- A Note From Anne
- Conduct an Office Financial Assessment
- Is Your Furniture, Equipment and Lighting Effective?
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Hello!
 April is a month of financial assessment for me. After all, a lot of us are stressing out about taxes. Why not go a little deeper and think about how you are spending your money on the assets in your office?
An inefficiently designed workspace is seldom thought about as a loss, but it still can hurt us on the job. For example, studies show that each year 1.8 million workers develop injuries related to ergonomic factors. That translates into an annual productivity cost of more than $60 billion. The personal cost can be even greater.
Read below for a few ideas you can put in place to improve your productivity and personal well being.
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Furniture
 Think about the configuration of your office furniture. Start with your chair. Does it support your back? Does it adjust so that you can sit comfortably at your keyboard?
A study by a major insurance company found that ergonomic furniture improved performance by 10 - 15%.
So many times, I'll go into an office and they've worked with a designer, not to knock designers, but the functionality of the business needs were not fully assessed. This costs companies so much. I know I've made the mistake of buying furniture because it looked good or fit the space. Commercial furniture expert, Steve Burtis, is the best resource I ever came across. He uses a software program that previews your space and engineers how to get the least amount of furniture possible, still meeting your functionality. I highly recommend you talk to him before you design your next office.
For a smaller individual workspace, evaluating your personal ergonomics and to make some adjustments to your current office, my residential organizing company, Organizing Doctors, has partnered with Ashley Greininger. Ashley can also help you with the bodywork treatment you may need if you have already done your body harm.
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Equipment
What about your phone? Since I drive a lot during the day going to different client appointments, I do tend to be on phone quite a bit. I couldn't believe what a difference it made to get a car with Bluetooth in it. I admit as I would be driving down the road, my handbag would ring and I would start digging in it, looking for my phone. With Bluetooth, all I do is hit a button on my steering wheel and no matter where my phone is, I can respond to an incoming call. Is it saving me money, I'll let you figure that out. It's definitely safer and I physically am less stressed trying to hold a phone up next to my head.
Take a look at the other equipment in your office. What about your filing cabinet? Is it within easy reach - or do you have to get up every time you need an important paper?
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Lighting
Is your office giving you a headache? After my car accident in 2007, I realized that especially with a head injury, lighting and noise greatly affected my ability to concentrate, which ultimately affects productivity. I learned that the Light Right Consortium found that workers who have the ability to control their lighting tend to be more motivated and more productive than those who don't. Another study showed that effective lighting, ventilation and acoustics also increased productivity by as much as 16%.
You don't have to have a head injury to make changes, but you certainly can help what your current environment provides. Being aware of these opportunities, I worked with Adam Faleck of Margenau Associates, who has solutions for acoustics that are so inexpensive, noisy offices shouldn't be a concern for anyone anymore.
Statistics indicate that the physical symptoms of stress were reduced by as much as 27% when speech privacy is increased. What is that costing you in lost work time or even healthcare costs?
Furniture, equipment, and lighting.
Each of these contributes to a healthy work environment. Don't ignore their impact on your or your team's performance. When the office environment is addressed, creativity, collaboration and productivity become that much easier too. When your office isn't an inviting and comfortable place to work, ask yourself, "What's going on here?" When you really look at the physical stuff in your office, you can make simple changes to help you work smarter.
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WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Productivty Trainer and Organizing Consultant, Anne McGurty, publishes the "Organizing Strategy" weekly ezine with 1,200+ subscribers. If you're ready to jump-start your productivity, save time, and enjoy the quality of your life at work and at home, get your FREE tips now at www.StrategizeAndOrganize.
WANT MORE INTERACTIVE CONVERSATIONS AND TIPS: See Anne's blog. |
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About Anne:
 Anne McGurty is CEO of Strategize & Organize, a company devoted to training individual's to be more effective with the tools and resources to be productive in their work environment.
If you liked today's issue, you'll love Anne's transforming productivity training and organizing products to help you organize your business -- and yourself -- ranging from productivity consulting for individuals and executives to small business coaching programs to keynote speaking and corporate training programs to improve efficiencies in the workplace and improve productivity. While Anne's best known for her expertise in productivity and expert office organizing, her clients share that her biggest impact comes from her philosophy of "personalizing her programs to fit the needs of her clients so they can streamline more efficiently with existing processes" - ensuring to create a sustainable work environment. This, Anne says, is the most important key to bringing an individual to personal freedom with time and organization. You can learn more about Anne and her services, programs, and products for small businesses at www.StrategizeAndOrganize.com. She is also a partner with Catapult Growth Partners. Catapult Growth Partners is a leading interim executive and advisory firm that specializes in providing turnaround and business revitalization services. For referrals to professionals to work with you in the residential/home enviornment, visit www.OrganizingDoctors.com. | |
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