How clutter affects workplace productivity
You don't have to be a neat freak to find the constant sight of files, folders, paper, stationery and even personal items extremely distracting.
File image for illustration: iStock
We all know that feeling of not knowing where to start tackling a task such as clutter. And that gnawing anxiety caused by too much of it has a serious impact on productivity. Investing in the decluttering of your business is an excellent option to quell the anxiety, but if you are not sure it’s viable, then think again.
Here are a few ways that clutter can affect workplace productivity and impact your bottom line.
It’s distracting
You don’t have to be a neat freak to find the constant sight of files, folders, paper, stationery and even personal items extremely distracting. It prompts regular tidying and reshuffling, which takes time away from more essential tasks – you can’t focus on anything if something like clutter is bothering you. So, increased clutter means more distractions.
It’s demotivating
Clutter is dispiriting and the less organised the environment, the more likely employees are to produce poor quality work. A disorganised environment often gives them the sense that they have lost control and therefore, cannot perform at their best. This can be an unconscious reaction to what’s around them, and so employees can be more unproductive than usual without even realising it.
It slows you down
Sure, turning down your desk every week is a healthy practice that shouldn’t take up too much time. However, having to overhaul or even sift through an untidy workspace is not within this scope. Instead, having to tidy and organise filing and paperwork can slow down the delivery of otherwise more pressing tasks.
It causes stress and hampers creativity
Employees waste a lot of time looking for papers, files and documents which adds to the weight and frustration within the workplace while reducing concentration and hampering creativity. Whether your business is in the creative field or not, stifled creativity on any level affects morale and harms productivity.
An untidy office space costs your company valuable skills and time but the resolution is simple. Enlist the expertise of a professional to help you declutter both physical and electronic documentation. A document management company will be able to offer the best advice to solve your clutter problem. From document storage solutions to data capturing – depending on what your business needs, you can have a tailor-made solution.
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