A cluttered work area is one of the key things that can make employees unhappy and stressed, according to a recent workplace study by Kelton Global for National Business Furniture (NBF).
“Over 62 percent of those surveyed say having a cluttered work area has a negative impact on them,” said Dean Stier, chief marketing officer for NBF, “and it’s especially true among employed women (70 percent) vs. employed men (55 percent).”
There are four very different clutter personalities, the Procrastinator, the Overthinker, the Saver, and the Hider, according to NBF’s Clear the Office Clutter website. If you’d like to find out what your clutter personality is, take the Clutter Personality Quiz. Then, take your results and find tailored solutions to your clutter challenges in the free “Clear the Office Clutter” e-book, which offers easy solutions for not-so-neat offices that can lead to a more productive 2019.
“Organizational products are important to make a space functional, but they should actually be the last step when putting your space in order,” notes professional organizer Liz Girsch with Neat Method, a national company that custom designs and organizes home and office spaces. “Understanding your clutter personality will help determine a strategy that you can live with; then you can better select products that complement your design.”
Some tips Girsch includes in the e-book for those who are starting to clear the clutter:
- Create a sorting zone for items that are “to do,” “to file” and “to shred” and set up coordinating baskets trays for each.
- Label! Label! Label! Naming each shelf or file makes things neater and easier to find.
- Go digital. Reject the urge to print every piece of paper; save electronic versions instead.
Cash In On That Mess!
Before you start cleaning up that clutter, or encouraging your co-workers to do so, make sure to document it by taking a photo. The mess could pay off!
In an effort to help those with a case of the office clutters stay on track, National Business Furniture is holding a #ClearTheOfficeClutter contest for a chance to win $5,000 in office furniture. Now through March 1, post a photo of your own or a co-worker’s messy office space to Clear the Office Clutter Contest on Facebook or Instagram using the hashtag #ClearTheOfficeClutter and tag @nationalbusinessfurniture. Click here for contest details and official rules.
