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Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Clear Desk

How effective do you think is the clear desk policy?

Needless to say that it is indeed a pleasure to work on a clear desk with no unnecessary files / papers etc. But is it really practical?

Almost every other day tho I clear my work table / room, they get piled by various files from my 5 assistants & other unexpected clients! Moreso now, cos Im gonna be away for some time. Im rather sick n tired of clearing the unending series of work! Phew!

Also since our office is supposed to adhere to the clear desk policy in the cubicles, all my assts dump their current working files in my office which results in my office looking more like a filing room! *Sigh*.

The worst is, this is the starting point of files beginning to miss. This in turn leads to wastage of time spent in searching of these missing files. And when it is fruitless it is even more frustrating!

I wish I have some creative alternate solution to the clear desk policy! Do u?

41 Comments:

  • At 6:46 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    H2bee: Neraiya solutions vikuthey stores la to clean the tables. Adha pota ur tables will be clean
    and claer:-)) Will come back later and comemnt again.

     
  • At 8:06 PM, Blogger Rajesh &Shankari said…

    My manager got tired of us doing this, so she had about 6 in & out trays on the floor for each customer and we would put the file in the In tray and when she was done, she would have it in the out tray for us. Her office was always clean

     
  • At 8:07 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    H2bee: If you want to differentiate your files, try to pick the color of files for one particular section and its easy to pick it up later. Say A= Red; B= Blue so on.

    Try to get boxes/ baskets so that the files go right in there. If not try to have a huge box with different color files as new only.

     
  • At 2:10 AM, Blogger KK said…

    Well I came suggest a dabba idea... seems like Shankari and Priya have already suggested that :(
    Else you need to work efficiently like me ;)

     
  • At 2:24 AM, Blogger Jinguchakka said…

    Don't you have a boss to pass all the files on to?
    :-)

     
  • At 2:46 AM, Blogger Keshi said…

    I hope I didnt take too long missy, I'm bakk now :) HUGGGGGGGGGZ! Missed all of u like crazy.

    My desk is always clear and clean...just the way I like to keep it. :)

    Keshi.

     
  • At 7:12 AM, Blogger Ganesh Ranganathan said…

    I have never been able to keep my desk clear...It is completely cluttered....

    I would love to hear a solution from someone on how to keep the desks clean

     
  • At 8:45 AM, Blogger Ar Ar Ar Arrrrr said…

    Being a Security Consultant by profession..I advice ma clients to adhere strictly to clear desk policy....and when Im doing audits for them, if I see that these things are not followed, I make nice comments in ma report :P


    but to be frank, you shud see ma desk..it just portrays ma laziness in a nice way :)))

    I hope ma customers dont visit me anytime...else Im so screwed big times...hehehe

     
  • At 9:59 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I only clear my desk every Friday evening, so that I see a clean desk on Monday. I don't like clearing everything at the end of each as I would have to start thinking where did I stop yesterday ;)

    Good luck with your :)

     
  • At 12:48 PM, Blogger Has to be me said…

    Priya,
    LOL!

    Shankari,
    Sounds good but then my table will have only in & out trays!!

    Priya
    I tried to make use of the cupboards/cabinets to store these but then since I work on so many files, I tend to not to prioritize the same. Maybe I thnk the colour idea will work for prioritizing! Thanks.

     
  • At 12:50 PM, Blogger Has to be me said…

    KK,
    Aha, efficiency-in sigaramay....neega sooper pa! Konjam intha pakkam vandhu ennakum help pannuga!! ;)

    JC,
    That was really so funny! But really like that idea a lot!! Thanks!

    Keshi,
    WB. hmm clean worker we have there in Syd!

     
  • At 12:51 PM, Blogger Has to be me said…

    Ganesh,
    Good Join the gang!

    z000nie,
    U r a security consultant doing audits?! on my! And look @ ur desk! Will pass on this valuable info 2 ur clients!!

    Geetha,
    Yup I do that too. Friday evenings r assigned just for this! ;)

     
  • At 1:32 PM, Blogger Janani said…

    Yeh.... I came here to suggest the boxes that kk and other gave you. Else unga senior ku thalidunga :-)

     
  • At 2:33 PM, Blogger Patty said…

    When I did home care, I shared a desk with several people as most of the time we were out in the field. Still, when I wanted to use it, it had to be clear. Nice or not, I used to leave "firm" little post it notes requesting people to clean up after themselves. I am sure they talked about me behind my back, but for the most part the notes kept them in line. If not, the waste basket was a great alternative. If they had to re-create a file from scratch it was a great teaching tool not to leave it laying around.

    How would you teach your children to stay organized? Sounds like these people also need child level directions about this subject.

     
  • At 5:54 PM, Blogger gils said…

    keep them under ur desk....wste paper basket pakathila chinatha oru subwy form panni elathiyum ullara thalidunga...yaarachum vanthu paathutu ponaprum ellathiyum mela konduvanthuramlam...ilati pakathu tablekaran/kari table ellathiyum vachidunga...unga table clean aaidum...

