Do you have a desk full of papers you are working on, and papers you are not working on, and a few books and magazines? And dozens of pens and cups and post-its and cables? Do you think it’s a sign of creativity or imagination? The truth is, you are either too lazy to clean it up or you don’t know how. A clean desk saves you time looking for stuff; it helps you prioritize, and focus better on the tasks at hand. Here are few tips for a clean desk:

1. Don’t collect. Don’t take those cheap gift items like pens, note pads, post-its, magazines just because they are free. Or anything else that will likely end up as trash on your desk. Throw away or give away all those pens and pencils that you don’t use. Couple of family photos or frames are OK, but more than that are a distraction. You can put them in Flickr and watch a slideshow whenever you like.
2. Learn to deal with paper. Don’t print or copy unless necessary. For me, there are only three places for papers: trash it (or shred it or recycle it), file it away or keep in one of your ‘work-in-progress’ folders. Have a bin, shredder and recycle tray handy so you’ll never be guilty of throwing what can be recycled or afraid to trash confidential stuff.
3. Organize in clear folders. Create clear folders with labels for all the ongoing projects. These are your ‘work-in-progress’ folders. You could also have another clear folder called ‘action’ or ‘process’ or ‘today’. This has all those 2-minute papers that you can read and trash, or forms to fill, or things to sign and pass on. Deal with this folder only once a day.
4. The 4 D’s of time management also apply to papers. Drop it (trash it), Delay it (work-in-progress folder or the action folder), Delegate it (pass it on) or Do it (do it now, or file it away).
5. Banish post-it notes. They are too easy to lose, too difficult to focus on, and too ugly when plastered all over your desk and monitor. Write the information in the correct place the first time round – phone book, calendar, to-do list… whether you use a notebook, computer or a hand held device.
6. Eat away from your desk. So your paper bags, cups and utensils won’t stick around your desk. And your keyboard won’t fill up with crumbs. Walking out of the office to eat also provides a break and some exercise.
7. Tidy up the cables. It’s a one-time job organizing or hiding all those cables from the computer, chargers and phone line, but it’s surely worth the time and effort. Go wireless as much as possible.

The above tips are only useful after you have done a massive cleanup operation. Imagine your desk with just your monitor, keyboard, 2-3 clear folders, a notebook and a pen. You will be able to focus better and get more done.

[First published in Aug. 2009]

Today I finally got around to cleaning my desk at home. It had become cluttered with all sorts of stuff. You probably know, old bills, new bills, a used password list (only one of them has been sort of correct), leaflets received during a trade show, etc. I was wondering myself how much information about me, good and bad, could be derived from the assorted clutter.

It’s quite scary and a reminder for myself that I should be more careful when leaving stuff on my desk. I know all the risks of garbage dumpers and people coming in and slicing and dicing your personal life (been there, done that) but it takes some mental effort to be aware of your own clutter.

So, back to cleaning the desk and keeping it clean.

Gina Trapani at Harvard writes simple rules to keep desk clean and optimize work (full article at http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/trapani/2009/06/organize-your-workspace-for-ma.html)

I’ve added this comment:

“Clean desk rules!
Right info at right place: avoid having your space cluttered with tons of (useful) informations. Try to find something, digital or not, to store and retrieve them.”

This comment also at http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/trapani/2009/06/organize-your-workspace-for-ma.html#comments

Just look at my desk!  I can’t  function amidst such chaos and disorder!!!  Contents include:

Before

Laptop
The Poisonwood Bible (on top of my grade book)
Things Fall Apart (audio and book)
a purple pen for grading (red seems so accusatory and caustic)
SpringBoard text
Kleenex
a notepad
Letter from Jazmine’s mom
Post-it Notes
a highlighter and a black pen
Scholarship/Programs Update for January 2009
a thank you letter to a generous donor
the requisite apple
a family portrait (of one of my student’s family)
speakers for the laptop
stapler
paper clip holder
Pen caddy
Reese’s Cup (for motivation)

Het papierloze kantoor wordt – alweer – de trend van het nieuwe jaar, lees ik. E-facturatie, inkomende documenten inscannen en efficiëntere bedrijfsprocessen: het zijn ontwikkelingen waar meer bedrijven dan vroeger in 2009 werk van willen maken. De ultieme ambitie is een papierloos kantoor. Om één of andere reden doet het papierloze kantoor me denken aan m’n allereerste baas. Een indrukwekkende man, vooral omwille van z’n indrukwekkende postuur. Hij was erg groot en even erg dik, had een honger en een geheugen als een paard en het vel van een olifant. Jaarlijks liet hij in de Vlaamse Ardennen bij een degelijke ouderwetse kleermaker een kostuum maken op maat dat enigszins z’n indrukwekkende torso kon omvatten. Z’n grote kantoor rook altijd zuur en overal lagen stapels mappen en papieren. Overal dus: op kasten, op vensterbanken, op de vergadertafel, op de vloer en ook op z’n bureau. Een vergadering begon dan ook steevast met het verplaatsen van stapels papier. Die man dus, daar moet ik aan denken als ik het papierloze kantoor tegen kom. Omdat één van z’n eerste zinnen bij m’n introductie was dat hij een groot voorstander was van het clean-deskprincipe.

