Successful “Spring Cleaning” Business Tips for Productivity Today
There is no better time than spring to re-commit ourselves to less business clutter and better organization strategies. Decluttering and reorganizing is essential to maximizing our time and can also have a noted, positive impact on professional teams’ productivity. We polled our team members for some of their tested “spring cleaning” tips and have organized them in this post to provide you and your teams with inspiration for increased productivity as we move through 2021 and beyond.
Senior Manager Tyler Pietruszka offers advice for enhancing team productivity using scrum:
“We employ a modified scrum approach to make sure that all team members are aware of workload and tasks that team members are on the hook to deliver throughout the week. Having multiple team touchpoints allows me to track team progress and offer support or guidance when team members have questions or find themselves overloaded with client requests. These touchpoints also contribute to team unity which is especially important in a fully remote environment due to the current COVID-19 pandemic.”
Manager Harrison Moore has council regarding digital automation tools that can help easily manage digital clutter:
“I recommend using automation programs to help keep your computer organized (Hazel for Mac, File Juggler for Windows). Use these programs to monitor folders and automatically rename and/or move files based on set rules. For example:
- Monitor “Downloads” folder for files where filetype is .xlsx, filename contains “Master Schedule”, and was downloaded over a week ago, move any found to trash.
- Screen Shared Dropbox “Bills” folder for new files and display a notification whenever something has been added.
- Scan desktop and automatically move screenshots to a “Screenshot” folder.
- Automatically delete files sitting in trash/recycling bin for more than two weeks.”
And his final recommendation concerns a frequently overlooked detail – the essential task of backing up data:
“After learning this lesson the hard way, I now follow the “3-2-1 Rule” for Backups, which means:
- At least three copies of your data (original and two backups)
- On at least two different media (two different hard drives, one hard drive and cloud storage, etc.)
- With at least one backup offsite (cloud provider, hard drive kept at a family member’s house, etc.)
Senior Consultant Kelsey MacDonald’s recommendation is:
“At the beginning of each season, I organize all digital files on my computer and make sure each file is logged appropriately for future reference ensuring I am able to find them in the future.”
She continues with a tip for continuous process improvement:
“I advise clients to conduct a “lessons learned” review each season (or quarter) to determine what worked well, what didn’t work, and what should be done differently. This naturally leads into a planning conversation for upcoming team goals and deliverables.”
Director Brandon Dart focuses on the true meaning of “spring cleaning” with his technique:
“I find that refreshing my workspace also helps to refresh and refocus other aspects of my work. Some ways that I refresh my workspace include incorporating new items or swapping out old items in my office such as pictures and plants. I de-clutter my workspace (digitizing whatever I can) so I can visually and mentally focus. I also set aside time to re-evaluate my routines and see if there is a new way of doing things that I should explore. For example, trying out a new team collaboration software and seeing if it helps to address a recurring pain point such as a need for increased team information sharing.”
Manager Elizabeth Lazaro has a few remote working tips:
“Now is a great time to re-evaluate if the ergonomics of your home office setup are still working for you. Consider specifically if your home environment allows you to work comfortably. Find ways to create a functional workspace that will help you maintain a good work momentum, maintain your data and productivity, as well as your professional dynamism despite not working in a standard office setting.”
President Peter Sobich recommends that after a project has been completed, the work doesn’t stop there:
“From a personal perspective, I find that spring is a great time to review and update your resume to ensure that your most recent experiences and accomplishments are included so you are ready for your next client or project. Similarly, from a corporate perspective, our team takes time in the spring to ensure that past performance citations have been created for our most recent client work so that our website and other corporate capability materials can be updated accordingly. While it’s a best practice to complete these write-ups as soon as a project has been completed, we all know that doesn’t happen every time!”
How Can We Help You?
With “spring cleaning” in full effect, decluttering and reorganizing personal and team business procedures can boost productivity for the year. We hope that our thoughts have triggered ideas of your own to declutter and reorganize. To learn more about any of these tips or to speak with us more about maximizing productivity, reach out to Management Strategies at info@managementstrategies.com.