The Perfect Place: Office Organization for the Way YOU Work

This article is sponsored by Steelcase Store, a proud supporter of OfficeArrow and provider of advanced performance work furniture for home and business.

Spring has officially sprung here in Atlanta, Georgia and it's a perfect time for a little "spring cleaning." This week, I'm reorganizing both my home and work offices. For months now, I've felt completely dysfunctional. I'm losing papers, forgetting tasks, sifting through piles of useless stuff and just generally working inefficiently. I need an office overhaul! In my attempt to get organized, I stumbled upon some incredibly helpful information provided by our new OA partner, Steelcase Store. Below, I'll share what I've learned and how I'm going to apply it to create the perfect workspace...for ME.

Steelcase recently conducted a survey to identify various work styles. They discovered six distinct groups based on the following:

• The work we do
• The ways in which we like to organize our work
• The time sensitivity of our work
• Our need for access to files

Once identified, Steelcase then determined how the physical set up of an individual's office could help support his or her specific work style.

Using this information, I'll be able to determine all the essential elements needed to create a workspace that helps me do my job in the way I like to do it.

Are you interested? Take a look at the information below, and see what style you most identify with. Then, use the tips offered by Steelcase to create the perfect place for you to work effectively.

1. The Concierge

This individual is typically responsible for a wide variety of tasks and the general "smooth sailing" of a department. He or she will have a wide focus and a high level of interaction with others.

If you're a Concierge, your workspace should include the following:

• Space for multiple, thin stacks of information
• Large "zones" for active and archived information
• Space for informal interaction
• Space for reminders and planners

2. The Keeper

This individual is responsible for the maintenance of (and access to) a large amount of information including records, documents, reports, etc. He or she is typically protocol-focused. The Keeper tends to collect information in hidden areas, stored vertically with notes removed.

If you're a Keeper, your workspace should include the following:

• Staging areas for dense stacks of files/boxes
• Archive storage space nearby
• Space for interaction
• Labeling and cataloging capabilities

3. The Processor

This individual values protocol and has little interaction with others. Collections of information usually represent projects currently in process, with reference materials for support. Files are kept both hidden and visible, typically stored horizontally with notes attached.

If you're a Processor, your workspace should include the following:

• Space for movement of collections
• Balance between "active" zones (for projects currently in process) and "anticipated" zones (for pending future projects)
• Storage space for personal items
• Since there is little concern about visitors, space for interaction is less necessary

4. The Broker

This individual is responsible for distributing information. His or her work has a broad scope and is usually highly unstructured. Brokers are very interactive and they may have difficulty finding time to do individual work. Files are typically stored vertically while awards and trophies are often displayed.

If you're a Broker, your workspace should include the following:

• Large flat surfaces for small stacks of anticipated work.
• A zone for active work
• Ample space for meeting with others
• Staging areas for packing and unpacking mobile work

5. The Player

This individual brings a specific set of skills to the team and may have an emotional connection to the work. While there is only a moderate amount of interaction, Players manage a lot of information and it tends to collect in stacks, covering the surface of the desk.

If you're a Player, your workspace should include the following:

• Space on your work surface for one or two deep files
• A balance for anticipated and active work
• Space for interacting with your team
• Shelving to house binders is more needed than space for lateral files

6. The Specialist

This individual is very work focused and typically works individually. He or she prefers to be protected from outside distractions and the work tends to be more open-ended. Information collections are usually visible and flat, though vertical items may include quick to-do lists and reference information.

If you're a Specialist, your workspace should include the following:

• Flexible space as information collection varies by project
• A large zone of active work
• Space for trophies and/or visible references
• Little space is needed for interaction

Personally, I fall somewhere between the Player and the Specialist. These tips have helped me recognize the crucial elements I require to function effectively in my workspace. For example, I am definitely the kind of person who likes visible references (like the Specialist) so I need to utilize some kind of bulletin board or white board in my office. I also tend to collect my work in stacks on my desk (like the Player) so I need to ensure that I have plenty of surface space available for files, which means getting rid of some of these pen holders and nick-nacks. Additionally, I will take the advice of Steelcase and use shelving to store binders of information because lateral files typically do not work well for my style.

This study was especially powerful for me because it takes the approach that different work styles are perfectly okay. We don't all have to organize in the same way. We don't all have to have the same office set up to be effective. One way is not "better" than the other. We can recognize and respect our different ways of doing things while finding productive means to support, rather than fight against, our individual work styles.

Steelcase has been providing easy access to advanced performance work furniture since 1912. For consumers and businesses who value design, comfort and convenience, the Steelcase Store has it all.