Spring Cleaning…at Work?

Guest blogger Stephanie over at Ketchum was recently telling us about how she moved to a new office space and was shocked by the amount of stuff she had accumulated in her six years in the old cubicle. Boxes and boxes of annual reports, press kits, news clippings, files from folks who had long since left the team on projects that had long since ended. In short, she was a veritable archive of PR program paraphernalia. 

 

Was all of this stuff necessary to keep? No. Did she? Yes. So why did she keep it all? In my mind, it always comes down to “what if.”  What if I need it in the future?  What if someone else (gasp, the boss!?) needs it in the future?  What if, what if, what if.  Well, she was drowning in the stuff those “what if’s” created, and I bet a lot of other office workers are too!

 

Luckily when she moved Stephanie was able to make the time to purge. As she tells it, the building brought her a small-scale dumpster that she filled to overflowing. Now we might not all be that bad, but for the other office packrats out there, I thought I’d share a few tips on how to scale back so you don’t wind up in need of a dumpster too!

 

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• Treat your office space like you might your closet. It’s much easier to find things and get work done when everything is organized and orderly. Keep like things together in boxes, filing cabinets, magazine racks, containers, and more.
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• And just like you would your wardrobe, give your office a good once over each season and see what will continue working for you (necessary files you refer to often) and those that might not be in style any more (the papers you haven’t even thought about, let alone glanced at in over a year). Once you’ve done that, hopefully you’ll have found a lot of unnecessary materials you can toss in the recycle bin.
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• On that note, only keep hard copies of those documents you know aren’t saved on a computer server somewhere or those you really need in printed form. This rule of thumb will save you tons of space in the filing cabinet and clear loads of paper off your desk. That’s important because…
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• When you come to work and see a desk covered with files and reports it can feel so overwhelming you may actually be less productive. So banish it for good! Create and stick to a filing system that keeps clutter off your desk. It could be as easy as color-coded folders, or something more complex requiring label makers and markers. Just find what works for you and run with it!
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• And if your office doesn’t have them already, consider making your own custom dry erase board to keep track of projects, to-do’s, schedules and more. A custom board is great because you can create sections that work best for you – like a calendar area or a checklist – and you can even add in fun graphics or clip art. It’ll help keep you on top of things while cutting down on the number of post-its that may be lining your wall or computer monitor. All that’s required is some oversized paper and a large-format lamination machine, both available at FedEx Office.<?xml:namespace prefix = o /> 

 

Related FedEx Office Solutions: Office Supplies, Lamination

 

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