Through the desk to the heart (boss) - design your workplace!

Most OHS courses, training courses or infographics in corporations contain a detailed diagram of the perfect workplace. The tilt angle of the monitor, keyboard, table top and seat height are extremely important elements. The workplace is not only a purely technical aspect, but also a personal one - no position, used for a long time, will protect you from the "raid" of the owner's individuality. Nothing wrong with that, but it is important to be able to reconcile the appropriate features in the workplace - a friendly, effective and professional desk. How to design them?

Don't be entrenched!

Although working in an office can sometimes resemble a guerrilla war, creating anti-tank dykes from piles of documents, office utensils and dishes is not the best idea. Order on the desk seems like a slogan? Perhaps - but it is so for a reason.

There are people who can concentrate only in sterile conditions and have the ability to keep their workplace in such a state, and there are those for whom their natural work environment is a mess - and who also have no particular problem with creating it. If you work alone in your room, remotely from home, and you are also efficient - no problem with that. However, working in a classic office, cubicles or open-space requires some adaptation to generally prevailing standards. The more that - unless you are a graphic artist or someone else in this style - an unstructured desk can negatively affect how we are perceived by colleagues or superiors. Is it pressed on the lips that "no one is concerned with what my desk looks like as long as I work well"? Rightly so, although people do not judge each other only on the basis of dry facts, but also subconscious perceptions - and such is the impression that may remain in another person after looking at our workplace. So instead of arguing with the world and ostentatiously demonstrating being above its rules, it is better to use them to your advantage, with little effort.

How to do it? Organizing is not as difficult as it sounds. First of all - papers, cards, documents, cards. Difficult to control, piling up on the desk and stressful. All kinds of organization systems will come to your aid here - binders, briefcases, and troughs. The documents should be dealt with firmly - segregate, throw away any unnecessary, clip the necessary and non-urgent into binders, leave needed and urgent at hand in a special tray. Notes? Depending on the quantity, small pieces of paper can be attached to a cork board or partition walls above the desk, or - if there are a lot of notes - a notebook. And don't put it off. To-do lists can be easily designed on a computer - a classic spreadsheet, text document or "sticky" notes for the desktop, popular in newer versions of the software, will work well in this case.

After digging up a mountain of documents, it becomes clear where all the utensils in the office have gone? You don't need to explain how to deal with the problem. In the future, it is worth taking care not to accumulate company tableware on your desk - before going for another coffee, it is worth taking a cup with you, already standing at your workplace. It is also a good idea to have one cup that you use constantly at work.

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Finally, it's time for office equipment. In his case, it is also worth starting with segregation - throw away what is unnecessary, broken, exhausted, and saved. Divide what remains into the necessary ones that must be at hand - i.e. pens, cards or a notebook for quick notes and everything that is used many times a day. Other things should be hidden, for example, in a cupboard.

When the cleaning is done, it turns out that the desk is not as small as it initially appeared, and the pens were not stolen by the neighbor in the cubicle next door. The space on the desk is a space for work and creativity that can be personalized a bit.

How not to make a museum out of the desk?

The experts' opinions are consistent - personalizing your workplace and adjusting it to your own needs and preferences helps in work and increases commitment. Therefore, it is worth making sure that you feel good at your desk, still remembering the basic principle - dazzling individuality versus professionalism. In the office, you are first and foremost a professional, and then a parent, partner, passionate about animals, fashion, motorcycles, music, etc.

Therefore, a few small accents can be placed on the desk, defining our personality and distinguishing us from other employees. It can be a favorite mug, a little thing for good luck, a child's drawing, a photo of your dream car (strongly motivating to work!), A potted plant. At the same time, it is worth ensuring that these personal items are not most exposed on the desk and do not attract the attention of everyone who enters the room. And what is important - they cannot attract the attention of the desk owner too much, i.e. they cannot distract him. Therefore, it is better not to invest in interactive toys from popular gadget stores that can absorb your attention and time.

Desktop - the second desk

Although the computer screen is rather unobtrusive to colleagues, as is the desk, it is still worth taking care of order on the company's hard drive. A cluttered start screen, a clogged e-mail inbox, and a lot of opened tabs are not conducive to effective work. How to deal with this?

Banal, but true - folders. Documents on the desktop should only be saved when it is necessary to access them quickly. After a crisis situation, all files should be placed in appropriate, clearly described folders. Thanks to this, first of all, nothing is lost, and all documents related to one topic will be gathered in one place. Second - the desktop is still limited in size, which can only fit a certain number of documents. It is worth taking care of them before the end of this place.

It is similar with the mailbox. Messages are best read and sorted on a regular basis. If that's not possible, it's a good idea to set aside half an hour a week to clean up your inbox and outbox.

To sum up - the workplace should be such that its owner feels good in it. This owner, however, must remember that he is a specialist at work and this is what he should emphasize not only with his own competences, but also with the condition of his desk and computer. If you think about it, a desk is a great social impact tool - with a little effort you can make your coworkers and supervisors see you as a professional. I guess it's worth a try?