I was having a yam-cha with my partner about a week ago. He said we’re approaching the end of 2008 and soon we will be ushering the new year, 2009. To make a fresh start he’d like to see a tidy and neat office. He asked me for my views.
Well, that’s a tricky question, because I am one of those culprits with messy desks in the office. But it’s hard to disagree with a tidy office. I can think of so many good things about a tidy desk; and so many bad things about a messy desk. It’s just that I haven’t been very disciplined to tidy up my own desk. So if there is a time to do it, perhaps this is it.
In fact, my partner has been bringing up this same issue several times in the past, but apparently no one paid any attention. So this time he’s determined to make them listen. He issued a memo to the staff. Essentially, everyone must tidy up; otherwise they won’t get their salaries and bonuses! It was quite a drastic measure, but I can understand why he did it that way.
Now I have always advocated leadership by example. It means that the tidy-up instruction must be heeded by everyone including me. And if I failed to tidy up, then I shall not get my pay cheque too!
It was quite amusing, really. After I had signed all the pay cheques, my partner actually took the trouble going round the office to inspect all the desks. And several of them failed the “tidy-desk” test. What’s even funnier was that I was amongst the first to have failed! So no pay cheque!
And then suddenly everyone was busy doing spring cleaning; all sorts of ancient rubbish—missing pens and pencils of years ago suddenly emerged from the piles of papers; files from years ago; long-outdated memos and faxes; even a can of 7-Up which must have dated back to at least 10 years ago!
By the end of last week, almost everyone had passed the tidy-desk test, but I haven’t even started to deal with the mountain of rubbish on my desk. So today I started to do something about it. And let me tell you that spring cleaning isn’t fun at all. Stacks of papers, outdated memos and faxes, pen and pencils and erasers, paper clips, Economist, TIME—you name it! It must have been years ago since the last time I tidied up my desk, and I surprised myself with the amount of useless things on my desk. I had to stop several times and continue again.
Yes, folks, it’s about time that I start a new year with a tidy desk. But I just wonder how long will I be able to keep it tidy! Keeping my fingers crossed…
Well, that’s a tricky question, because I am one of those culprits with messy desks in the office. But it’s hard to disagree with a tidy office. I can think of so many good things about a tidy desk; and so many bad things about a messy desk. It’s just that I haven’t been very disciplined to tidy up my own desk. So if there is a time to do it, perhaps this is it.
In fact, my partner has been bringing up this same issue several times in the past, but apparently no one paid any attention. So this time he’s determined to make them listen. He issued a memo to the staff. Essentially, everyone must tidy up; otherwise they won’t get their salaries and bonuses! It was quite a drastic measure, but I can understand why he did it that way.
Now I have always advocated leadership by example. It means that the tidy-up instruction must be heeded by everyone including me. And if I failed to tidy up, then I shall not get my pay cheque too!
It was quite amusing, really. After I had signed all the pay cheques, my partner actually took the trouble going round the office to inspect all the desks. And several of them failed the “tidy-desk” test. What’s even funnier was that I was amongst the first to have failed! So no pay cheque!
And then suddenly everyone was busy doing spring cleaning; all sorts of ancient rubbish—missing pens and pencils of years ago suddenly emerged from the piles of papers; files from years ago; long-outdated memos and faxes; even a can of 7-Up which must have dated back to at least 10 years ago!
By the end of last week, almost everyone had passed the tidy-desk test, but I haven’t even started to deal with the mountain of rubbish on my desk. So today I started to do something about it. And let me tell you that spring cleaning isn’t fun at all. Stacks of papers, outdated memos and faxes, pen and pencils and erasers, paper clips, Economist, TIME—you name it! It must have been years ago since the last time I tidied up my desk, and I surprised myself with the amount of useless things on my desk. I had to stop several times and continue again.
Yes, folks, it’s about time that I start a new year with a tidy desk. But I just wonder how long will I be able to keep it tidy! Keeping my fingers crossed…
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