, than filing them. Set up a filing system for incoming papers (inbox), completed work, notes, and basic filing. This will reduce papers, binders, folders, and even sticky notes from piling up or better yet, getting lost on your work surface.
5. Before You Leave… – Before you leave work take 1 minute to clear your work surface from anything you may not have had time to do during your workday. This is a good way to not only close out your day but set yourself up for a productive clean start tomorrow.
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