Clear desk – is it the solution?

When I’ve read books and articles on introducing organisation into a workplace they often recommend clearing your desk at the end of the day. As a hot desker I question whether this is as good a policy as it is made out to be. Sure it is nice to sit down at a clear desk each day, but I don’t think it is that simple.

How does hot desking work for me? When I get into the office I have the choice of about 60 desks. I collect my mug, notebook and organisation file from my cupboard and take them to the desk. During the day I gain and spread other project related files, printed papers, post etc over the desk. At the end of the day I have a tendency to sweep it all together and put it in my cupboard with the intention of dealing with it tomorrow. Of course, most of the time I don’t and the pile of papers grows and I forget things and start losing work.

There have been times when I’ve thought it would be easier if I could leave all my piles of paper on the desk as I had arranged them. However I know from previous experience (before hot desking) that the piles grow and can merge or spill resulting in the same confusion and loss of work.

I think there are three daily steps to maintaining a desk focussed to work

1. review papers and recycle any not required, such as short term reference items e.g. meeting agendas
2. pass on all papers for other people
3. file all reference material

This should then leave only action papers on the desk ready for the next day. I have to admit I find this difficult, but I am starting to identify the differences types of paper more easily so can act on them more quickly. An additional consequence is I am also taking less time trying to find things because I have filed all reference material and have just an inch thick pile of action papers stored in my organisation file so I have easy access to them every day.

I therefore suggest that people should be working towards an ‘action’ desk rather than a clear desk