Why you don't need a clear desk policy

By Rachel Papworth, Green and Tidy

When I was a student in the mid-1980s, I had a summer job at the headquarters of a certain chocolate manufacturer. The offices had a 'clear desk policy' meaning that no-one was allowed to leave anything on their desks overnight, other than their phone. There weren't even PCs on the desks back then.

The offices looked tidy and smart and people always had space to work. But we hated the policy. We longed to leave the work we were partway through and intending to finish first thing the following morning, on our desk laid out in a way that reflected our thought patterns.
Having to pack everything away disturbed our trains of thought. It felt as though we had to start from further back when we came in again the next morning.

Now I work from a bedroom in my home converted into an office, with fitted desks, wall shelves and a filing cabinet. It's up to me what I leave on my desk overnight!

There are always papers on my desk, in piles relating to different projects. And that works for me. I like to be able to lay my hand instantly on relevant documents if a call comes in or a thought occurs to me.

However, it sometimes gets out of control. I come home from a meeting, walk into my office with a pile of papers and there's nowhere to put them other than on top of other stuff. My energy sinks, my stress levels rise and I begin to feel like it's all too much.

That's my signal to set aside an hour or so to declutter. Even when I'm mega-busy, it's always worth taking that time. When it's done, and I can see my desk again, I work faster and more easily get into 'flow'.

Plus, in the process, I've resolved issues that have been hanging around for ages. Most office clutter is caused by postponing decisions, usually because of fear. Clearing the clutter forces us to make decisions so, as well as enabling us to get rid of associated paperwork, it increases our productivity.

Here are my top tips for maintaining a decluttered, and productive, office.

1. Minimise personal items
A couple of photos or postcards is fine. An army of stuffed animals will distract you (unless you're a toy manufacturer!).

2. Don't use stuff as a reminder
Instead of leaving stuff lying around to remind you take action, schedule the action in your diary or calendar and put the associated items away. Not only will this keep your space clear for other projects, it'll remove that nagging sense that you 'should' be taking action since you know that you will take action, and when.

3. Find the perfect level of clutter for you
There's no 'right' level of clutter. Some people thrive in a 'clear desk policy' environment. Others' creative juices are stimulated by being surrounded by half-finished projects. The key is to find your balance - and then maintain it!

4. Go as paperless as possible
So long as you're securely backed-up, you don't need to keep hard copies of documents as well as digital versions. Save resources by printing out as little as possible.

5. Maximise use of space
I've had shelves built above head height around the walls of my office, and a shelf built above my desk to hold my printer and scanner and free up desk space. Look around your office to find wasted space that could hold a storage system.

6. Clear away those mugs
Take a break to eat lunch away from your desk. Give yourself at least a few minutes to concentrate on your food, and to have a change of scene. Clear away any detritus of snacks from your desk as soon as possible. Ranks of mouldy coffee cups are unhygienic and drain your energy.

7. Declutter regularly
Find a rhythm that works for you. Start your week by decluttering and organising each Monday morning. End it by decluttering and organising on a Friday afternoon. Or declutter and organise whenever you feel your stress levels rising.  When you've decluttered your desk, give it a clean too. That clear, clean space will inspire you and feed your creativity.

Rachel is a Professional Organiser and Declutter, and the Director of Green and Tidy. She helps people all over the world declutter and create homes and offices they love.

A trained coach with a Psychology degree, and a self-confessed decluttering and organising geek, Rachel loves the way decluttering your stuff declutters your mind, and the contribution decluttering and organising makes to living a low impact life. For a free masterclass on How To Declutter and Stay Decluttered Forever,  join the Green and Tidy community at http://www.mygreenandtidylife.co.uk. You can also follow her on Twitter @greenandtidy, Like http://www.facebook.com/GreenAndTidy, see the Pinterest boards she's created at http://pinterest.com/greenandtidy and subscribe to her YouTube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/greenandtidyvideos.
 
 

If you want to contribute to the Chamber blog, contact us on hannah@brightonchamber.co.uk