SERIES: Part Five of a Five-Part Article
Executive Summary: Immediate guideposts for how your daily workflow space should be designed for maximum administration effectiveness.
The logistical layout of our work space will have a dramatic and immediate connection to the quality and quantity of production from your proverbial desk. How you logistically operate your work space will serve as a beacon from which your team will draw clues for their performance expectations.
While there are countless efficiency experts that an individual or organization can enlist to enhance operational performance, here are some immediate guideposts for how your daily workflow space should be designed for maximum administration effectiveness.
To increase your daily administrative flow and efficiency in a business climate that demands tactical effectiveness for profitability, consider:
1. Desk – Your workspace desk, table or countertop should be designed in such a way as to reduce opportunities for distraction, eye contact with passersby and idle social dialogue.
2. Telephone – You should have this within easy reach and consider headphone systems, long cords, cordless and mobile systems to free you up for multi-tasking.
3. Supplies – A mini storage for things routinely needed should be within reach (file folders, paper clips, tape, etc.) and easily accessible to obvious functional items as well (like writing instruments, paper, PDA devices, power supplies, etc.).
4. Chair – Your chair should be comfortable. You will be living in it, so make a good investment. It should have wheels for easy mobility.
5. Fax Machine – Whether you are connected online via your computer or the traditional stand alone system, this should be at arm’s reach.
6. Printer – Whether this is your main system or a small back-up unit, this should also be within arm’s reach. This will expedite making copies to be faxed upon demand, for meetings, for print downloads from an e-mail or for mere file purposes.
7. Computer and Key Pad – This is critical to most managerial-leaders and should be easy to access and use. Only have the software programs on your system that are required for your functionality – the more needless programs you have, the more opportunities there are for problems.
8. File Cabinets – For those items that you know you need to keep and will be routinely accessing, a cabinet should be within reach from your chair and desk.
9. Music, Television, VCR, DVD - Appropriate pieces of equipment or electronics should also be within reach. Ideally, they should have remote control systems so you will not have to leave your chair for operation.
10. Water – Nutritionists coach that keeping yourself hydrated all day directly influences your mental alertness and proficiency. This is especially important in the afternoon hours, when most professionals tend to have repeated energy crashes. Maintain easy access to water, water bottles or water dispensers!
For those aspects of your job that you would consider routine, you should be within one arm’s reach or a minimum of two steps. The further you must go for the tactical execution of daily normalcy, the greater the odds are for being derailed and reducing overall daily operational effectiveness.
Tell me your ideas on reducing effectiveness.