• Posted Oct. 4, 2013, 12:29 p.m. - 10 years, 5 months ago

Improve Your Office Day

 

Today is ‘Improve Your Office Day’ and like the name suggests, office workers throughout the world are encouraged to find ways of creating a cleaner, more efficient and productive working environment. Here are a few suggestions for improving your office, making work a much better place to be:

Clean & tidy desk: Keeping your desk clean is probably something most people already do, but if you don’t, spend ten minutes at the end of your day tidying it up. Not only will it look more organised and presentable, but you won’t have clutter to come back to the next day, something that can cause stress for many people. Any loose wires or cables can be hazardous, they should either be tied together or out of the way so as not to cause any accidents, tripping over a cable and falling flat on your face isn’t the best start to a day!

 

Personalise your desk: Implementing your personality at work is important, nobody wants a dull and boring work area. Personalise your desk with things that you like. Having a plant on your desk will add colour to your workspace and will give out oxygen which will make the air fresher in your office. Photos of loved ones and postcards from your travels will give your workspace a more familiar and homely feel. Be careful when personalising your desk though, as you can go too far and some employers won’t allow too much change. Remember that your workspace must maintain a certain level of professionalism, looking presentable to visitors and other colleagues.

 

Upgrade office equipment: Having out of date computers and equipment can really slow down productivity, so let whoever is responsible know if you have old or faulty office gear. This goes for furniture too, if your desk chair is on its last legs, get it repaired or replaced, you should always be comfortable at work.

 

Eliminate office politics: Nobody wants to work in an office with a bad atmosphere. Back-stabbing and bitching can only damage working relationships and will cause divides slowing efficiency in your workplace. Reminding colleagues that you’re all a team striving towards the same goal is important. When everyone has an identical goal, it’s less likely that people will behave in their own best interests. It is important that everyone gets to voice their ideas and opinions, not just people that make the big decisions.

 

Well stocked break room: The office break room should be a place where workers can relax and take a well-earned break from daily tasks. Make sure there’s always enough essentials like tea, coffee, milk and biscuits, perfect for energising and comforting a busy office on a stressful day. Remember to keep the break room clean and tidy, whether that means you create a rota for everyone to have their turn at cleaning or clean what you use, it’s important that you can relax in a welcoming environment.