How A Tidy Work Space Improves Productivity

Want to boost productivity in your office? It’s time to declutter, tidy up and leave those work desks clutter-free and sparklingly clean!

We all like to work in a clean comfortable environment – proven in our recent poll where 75% of respondents agreed that a clean desk and clean office helps us to be more productive.

Here are the reasons why:

• Increased Focus

With an office full of clutter, it is very easy to become distracted. Once you clean and declutter, it will increase your level of focus and concentration, thus allowing you to get more work done. You’ll also find yourself having more time to work since a clean and organized office saves you from digging through stacks of documents and paperwork.

• Less Stress

We all have probably experienced working in an office that looks like a tornado blew through and we know how stressful that can be. When there is clutter surrounding you, it’s not possible to focus on that one thing that must get done before lunchtime and this can cause a lot of stress. Taking just a few minutes each day to organize your desk can lower your stress levels and allow for a smooth day of work. When people are less stressed, they tend to be happier, improving the morale of the entire team.

• Greater Profitability

Time spent not working at work means decreased profitability. Common sense suggests with less time wasted searching for important documents, a tidy, well-organized desk leads to a more productive day. A dirty, cluttered workplace can decrease productivity which in turn leads to decreased profitability– it’s like a chain reaction.

• Clutter

You probably don’t need most of the stuff on your desk, and any papers you may need later can be filed away. Searching through electronically stored documents is far more efficient than digging through mounds of paperwork.  Bill Gates – probably one of the most successful businessmen ever famously said “On my desk I have three screens, synchronized to form a single desktop – nothing else. I can drag items from one screen to the next. Once you have that large display area, you’ll never go back, because it has a direct impact on productivity”.

We’ve all struggled with maintaining the appearance of our workspaces, especially when schedules are tight, and deadlines are looming. However, neglecting the tidiness and overall attractiveness of our workspace can have negative consequences–ones you might not have considered before.

• Professional and Personal Image

There are several ways that a cluttered, disorganized workspace negatively impacts your professional image. For starters, disorganization reflects poorly on you in front of your co-workers and clients. If you can’t be trusted to keep your desk tidy, how attentive are you to the details of their business?

Professional people should take pride in their jobs–and this translates to how they organize their workspace.

Remember: a tidy workspace and office make it easier to be productive, find the things you need, and finish tasks. When clients visit, they’ll see your organization (or lack thereof) as a direct reflection on you, your seriousness in business, and your professionalism.

• Health

When desks and work surfaces are left unclean, viruses can linger on telephones and keyboards for 24 hours. An unhygienic office tends to be the cause of at least some of the working days the average employee loses due to being sick every year.  Working days lost, 2017/18. Stress, depression or anxiety disorders accounted for the majority of days lost due to work-related ill health, 15.4 million. On average, each person suffering took around 16.5 days off work.

Finally, some considerations when looking for new office space:

• Ensure there is enough space to accommodate staff/desks comfortably
• Ensure there are cupboards, drawers and shelving to keep things tidy
• Check there is good lighting
• Make sure there is good heating and clean air.