     
  • At 5:55 PM, Blogger gils said…

    we hd a save tree project to reduce usage of paper in office n they copied everthing in cds..kodumai ennananeriya cd udanju poachu... :D so backto gud ol paper :D

     
  • At 7:01 PM, Blogger Ponnarasi Kothandaraman said…

    Er.. :)
    Nice post! :)
    Long time no c???
    how r u? :)

     
  • At 7:48 PM, Blogger KK said…

    KB - Iyakunar sigaram...
    KK - Efficiency Sigaram... Nice... appadiye maintain pannikonga ;)
    //Konjam intha pakkam vandhu ennakum help pannuga!! ;)//
    Ungalukku help panna, Full meals kooda illama verum Thirunelvelli halwa than kodupeenga... athe yen pakkathu cubicle blonde'ku help panna... duet...dance...song than :)

    @Priya - LOL!!! :)

     
  • At 10:01 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    hey! clean desk policy? oh god, are you serious? i mean now my boss will walk in say , ur good at ur work, but you cannot keep ur desk clean, ur fired?
    but wht i do on friday evenings just before i leave coz i know im not gonna be back till monday and dont wanna leave stuff out for other people to see, i open up the huge draw next to me, and with one large sweeping motion, dump everythg into it and lock it.. heh. nice no? :)

     
  • At 1:53 AM, Blogger Twisted DNA said…

    A clean desk is a sign that you don't have enough work and so attending to other things ;) I keep my desk as cluttered as possible. Makes people think I am really busy

     
  • At 6:05 AM, Blogger Junius said…

    write access dates for all the files,
    whenever u access a file update this date,
    then sort files according to how frequently they are accessed,
    dump things away if not used for say 4 months..

     
  • At 6:45 AM, Blogger Prasanna Parameswaran said…

    //How effective do you think is the clear desk policy?

    My take on this - bu^%%*t! show me one project that goes smooth and is all clear, then we will resort to having a clear desk! :)

     
  • At 6:49 AM, Blogger chitra said…

    Well, our office decided to have a saturday before diwali as a working day, wherein we had to clear all our desks, shelves and drawers.
    But , again, we are all bk to the same.

     
  • At 7:44 AM, Blogger Ekta said…

    hey i hate working on messy desks and make sure at the end of the day my desk is clear..though its ready to be messed up again the next day:-)

     
  • At 9:31 AM, Blogger Shanthi said…

    achacho files ellaamey engalukku PC kulladhaan...
    so the papers i have at my desk will be reimbursement bills, marriage invitations and other mailed bills and promotional mails... adha appo appo clean panniduvaen...

    why don't u digitise the work ?

     
  • At 11:36 AM, Blogger Unknown said…

    clean desk or unclean desk... manasu irundha nalla velai paakalam! Eppadi?? ;)

     
  • At 12:27 PM, Blogger Shiv said…

    Me too have tis same probs..but gud thing is we dun have any limitations in r desk policy...so u can imagine how my desk wud be!! *wink*

     
  • At 1:49 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    huh, clean n tidy desk? mine can last for two - three hours before it starts to get messy again... :-(

    but, i prefer to have a tidy desk first thing in the morning!

     
  • At 1:22 AM, Blogger mommyof2 said…

    Well I have same problem with every corner of my house.. By the time I am finish one thing & start the next one, first one is messy again.. Now I gave up..

     
  • At 2:29 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    H2bee:

    Why trouble with files?? Just shred them all and your table is free:-))

    Have a nice weekend!!!

     
  • At 10:11 AM, Blogger Sat said…

    Firsht time here :)
    Well I for one really dont find this clear desk policy thingy very helpful....rather threatening actually!
    My floor is full of 'hot deskers' and if i turn up late to office any morning my place might just be gone as there's no sign that someone actually occupies it!...ya see it's actually a risk to my space!!!...I hence, openly violate this policy :D

     
  • At 10:36 AM, Blogger Ramya Shankar said…

    Why don't u try and play hide n seek with your collegues and sneak back to their places and put the file back there!! Policies are meant to be violated!
    BTW first time here, nice space ! :)
    Will frequent

     
  • At 12:36 PM, Blogger Has to be me said…

    Janani
    boss kku thalaradha nalla irruku!

    Patty,
    Sounds typically u! Damn good!

    Gils,
    ROTL @ the table for the chinna platform. Tho v r fully computerised, there r many things that still require manual files/papers....esp the final documents to be given 2 the clients.

     
  • At 12:40 PM, Blogger Has to be me said…

    PK,
    Will check u sometime soon. Been v,busy!

    KK,
    LOL @ the blonde duet n dance! Enjoy!! Neenga oru sweet person, thats y i suggested thirunalveli halwa 4 u!!! ;)

    s0ul,
    Sure good idea girl!

     
  • At 12:41 PM, Blogger Has to be me said…

    DNA,
    I just love the way u think!!

    Endevourme,
    Cool idea!

    IA,
    Good one man! Am totally with u!

     
  • At 12:43 PM, Blogger Has to be me said…

    Chitra,
    It is always clean ready fr the next mess up!

    Ekta,
    Good policy!!

    Shanthi,
    Ellam digitized than ma. but then the final output to the client cant be electronic. I need to review that @ the whole file with the working papers...so that final output hasto be the hard one!

     
  • At 12:45 PM, Blogger Has to be me said…

    Kathik,
    Kandippa...namma ellam nalla manasu ulla makkal! ;)

    Shiv,
    Lucky u!

    DD,
    Bet u! Mine hardly lasts too

     
  • At 12:46 PM, Blogger Has to be me said…

    Itchy,
    :)

    Mof2,
    Dont tell me abt the house
    front...I;ve given up too!

    Priya,
    shred the papers & my job too eh?! Good weekend 2 u 2.

     
  • At 12:47 PM, Blogger Has to be me said…

    Sat,
    Welcome here. Yes it is not one bit effective...totally agree with u on that!

    Ramya,
    Welcome & thanks fr ur sweet words. Super duper idea!!! :)

     
  • At 1:00 PM, Blogger Shanthi said…

    achacho naanga niraiyaa papers paakuromey saying this is computer generated paper and not requires any sign-nu ?

     
  • At 8:39 PM, Blogger smiley said…

    Why is it that a clean desktop is a sure sign of a cluttered desk drawer? ...
    better to have a cluttered desk :)

     

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