So, maybe you have a great resume or are on your way to having one? You know what you’re looking for, you are keeping track of your contacts and are up-to-date with your follow-ups.

Does that sound like you? The well-oiled organized job searching machine?

No? You’re the job seeker lost in a sea of papers who can’t remember what job you applied for last? If you had to pinpoint your next scheduled follow-up date or walk the plank, you might actually be eaten by alligators? (Or would it be crocodiles?)  Do you spend a lot of time spinning your wheels, but you don’t seem to get anywhere? You’d like to believe that setting goals and writing them down will help you achieve them, but you know there is something else in your way.

That something most likely is an organizational plan. Last week, I wrote about making time to manage your digital footprint, setting goals, keeping track of your contacts and managing your job hunt and career.

This week’s theme is getting organized to help you get where you need to go. First things first: organize your desk. I can tell you from personal experience – although it may seem like an overwheming job, it is so worth it to tackle the clutter that is keeping you from being productive.

Eve Tahmincioglu, who writes about career issues for MSNBC.com, recently focused  on the issue of clutter in the workplace and pointed out that, in today’s culture of downsizings, employees should avoid having the desk that looks like a tornado just struck. She quotes expert Karissa Thacker, a workplace psychologist, who cautions, “You don’t want to be sticking out as having the most Frappuccinos on your desk.”

The bumper sticker saying, “A clean desk is a sign of a deranged mind” is cute, but the fact is, most people who see a tower of tumbling papers and evidence of what you’ve eaten for the past week (month?) on your desk are going to assume you’re a slob, and slobs don’t usually have reputations for productivity.

So – as a job seeker AND an employee, an organized desk is a good idea. (Especially if you are an employee who doesn’t want to become a job seeker against your will!)

Stay tuned for tips to keep your desk in job seeking/productive employee shape! (And for more advice and tools to help you manage your job hunt.)

If you want to receive free up-to-date tips to help with your job hunt, Click here to subscribe to receive future blogs sent directly to you!

Keppie Careers will get you organized for your job hunt and help you every step of the way! From a great resume to step-by-step job hunting assistance – Keppie Careers is here for you! www.keppiecareers.com.

Photo by Arellis49

I’ve lost my desk to paper piles and disorganization again. Somehow, all of my grand attempts to keep paper clutter off my desk and filed away have completely failed me. Stacks of papers, problem books, and partially completed projects have crept up from the depths of Paper Hell and spread themselves across my desk. Some papers blend into two piles simultaneously, which means if I bother to throw anything away, I’ll have read it and evaluate it before I pitch it.

I know what the problem is– I’ve not been filing papers as soon as I touch them. I caught myself throwing a piece of paper on a pile today and thinking, “I’ll file it later.” Bad girl! That’s how I got into so much trouble in the first place. Too much procrastination makes for a huge project later.

To make matters worse, I haven’t been cleaning off my desk at the end of the day. I’ve been too exhausted and overwhelmed to organize my papers at any point in the day, which means I start the next day exhausted and overwhelmed just looking at the mess when I walk into my office. The paper gremlins seem to multiply when I’m distracted by a crisis or have too many meetings in one day.

Cleaning off my desk is like working out– I know it’s good for me and I know how good I’ll feel after my workout, but some days it’s easier to lie on the couch and watch TV while grazing from a bag of potato chips. It’s painless to let the mess build up, but stressful and unhealthy to live this way in the long run. (Too bad those papers aren’t really potato chips– I doubt I’d let them pile up!)

Maybe the vacation day I randomly scheduled for this Friday is the medicine I need to take. I will make it my goal to clear off my desk (and not just pile it in a corner), so that when I return next Monday, I’ll start with a clear idea of what next week’s problems and priorities will be.

Home Office for Two

I spent a lot of time during August reorganizing my home office.

I cleaned out and rearranged my office, making space for both my daughter (close computer) and myself (far computer).  Our family had all started spending far too much time in different rooms invoved in doing different activities.  This home office for two provides for some family togetherness, in a fun and comfortable way.

