Your work environment leaves an impression...of you

A machining company in Cooperstown, North Dakota is proud of its facilities.  On their web site, they invite the public to "...take a tour of our facilities..." and they say, "We are proud of our open, spacious, and clean work areas..."

In some situations, space allotted to us may not afford a lot of room.  That is something we may not control.  However. we definitely have control over "clean."  By seizing the opportunity to keep our work areas clean, we may have some influence over the appearance of spaciousness.

Consider the following -

Wall decorations

• Do the wall decorations consist of tasteful framed photos, prints, or artwork?
• Are there so many decorations that the wall cannot be seen?

Furnishings

• If there is an extra chair in your work area, ask, "How often does someone come in and sit there?"
• Would you or your co-workers suffer greatly if that extra chair were removed?
• Do the furnishings in your work area match?  If not, can you seek ways to correct the differences?

Items on your desk

• Photos of loved ones are certainly acceptable.
• o Are they framed? Unframed pictures tend to curl and appear unbecoming.
• o Are there a lot of them?
• § Let's remember that we primarily represent the company
• § Let's remember that we are at work and not home
• Office supplies (staplers, tape dispensers, paper clips, etc.)
• o Are there items used only three to five times per week (or less)?
• § Can they be stored in a drawer?
• § Can they be removed altogether, but kept close to your work area (closet)?
• o Do these items have their place or are could they be found anywhere on your desk?