This blog first appeared on the JanaKemp.com site as a Workplace feature. Enjoy it here too.
Workplace: covers the issues and activities of managing the moments of our day-to-day business lives. Five of my books speak to daily business skills. Together, let’s explore what affects us every day (or some days) that we go to work.
Spring cleaning is a typical home pursuit: clean out the garage, air out the linens, beat the winter dust and dirt out of the rugs. This year add spring cleaning to your workplace. You might discover some gems, some items to destroy/shred, and some items that make you reminisce – yet need to be thrown away.
Our spring cleaning unearthed transparencies, blue and yellow transparencies – so last century. Remember overhead projectors? They were way before PowerPoint and LCD projectors but after slide-carousel shows. Result: smiles and into the trash. (No fretting – it was a kind of plastic that cannot be recycled.)
Book research files for books written years and even decades ago. Interesting walk down memory lane, however, the books are in print and the files are no longer needed. Let it go. Result: into the recycle bin.
Volunteer records surfaced too. Celebrations of community service brought smiles, still, no one else has the memories, so time to let these items go. Result: some recycled and some had to go into the trash.
Office supplies in the form of logo-printed card and catalog envelopes in unopened boxes were found, along with the custom-printed cards we used to send to prospects and customers. Good investments; now to use them well. Result: Keep and send!
Destroy 12/2006 was on the top of one client box. Now how did that miss spring cleaning in past years? Somehow it did, but not this year. At least it hadn’t been opened! Result: Shredded. Gone. Destroyed!
Great Marketing Ideas box. This was full of two decades of great mailed and convention marketing items. One-up and serial campaigns. Creative paper folds and printing. Mailers in clear tubes and long 2- inch square boxes. Clear envelopes showing the artist message inside. Super creative thought turned into tangible messages to sell products and services. Fun review, yet these items hadn’t been seen in years. Why store them again? Don’t. Result: we saved about three items and threw away the rest (due to non-recyclable materials).
Look around your workplace. Pick one file or shelving system that will meet spring cleaning 2019! Clean it. Really clean it so that it looks different to someone who is coming into the space again. Make it a head-turning “wow, something looks different, better” kind of spring cleaning.
If that is successful, consider continuing until you discover that you have enough room for one more office now that the stored-stuff is gone. Once the first round of spring cleaning happens, you’ll find there’s more to be cleaned. Make spring cleaning an annual event.
Jana Kemp
