Does Your Desk Work FOR You?

1. Does Your Desk Work FOR You?

2. Jim adds his latest to-do’s to his inbox. His inbox is overflowing and so is his desk--there is stuff everywhere! Help Jim better organize his desk so he can find what he needs and make his deadlines! Click here to go to Jim’s desk

3. Look around Jim’s desk. What things might negatively affect his work environment? Explore anything which might affect productivity. Do notread this Do notread this Do notread this Do notread this Don’t read This either Don’t read This either Don’t read This either Don’t read This either

4. Folders and Loose Papers All those handouts and notes sure pile up quickly! I started asking people to send me things electronically so I can store on my computer. It’s much easier for me to keep on top of filing what’s leftover. I also use OneNote to keep different kinds of files on one project together. Have you used it before? Return to Jim’s desk to find more clutter!

5. Email Emails can be so distracting! And not all of them are important! Here are some things I do to cope with emails: I’ve turned off alerts. Instead I look at email after I’ve finished with what I’m doing. Calendar appointments don’t always have a lot of lead time. When I have a lot of emails, I look for calendar items first. I strive to empty my email Inbox at the end of each day. As I read each email, I take immediate action on it so I am only touching each email once. Return to Jim’s desk to find more clutter!

6. Post-its z • I love Post-its! They are so handy! But they can also loose their value. • Before I write a Post-it, I ask myself: • Do the notes pertain to a project or person? If so, I immediately document them in an online organizer like OneNote to keep similar thoughts and notes together. • Periodically I review my Post-its and ask: • Do I still need the reminder? Is there a better place for the note now? • Return to Jim’s desk to find more clutter!

7. Office Supplies Office supplies can become like knickknacks—they look nice but don’t always have much functionality. Things I consider: What supplies can I get from a common area (e.g., printer area)? What supplies do I use frequently? I also removed common area supplies from my desk and moved rarely used supplies to my storage. Return to Jim’s desk to find more clutter!

8. Personal Pictures Pictures can help me create a relaxing and happy work environment. Before I add a picture to my desk, I think about: What mood does it put me in? I keep only the ones that enhance a productive environment. How many pictures do I already have? Keeping my pictures to one or two keeps my desk space free and available for working. Return to Jim’s desk to find more clutter!

9. Why does this matter to me? Are there benefits to decluttering my desk? • Your desk is where much of your work takes place. You need to be able to think of new ideas or new ways of to become more efficient. You need to be able to complete projects and your day-to-day work. • Fact: It is more difficult to work at a desk dominated by mess and clutter. • With an organized desk, • Documents/papers are easier to find. • Blank space allows your mind to relax—reducing stress. • You can focus more on the work that needs to be done. • You can be more creative.

10. Create an action plan for your desk! How can you increase your own productivity by creating a better working environment? Click on and print out the page below (opens in new browser window). Decide what personal steps you will take to make every area on your desk better. When you are done, recycle the page to complete the task!

11. Hints Look around Jim’s desk. What things might negatively affect a work environment? Explore anything which might affect productivity. Do notread this Do notread this Do notread this Do notread this Don’t read This either Don’t read This either Don’t read This either Don’t read This either