Not seen, I have a file cabinet in the back corner under the plant, and another file drawer under the desk.  I have an ottoman (soft leather footstool) under the desk, as well as a basket with various bags I use for different places I go, or different types of appointments.  Shelves have been installed in a closet to the right, as well as a bookcase on the right conveniently keeps materials for different students  I’m tutoring from home.

I recently bought two new very compfortable red velour office chairs, and the pink towels are on top of them to keep them clean (we also have two cats, one of whom likes to claw them if they are uncovered).

I placed the telephone and a notepad for messages between us, and a printer going to both computers will soon be installed on the small table under the painting.

One key thing with this office is that I use it for writing, tutoring, creative projects, and business.  I do NOT use it for bill-paying, or filing away paid bills.  All that goes in a separate room, where I have another desk, and other cupboards, and file cabinets.  That way everything doesn’t get mixed together.

My Desk (with cat sleeping behind the books)

One of my cats was always sleeping on the desk, all over my books and papers, so I cut two cat “blankets” out of an old sheet (one to be washed while the other is being used), and have now gotten the cat to understand he needs to lie on the blanket, and not on my books and papers.

On the wall to the left,  facing my desk, but unseen in the photo, I will be installing a white board.  This way when I tutor students, two can sit in two chairs at my desk, facing the white board.  Alternatively, a single student can sit next to me at the same desk (it’s two meters long), or sit in one of the red chairs, if we are reading aloud from two copies of the same book.

–Eileen

How clean is your desk?  I’m not just referring to the usual paper files and clutter on your desk – I’m talking about food crumbs, paper cups and the dreaded flu bug. Having a “clean” desk is just as important as having a well organized desk. Here are some important tips in helping you keep your work surface spic and span:

• Don’t eat at your desk! It’s much more beneficial for both you and your desk if you actually take a break and eat lunch outside the office or in a lunch room. This saves your keyboard from crumbs and your papers from spilled drinks, and it also gives you a chance to relax without interruptions from the phone or computer.
• Wash your hands. It’s on the back-to-school list and it should also be on your desk – hand sanitizer. It’s well documented that clean hands prevent germs from spreading between people, so if you interact frequently with colleagues or clients, make sure to make a trip to the sink or use hand sanitizer.
• Keep cleaning supplies handy at your desk. A small bottle of spray cleaner and paper towels at close proximity will make it easier to wipe down your phone and desk at the end of the day. (When someone is infected with a cold or flu virus, the surfaces they touch become germ transfer points, and they can survive up to 72 hours!)
• Do you have enough light? You can’t keep your desk clean if you don’t have adequate lighting. A well-lit work area is important for your eyes and for seeing what’s on your desk.

I’m a very happy user of the ‘old’ Sun Type 7 keyboard. Actually, I’m hoarding them, since, Oracle is going to kill the Sun hardware business and the Type 7 is one of those keyboards with all the keys in the right place. Control is left to ‘a’ and backspace is not in the top row, but one below, just above the ‘return’. In order words, I’m a sucker for keyboards and I’m really sensitive to their touch and feel and click and whatever there is to them.

Today I saw someone mysteriously put a silicone keyboard (it flappy and flexible, but no brand label to be seen) in my room and I had to try it. Actually, I’m trying to type on it for this blogentry. And, I’m not really a happy customer. Let me count the ways in which this board does not suck:

• It’s very cool to fold away your keyboard when you’re not using it.
• It has an uncounted number of shift keys. Well, there are four.
• It’s featuring (sort of) in Die Hard IV.
• It feels nostalgic.
• You can spill stuff on it.
• It fits in you backpack, or even the side pocket of your cargo pants.

Ok, that was the good stuff. Now for the less convenient stuff.

• It stinks, as in, it has an awful plastic smell about it.
• It stinks, because I’m actually trying to type less, because I’m prone to mistype on this thing a lot.
• It gives me carpal tunnel syndrome with just using it for the past half hour.
• It is very wobbly, even when I put it on a sturdy surface area.
• Did I mention it has four shift keys? And two space keys, but you can still touch them without any reaction? It even has keys on them without any label at all.
• It has windows keys on it, but more keyboards do, so I will not hold it against it.
• It doesn’t have a brand label on it, so it must be crap. Otherwise, someone would put a label on it to say that they’re responsible for it. Probably they’re quite scared of someone suing them into oblivion.
• The control key is broken.

So that’s it. Unless you want to look really cool and like you’re in Die Hard 4, get it. Otherwise, give your wrists and hands and the rest of your body some rest and stay away from it.

Coolness: 7/10 (hey, it’s in Die Hard Four) (but it does not glow in the dark)
Function: 3/10 (with working control: 4/10)
Weight: 8/10 (it’s very light)
Space: 10/10 (it takes up almost no space in your backpack. That’s good).
Total: 5/10. If function is not good, forget it.