Summer’s almost here, with the weather that makes you sigh out your window and long to be out there rather than cooped up at your desk. Instead of simply staring at the lovely day, bring summer inside with a few easy tricks.

Clear the Clutter

No, it isn’t your job to clean your office. You have plenty to do without resorting to the all-purpose cleaner. However, many times people leave items strewn about their desk and it is unable to be properly tended to by the janitors. Give them a break and clear off all the surfaces inside your cubicle. Remember you’re responsible for how your office looks, and once the clutter has been tamed your office will feel brighter and more open.

Organisational Items

Your in- and out- boxes, utensil holders, business card holders, and any other items that reside on your desk may be in need of an upgrade. Do they look dingy? A trip to an office supply store can yield items in a bright colour. Don’t spend a fortune or break your budget, but a little can go a long way to making the office a nicer place to inhabit.

Add Bright Colours

Continuing with bright colours, find some art to put on the wall. This might just be placing construction paper over the cubicle walls, but the color will lift your spirits. Add an area rug if you prefer. If you have your own office and your company doesn’t mind, try painting the walls. Just be sure you do it on a weekend or outside company hours. No one will thank you for sharing the fumes or using valuable work time.

Green Plant

A green plant adds a touch of the outdoors. Bring a plant in a pot to work helps reduce stress and increases productivity. They can be placed to reduce noise between cubicles, and improve attitudes for employees. It’s best to bring a green plant and not a flowering one for the health of your coworkers in case they have allergies.

Reflect the Light

Add something light to reflect light to your space. It can be a mirror, a water fountain or aquarium, or even a crystal dish with a bonus of candy for your coworkers. This type of addition to your workplace will chase away some of those wintry shadows and the blah moods with it.

While you don’t want to get too carried away redoing your office space, a few minutes spent doing even one of these will give you a new outlook.

Office furniture may not seem to have changed in the last 30 years. You still have a desk, a chair, filing cabinet, and phone sprinkled within cubicle walls. The differences are subtle, but it’s worth recognizing the strides companies make in the workplace.

Typewriter to PC

You traded in your typewriter for a computer, which was then upgraded a few times because it was obsolete the moment it was installed. At least there are games to play during the lunch break.

Fax to Email (and e-faxing)

With this change, we have replaced faxes with email and shortened the time to do just about everything. It’s also created the great impatience with having everything happen right now. That’s a large change that everyone notices, and here’s the differences in the things you may have missed due to the eyestrain.

From Open Spaces to Cubicles and Back Again

Cubicles were coming into vogue. The move from a large communal space like a secretarial pool changed into small personal spaces. Now, many forward-acting companies are moving away from them. The new office space looks more like a coffee house, with no space designated to a specific person and technology has granted the ability to work elsewhere, like from home.

Evolution of the Office Chair

The office chair went from having four casters to five. There are still five today, giving greater stability than the old models. Other improvements include ergonomic developments for comfort during long hours. The materials are moving toward foam and temperature controlling fabric. The back is higher and most models have arm rests. Each piece is adjustable to give the maximum number of users a satisfying experience.

From Chunky, Heavy Work Desk to the Practical, Slimline Workspace

Desks now come standard with holes to let your wires disappear. Many workers no longer have many large wooden desks with drawers, using instead work tables that allow more flexibility with respect to height adjustment and placement of tools.

From File to Dial
Instead of a rolodex, pagers and rotary dial phone, the everyday office worker now has touch tone phones and many have mobile phones, iPhones/Androids, PDAs, or other technological gadgetry to keep them connected when they’re not at their desks.

Many of these changes occurred because of advances in ergonomics and human factors. Professionals from these fields have made their niche reducing workplace injuries and improving health. As they learn more about how to work smarter, the workplace environment will continue to change to suit people better.

While it is true that a desk is a symbol of who you are, it also projects an image to your boss, colleagues and visitors that you may not be entirely aware of. A clean desk environment is the best way to bolster your image as a professional, but there are things you should and should not be keeping out in plain sight.

The Computer

Necessary for most of today’s business, where would your desk be without this most important tool? If you have a desktop rather than a portable version, this will be a permanent space dedicated to your monitor.

Writing Implements

Somehow no one can get away with having a pen or pencil handy for scribbling notes during calls, meetings, or when someone drops by. The paperless office may be one of the big ideas for the future, but most people find it less than convenient to use a computer notepad program for messages. Make sure these are of the variety you don’t mind wandering away.

Paper

Generally this takes the form of post-its, but any small notebook or pad will do. Even a spare piece from the printer works, but for space considerations and aesthetic appeal smaller is better.

Phone

A company issued mobile phone (not usually your own personal phone!) or a desk phone should always be handy for customers to call.

Photos

You don’t need to cover your workspace with photos. One or two is plenty. They should show a stable person who is dependable, like a picture of a spouse or of children you are close to. However, this is dependent upon your work environment. You may choose to keep your personal life separate. It’s completely up to you to judge the appropriateness of this one.

Business Cards

This is a must. Clients who need to contact you can grab one at will. They can even double as extra paper if you run out, but don’t put them back in the stack after you use them for notes. You might lose something important or share something you shouldn’t.

Tape, Scissors, Hole-Punch, Binder Clips, and Other “Desk Accessories”

Evaluate exactly how often you use them. If you use them multiple times per day, it may be useful to have the item out. If not, stick them neatly inside a desk drawer so you know where they are and have them handy.

Clock

This essential will tell you the time, even though you could look at your computer or phone, and make certain you are respectful of appointments.
What not to have:
Stacks of Papers

Disorganised papers make you seem less capable, even if you know exactly what’s in the piles. Put them away!

Other Personal Items

You may have sports memorabilia or other hobby items on your desk, give them serious thought before bringing them into your workspace. Sports stuff is best when cheering on the home team with home referring to the town where you reside and work.

Reading material may be okay if you have time during a lunch break, but consider leaving that in a desk drawer, too, especially if it’s considered a lower-level novel or tabloid instead of the newspaper.