What “Visual” Impression Does Your Workspace Give of You?
Do you feel happy and confident when you enter your workspace? What I’d like you to do is enter your own workspace through the eyes of your employer or potential client. What impression are you giving? Do you look organized and ready to handle their business? To go along with that, do you FEEL organized and ready to handle their business.
An organized office does many things: It gives a good visual impression to all that enter including you. You feel ready and in control in that environment. We all feel more professional and motivated in a clean, organized, nicely decorated space.
I have to admit years ago while in another fast paced career I was there. I was one of the people with piles all over her desk because I was jumping from one task to another. It’s a horrible feeling. Now I totally understand the wellness factor and the empowering feeling of organization.
Fast forward—now I am a professional organizer and decorator. I see many scenarios from people that need better time management skills to handle all their duties in a timely and organized fashion to others that were put into a new position and inherited the former worker’s systems and now that doesn’t work for them. I love to share simple solutions that make a huge difference in how your career day goes. I’ll never forget a potential client I was meeting with. When I walked into this high profile, highly professional office my first thought was the fire marshal would shut them down! There were only paths. The rest was stacks against the walls of papers and boxes. Consider: One—clients would turn around and run; and two—how can employees feel inspired and confident in that environment?
How you feel in your workspace is very important.
That not only means being and feeling organized, but also decorating your workspace to be a calm inspiring place you love to be in. There can be fine lines to what is deemed appropriate. Here are some things I love to add to office spaces to enhance your work experience. The resulting image? Professional yet inviting:
• A nice greenery arrangement. Not large, just something that makes the environment feel more comfortable to be in. It can be real if you get enough light and can remember to water it! Real plants add oxygen which can be good for your energy and health.
• Artwork that is inspiring or motivational. Maybe it is your favorite affirmation.
• Your own personal desktop accessories. There are so many fun and beautiful accessories you could purchase on your own. For instance, adding a white carved wooden inbox may make you feel so much better than the usual black plastic one that the office provides. Or a red leather pencil cup to add color and a new texture to your space. I promise you once you add a few of these things you will want to be there so much more! I think you may even inspire others to spruce up their work area.
• Be sure the colors you add motivate you. Many offices need a punch of color to brighten them up.
One question I get asked a lot is “if I have to have files and things out, how can I make my office space look good?” Well, I personally love the tiered stand up file racks. With the tiers you can see the file tabs better because nothing is hidden. Be sure to purchase racks with high dividers so your folders are held securely and stand up (not fall over). The other thing is I feel sometimes people keep too many projects out because they think they will forget something. If you have a good planning and follow up system, you don’t need to keep everything on top of your desk.
Remember, you are in control of your space—how it looks and how it feels to you. Don’t waste any more time. Get started on making improvements today! I’d love to hear about your progress. Contact me through my website at www.organized-transformations.com
Love your space!
Great article, Diane. I, too, am amazed at some of the cubicles and offices I see. People you wouldn’t think of as disorganized and sloppy, … whow, take a look at their offices. Gives you another idea entirely.
I often wondered whether some people really understood how much their work space actually says about them as professionals. I recently worked with a guy who had hung a giant-sized Deep Purple poster (yes, like from the ’60s rock band) in his cubicle, and then consistently groused about how no one took him or his work seriously. Makes ya wonder, doesn’t it?