Have you got into the habit of tidying up your desk only when you are expecting a visit from a client or prospect? What about the other days of the year?Your office must always be impeccable to boost your productivity.Yes, that’s true, and it’s even proven: a properly organized workspace will allow you to work better.
Link between storage and productivity: statistics
Many believe that an office that looks like a battlefield is proof that its owner is very busy and working a lot. It is not so.
Did you know that each employee loses on average, per year, 9 working days due to sick leave? However, some of these pathologies are due to a poorly maintained workplace that becomes a nest for microbes.
Better maintenance of your office is a solution to prevent you from falling ill and having to stop for a few days which represents precious time when you are a freelance.
Among the dirtiest items you’ll find your computer keyboard. On its own, it is home to an ecosystem of up to 7,500 bacteria. If you have several computers in your office, do the math.
Finally, note that on a dirty surface, viruses such as influenza for example, can survive up to 24 hours.
If you are still not convinced, let’s go further
The Harvard experiment
Even Harvard academics have explored the connection between tidy office and productivity. They then conducted a study of around 100 undergraduates, divided into two groups.
The first group worked in a neatly tidy office, and the second in an office cluttered with dirty papers and coffee cups.
The students were then given a very complex puzzle. After 18.5 minutes, the team which had worked in a tidy office forfeitedwhile the second team, having worked in poor conditions, abandoned the game after 11 minutes of play.
Since persistence in the face of challenges and complex tasks is very important to being productive, specialists have deduced that working in a messy office diminishes mental capacities and affects productivity.
The benefits of a clean office on productivity
If your office is under construction, now is the time to take a garbage bag and a sponge to store it, clean it and boost your productivity. A workspace that smells clean and leaves you room to move offers you:
Better concentration: In a clean and neatly tidy office, you won’t be disturbed by something out of place and preventing you from doing your job. Being more focused, you work better.
Less waste of time: In the clutter of your office, finding a file can easily become a treasure hunt, wasting precious time. By doing a little more storage, you would waste less time. Time spent searching for papers in a messy office costs businesses $ 2 million a year, according to research conducted by the International Data Corporation. From the rubbish removal Sydney you can expect the best.
Less stress: in a disorganized workspace, your attention is focused on several things at the same time, you are easily dispersed, which causes stress.
Good morale: a healthy and tidy work environment promotes your development. You better appreciate the time spent at the office.
Fewer diseases: a cleaner office means less germs, less dust and therefore less disease.