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It’s that time of year that brings out the cleanliness in all of us – something about the mornings and evenings slowly getting lighter and the weather improving that makes us want to spruce up our habitats – and the same applies in the office. After all, there’s plenty of research to show that a cleaner, less cluttered office environment can drive productivity up and reduce staff sick days. But depending on what you have to organise, the task at hand can seem a little overwhelming. So where do you begin if you’re in need of a big clean up operation?
Take A Sectional Approach
If you have a large space to organise, begin with one small area first. This could mean transforming a messy paper storage area by signing up for cloud computing and going fully digital. Or it could be tackling a break room that has gotten a little out of hand. Decide on a plan of action that allows you to take it step by step. You can increase your workplace comfort simply by making everything a little more streamlined and clutter free.
Take Your Declutter Digital
Our workplaces are no longer just in the physical realm – they span a lot of digital territory as well. So it makes sense to consider your virtual real estate as part of your spring cleaning plans. Take the time to update or delete old files, clean out your document cache and have a digital tidy up – this might also include reviewing your social media presence and looking at your marketing system to tidy up email templates and old workflows. You could save a lot of time spent scrolling through expired campaigns and ancient email threads. And it goes without saying that your inbox should be a part of the action too. Aim for inbox zero by creating time-based folders in your inbox and only using it to process mail rather than become a repository of every communication that you’ve been included in.
Get A Deep Clean Done
Hiring in a professional contractor to come and deep clean your office environment is something that should be scheduled on an annual basis. For example, specialist keyboard cleaning can eliminate a whole host of bacteria and other nasties that accumulate when people eat at their desks. Add in some commercial window cleaning to get things really sparkling. Not only do cleaner premises reduce staff downtime from sickness absence, but they show a duty of care for your staff and their working environment which can increase job satisfaction. It also sends the message to any clients visiting your premises that you’re a good firm which cares about staff wellbeing.
Stop The Creep
Mess can gradually build up before we know it. When you’re busy with the day to day to-do list, it’s very easy for tidying up and good hygiene to fall by the wayside. Instead of letting things build back up, schedule in regular slots to stay on top of clutter and have a paperwork amnesty where people are encouraged to empty their drawers, shred confidential documents and recycle the rest.
