Maintaining an Organized Work Space

Whether you work in an office or at home, keeping an organized workspace is essential in helping you work more efficiently. When your desk is clear and everything is tidy, it helps you stay focused and gives an air of organization. It also helps you find things when you need them.

When a workspace is cluttered with notes, letters, files, empty drink cups, and general stuff, you cannot find what you need. If you are one of these people who proudly states “I know where everything is” as your boss, looks at your desk with disdain, then you really need to have a clear up.

Having a clear work space clears your mind. You may think you know where everything is on your desk, but you are wasting brain energy keeping record of your ungainly filling system. This in turn makes you less efficient, because not only can you not find the things you need quickly, your brain is trying to recall when you had it last and what has been put on top of it.

Some companies have now introduced a clear desk policy. This means that anything other than your necessary tools, like your computer and telephone should not be on show when you leave your desk at the end of the day. All files must be kept filed away especially at the end of the day and anything you are working on should be covered if you leave your desk.

This is as much a security issue for companies as anything. We may work with very sensitive information like people’s finances or legal information; even personal details on a computer are subject to the data protection laws. Therefore it is good practice to close your screen and put files in your drawer whenever you leave your desk. This kind of organization can only be achieved if your workspace is clear of all unnecessary items.

It may seem that an office is a safe environment and it can be felt that papers and on screen information is all part of the job and all the workers are okay, but this cannot be taken for granted. If you think about the way computer systems are structured in business then you will know that not everyone in the building has access to all computer files. You have access to folders and files that are relevant to your work, but nothing outside that area.

Large companies are particularly aware of this kind of security. If you have worked in this type of environment you will be aware that it takes a while to be set up with authority to areas when you first start a job. This is the company protecting itself by the organization of its own security.

When you are working from home it can seem irrelevant as no one ever goes into your office but good organization of your work place is still essential as it can help make you work more efficiently. A clear desk and space to work, without moving piles of files means that you are able to focus on the work in hand.