Slow Summer Days? Organize Your Cube

Community Manager — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 14:05:00 GMT

Has the office summer slowdown hit yet? As tempting as it is to use summer's quiet days for long lunches and other indulgences, savvy employees squeeze extra productivity out of the summer work lull.

When projects move to the back burner and office colleagues decamp for vacation, use the found time to take stock of your office and get organized for the hectic post-Labor Day pace.

Clean Sweep: A simple clean up is the first order of business. Toss old newspapers, magazines, coffee cups, unused office accessories and clutter in the trash. Look around, you are more organized already!

Sort Your Desk Drawers: Next, take time to tackle your desk drawers, tossing unnecessary items and grouping like supplies (i.e. post-it-notes, pens, staples) together. Something as simple as a clean, well-organized drawer provides a sense of accomplishment. Ride that feeling as you move on to bigger projects.

Piles to Files: Filing is not just an end-of year chore. Move those piles into files for greater productivity, more breathing room and a calming sense of order. Set up a desktop file organizer for frequently used files; all other papers need to go into archival files or be tossed.

Eliminate e-clutter: Does your overflowing email box stress you out? Schedule blocks of time each day to get through the email. Once the in-box is empty, work to keep it that way with weekly maintenance.

Summer Lovin': Odds are good you spend more time in your office than just about anywhere else. Don't you want to love it a little more? Improve your relationship with your office space by adding personal accents. Consider a fun task lamp for your desk: a kicky color - bright yellow, hot pink - or one with a decorative lamp with a shade can cozy up your cube. And personalize your space with photos, fresh flowers, wall art or an attractive throw rug. While the mood should remain professional, a more personalized space adds up to a more welcoming work environment.

Do you get a charge out or cleaning and organizing your work space? How often do you take time to reorg and straighten up? Share your thoughts here and on the Pendaflex Facebook page.

The Demise of the Cubicle: Designing Office Space for the New Culture of Collaboration

Community Manager — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 13:54:00 GMT

1968.

It was a year marked by political and social unrest here and abroad.

It was also the birth year of that symbol of modern workplace dysfunction chronicled in Scott Adams' wildly popular Dilbert comic strip- the office cubicle.

As highlighted in this Fortune retrospective entitled Cubicles: The Great Mistake, even the cubicle's inventor - the late Robert Propst - came to rue the economical office system he thought would increase the productivity of "a growing breed of white-collar workers, whose job titles fell between secretary and boss." With a nod to the Dilbertvilles he inspired, he openly admitted his "contribution to 'monolithic insanity.'"

In making this admission, Propst might have foreseen the current shift in workplace culture away from worker isolation and towards flexible teamwork, open communication and ongoing collaboration. Perhaps he also knew what recent studies have confirmed: A well-designed office boosts employee morale, engagement and productivity.

Let's face it, we all secretly, or not so secretly cheered during the movie Office Space when the lead character "takes it to the man" by knocking down his cubicle wall with the help of a power drill. The look of accomplishment on his face spoke volumes, to office workers and managers alike.

Companies looking into the benefits of redesigning their physical space can start with a practical tutorial on How to Build a Better Office that walks you through these key steps:

Sizing up your current space
Involving your employees in the process
Deciding what your goals are
Asking yourself if it's time to move
Continuing to tweak

For more inspiration, you can virtually tour office spaces designed to optimize collaboration, including Microsoft's cool research facility, Building 99. Among the featured redesign elements are:

More shared and social spaces for spontaneous collaboration
Smaller cubicles with lower walls
Fewer private offices
Plush kitchen areas
Offices with sliding textured glass doors
Write-on/wipe-off walls

You might also gain some insight from this Fast Company slideshow of 10 Workspaces That Inspire Creativity and this image gallery of the Best and Worst Workplace Design.

by Carly Fadako

Beyond Folders : cubicles

Slow Summer Days? Organize Your Cube

The Demise of the Cubicle: Designing Office Space for the New Culture of Collaboration