A CLEAN DESK POLICY

The benefits & the supporting furniture

One of my favourite quotes, by two famous authors, Theobald and Cooper (4) is:

“Detox your desk, declutter your life and mind”

I often find myself spending 10 minutes every morning cleaning and reorganizing my workspace before I even open my emails. This is due to the post-it note stuck on the second screen, notebooks and trade magazines left open on a page I found interesting, and different colour pens left on the desk, all because I rushed to a meeting and had no time to pack it away.

Going back to the quote which suggests that a clean desk will lead to a clear mindset. It is true to me that only once I have a cleared desk then my concentration, creativity and productivity kick in. This has been found in many journals and studies related to desk space creativity and productivity.

Aon Company agrees as they believe the cleanliness of an environment is a good indication of the state of your mind (1). There are several distractions in an open-plan office such as employee conversations, deliveries, and notifications and the one we can personally control is a cluttered desk. A cluttered environment reduces your focus as you quickly divert your attention to whatever is lying around. A clean and well-organised environment boosts productivity and employees can work efficiently without any distractions (3)

An organised environment will also save you time and make you look more professional (3). Filing documents in the right place, avoids wasting time looking for the things you need. Nothing is worse than your director or client watching you scratch through paperwork to find the document required to close a deal. Has this happened to you? The more organized you are the more professional and productive you become.

The recommended workstation layout:

View the Maluti Height-Adjustable desk range

How do we declutter the workspace?

We can give thanks to increased digitalisation, which has reduced the amount of paper and physical objects that are placed on the desk, which in turn contributes to increased flexibility in the workspace as more companies are implementing hot desks (according to Aram Seddigh 2023) (2).

Some companies still need dedicated work areas or office spaces. Some tasks still require a lot of paperwork and filing. Dedicated pedestals, end storage units, lockers and filing cabinets are still necessary for such organizations. These products will ensure storage for specific items.

A few more quick tips include recycling unnecessary paper.  If you have too many pens, donate a pen or two to a work colleague who is always searching for one. Draw dividers help with grouping and separating certain items or stationery. Keep only what you need daily, within arm’s reach on the desk surface (5).

On days when you don’t need to rush out to a meeting and you have 5-10 minutes to reorganise your desk at the end of the day, it will result in a clear and clutter-free mind at the beginning of a new day and you will be ready for action.

By Janice Pozzo

References:
(1) Aon Company. https://www.coverwallet.com/business-tips/workplace-environment-productivity
(2) Aram Seddigh. Workplace Strategy for the flexible office, 2023, BoD books on demand. Norderstedt, Germany. https://www.google.co.za/books/edition/Workplace_Strategy_for_the_Flexible_Offi/tIHGEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=ergonomics+and+a+clean+desk+policy&printsec=frontcover
(3) Carl  Pullein, 2020. The productivity-boosting benefits of a clean and organised workspace. https://medium.com/carl-pullein/the-productivity-boosting-benefits-of-a-clean-and-organised-workspace-cf7edaf5773
(4) Detox your desk, declutter your lift and mind. Theo Theobald and Cary L CooperJohn Wiley & Sons 2010 https://www.google.co.za/books/edition/Detox_Your_Desk/mVm3NnBmh74C?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=decluttered+workspace+and+the+effect&printsec=frontcover
(5) Farewell clutter, hello productivity. Declutter and organise your workspace to maximize your productivity. Coaching. 50minutes.com
https://www.google.co.za/books/edition/Farewell_Clutter_Hello_Productivity/XtsqDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=declutter+workspace&printsec=frontcover