Our working or business environment does have significant impact on productivity, safety, and creativity. Who can work effectively if he or she is surrounded by a pile of papers coupled with incessant noises coming from telephones, co-workers, and domineering bosses?
As a solution, Lifehack recommends you create a Zen-like office environment in 10 easy steps.
Clear papers. Take all the papers on your desk, and around your desk, and put them in your inbox. If they don’t fit, just put them in a single pile. Now go through that pile, one document at a time. Don’t put any document back on the pile — deal with it immediately, and then move on to the next document, until you’ve cleared the pile (this may take several sessions for some people). With each document, your choices are to 1) Trash; 2) Delegate; 3) File immediately, 4) Do it immediately; or 5) Put the action on your to-do list and the document in an “action” folder.
Remember, a good working environment is just one element to improve productivity and creativity. The more important aspect is personal relations with employees and partners. Encourage your people to voice out their concerns, best ideas, and share best practices to help improve the current system. Learn to listen attentively and be generous if you have extra money.
