Ever wonder why some people’s desks at work are overflowing with what appears to emptied filing cabinets, a breakfast bar, and a supply closet? Could they be *GASP* hoarders?
With hoarding entering into our culture in a very graphic way thanks to A&E’s Hoarders and TLC’s Hoarding: Buried Alive, it’s not a big stretch to ponder what it could mean for you and your office environment.
Office hoarding, even if it’s just office supplies, implies a disorganized and struggling employee/co-worker. Files are strewn about in unidentifiable piles and pouring out of folders. Food may be left out in open containers possibly attracting unwanted bugs. And the general look and atmosphere could be something other workers go out of their way to avoid, creating a caustic work environment. An article from AOL Jobs discusses a survey conducted by OfficeMax which suggests that 53% of respondents admit thinking negatively about co-workers who are disorganized and messy.
So, what can you do to help yourself or a co-worker that has lost the battle of the messy desk?
1) Identify the problem: The first step is to confront the problem head-on and acknowledge that it is affecting your work or the work of your co-workers.
2) Come up with a plan: Decide how you’re going to go about organizing and/or discarding the mess that exists.
3) Ask for help: Depending on the severity of the desk space, you or your co-worker may need some assistance. Ask another co-worker(s) to help out during their break, before work hours, or after if their being generous.
4) Clean it up: Put the plan into action and come prepared. Acquisition that new filing cabinet before the big day and get a handful of trash bags for anything getting tossed—consider plastic gloves too.
5) Keep it clean: Once cleaned up and organized, do your best to keep it that way. Check in with the co-worker you helped or seek out that co-worker that helped you and discuss the progress since the clean up.
Of course if you need a good excuse to clean house, choose to rent a more flexible office space with us and we’ll help keep you organized!
