Improve Productivity & Efficiency With 3 Easy Office Zones!

November already? When did that happen? Regardless of whether you’re ready or not, the holidays are coming – fast. Who has time for overtime? We certainly don’t! That’s why last month we addressed ways to improve productivity by making our work spaces look and feel comfortable and inviting. But light sources, colors, and incorporating greenery…well, they barely scratch the surface of this crucial question: How can we ensure efficiency and organization in our work spaces?

Beyond setting up a work space that feels comfortable and reflects you, your office should have distinct operational zones. The items in each zone should reflect the frequency with which you use them. To help you implement this concept, visualize a bulls-eye with three rings over your office, with your desk chair at the center. The three rings of the bulls-eye represent the three zones of your office. These zones will allow you to quickly put your hands on whatever supplies you need for a given project.

1. The bulls-eye itself, centered over your chair and extending out about as far as you can reach from a seated position, is called the “Everyday Zone.” The items within this zone should be things you use on a very regular basis – usually every day. Everyone’s zones will differ, but common items in the Everyday Zone are your computer, keyboard, mouse, pens, and scratch paper or sticky notes. Your printer or file cabinet may also live in this zone if you print or file regularly. You may also have items specific to your industry that should live in this zone.
2. The second ring of the bulls-eye is the “Some Days Zone.” This zone should contain items you use occasionally but not every day. Items such as extra printer paper, office supplies, and reference books or binders are some examples.
3. The outermost ring of the bulls-eye is the “Rarely or Never Zone.” If you have items you know you have to keep but almost never need to access, this is the zone for them. Instruction manuals often live in this zone (although these days many manuals are available online), along with archived files you have to keep for tax purposes. Depending on the size of your office, you may not have a need for a “Never Zone,” or your “Never Zone” may even be offsite.