Mixing Things Up

John Donahoe, President of eBay, stirred up some media coverage last week by being noticed for office rearrangement.  No—we're not referencing a politically correct way of saying "fired", we mean this in more of the feng shui vein.  International Herald Tribune writer Brad Stone wrote an article about Donahoe earlier this week mentioning this shuffling of desks and cubicles. 

Donehoe is quoted in the article as saying, "I'm a big fan of breaking patterns."  Perhaps these are wise words we can all incorporate into our daily work life.  With many online auction sellers working from home, what are some great ways to increase productivity and reorganize to re-energize.

The first place to start may be the desk or area where you work.  Step back from it for a second and see if there is not a way that you could make this space more work-friendly.  Are you the type of person who likes to spread their work out across the desk?  If so, be sure that you have enough free desk-top space.  Think organization.  Evaluate what you have sitting out on your desk now.  Are there many of the same types of papers?  If so, consider starting a file for these documents and make a habit of using it in order to keep clutter off your workspace.

Perhaps consider taking a day to re-decorate your work space.  Ask yourself what you need to become more organized or more energized.  A white board to keep a list of tasks?  Plain white walls need a new coat of brightly colored paints?  Figure out what you need to shake things up a bit and reinvigorate your area.  And for those working in an office environment--ask your employees what would make them more productive.  Sometimes a few small changes can make a world of a difference.