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A tidy desk is the prerequisite for 20% higher efficiency
According to a study by the Fraunhofer Institute, a whopping 10% of average working hours are spent on search activities.
Is it any wonder that most managers pursue a "clean desk policy", i.e. proceed according to the principle of the "empty desk". This saves time.
However, the reality of life often does not yield to good intentions so quickly
Many office workers have the greatest difficulty keeping their desks tidy.
Within a very short time, they are once again sitting half-hidden behind mountains of paper and office utensils.
To a Clean Desk Policy in 5 Steps
The following five steps are designed to help you jump on the bandwagon to a permanently tidy desk.
These steps were developed by the well-known German efficiency expert Jürgen Kurz (www.buero-kaizen.de), under the motto “Büro-Kaizen – 20% more efficiency in the company”.
Step 1
Use only a single inbox for all incoming items of the day!
This is where all working papers, documents, projects, and mail belong.
Remove all other containers from your desk.
And make an agreement with yourself to immediately throw away all non-essential material that you have previously "temporarily stored" here or there.
What is important ends up in your "Inbox".
Step 2
Take a follow-up folder (sorting folder) numbered 1-31.
Give each of your projects a number and file the corresponding attachments under those numbers.
Now create a table of contents of all projects and place it as the first page in your folder.
Note down deadlines for processing each project in your calendar. Add the project number.
In this way, you determine when you plan to work on which project, easily secure access to the respective attachments using the project numbers, and thus create a clear tool for managing all your projects.
Plan the implementation of these five steps in your calendar and give yourself a few hours to do so. These will benefit you many times over through the increased work efficiency that this change enables.
Step 3
Get a display book with several clear pockets.
In this, you store all the information you need regularly, such as telephone lists, important addresses, account numbers you use frequently, and much more.
Please note: The table of contents you create is inserted as the first page in your book.
Then place your book on top of your drawer unit so that you have it within reach at all times.
Step 4
Place all other documents, such as printouts and magazines that you want to read occasionally, in a separate pile, preferably in a sideboard or cabinet.
Please note: The height of this pile is limited by the next higher shelf space, approximately 40 cm. As soon as this height is reached, take out the bottom 10 cm and throw them away.
Step 5
Place all small office supplies such as pens, scissors, hole punches, staplers, etc. in front of you on the worktop.
Remove from this collection all items that you actually use in your daily work routine.
And ask yourself how many ballpoint pens, glue tubes, erasers, and the like you actually need.
Give away the superfluous rest.
Place everything you still want to keep neatly in a well-organized drawer.
Even after using them, make sure that things consistently return to their new place.
In this way, your desk remains tidy and largely empty. This creates the optimal practical conditions for your daily work routine.
Disposing with a Clear Conscience
If you are unsure whether you will need certain documents in the future, keep them in an archive box or in a cardboard box in the cupboard.
If you have not opened the box after a year, you can dispose of the documents it contains with a clear conscience.
If the topic of ergonomics in the office or home office appeals to you and you are interested in learning more, I can recommend my book «Wellness im Büro». Combined with humorous drawings, I share 50+1 tips to turn your office into a little paradise.
50+1 tips that turn the office into a little paradise
