How many times have you been in this situation:
You return to your office with a stack of paper from a meeting. Instead of filing it away, you dump it into a drawer or put it on top of another stack of paper teetering on the corner of your desk. Then, you head to your next meeting, only to be handed more paper. You return to your office. It’s a disaster.
Outside of our homes, we spend most of our time in our offices. And just like your home, an organized, clean space is a happier, more efficient one that leaves a good impression with those who enter. That’s why a good spring cleaning is great idea, and it’s now the time of year to get the job done.
Why Get Clean?
- Efficiency and accuracy. A clean and organized office helps employees focus on their tasks and do their jobs more effectively. A few minutes searching for something adds up over time, so having what is needed at their fingertips can improve employee efficiency.
- Reducing germs. A clean environment helps promote better health. Dirt, germs, dust, etc., can contribute to colds, influenza, other viruses, asthma, and allergies. Cleaning up those common work surfaces, break rooms, and bathrooms will have a long-term positive effect on employee health.
How to Start
If you’re looking at your office, scratching your head and asking, “Where do I begin?” all you have to do is make a simple, three-step plan:
- Identify what needs to be done and list tasks in order of priority.
- Simplify the list. Tasks that can be accomplished quickly and easily will give you a sense of instant gratification, so do those first! A little momentum can go a long way.
- Label documents and identify what you don’t need. Not only can keeping too many documents lying around cause disarray, but it can also lead to anxiety when you have to rifle through stacks of paper in search of an important document you need immediately.
Where to Start (and Why)
A Clean Office is a Working Office
We’ve written before about the benefits of an organized workplace. Addressing clutter on a macro level can clear out your larger issues first while making the smaller clutter both easier to spot and easier to address.
While you’re in the cleaning mood, organizing could help identify places to renovate, improve, and refresh. Still vacuuming that carpet from 1989? Maybe this is the year to upgrade to modern wood flooring!
Consider the Client
It’s simpler to see what needs cleaning on the employee end, but how could your client experience get tidied up? Boosting what a visitor sees and receives can form a big part of your public perception, and moreover streamlines their in-office experience. A tidy lobby table with treats, for example, creates a much better atmosphere than a plain bench coated with old magazines.
Make a Day (Event) of It
An easy way to bring your clients together in the name of cleanliness is a shred event at your office. Have your clients bring in all their old papers and documents — old tax forms, for example — and rent a shredding truck for the afternoon. Get a local restaurant to cater, and suddenly you have your next hit referral event.
Once your office is spic and span, you’ll want more tips on how to make it the place to do business. For all that, subscribe to our YouTube channel and keep up-to-date on all our latest clips and advice!
