CPA_Practice_Advisor_March_2020 - 15

THE LEADERSHIP ADVISOR

2 Keys to an Effective Workspace
AMY VETTER, CPA.CITP, CGMA

Mindful Technologist &
Keynote Speaker
@AmyVetterCPA

There are plenty of
great
resources if you need to declutter in
a hurry, but this article is designed
to be something different than
an organizational guide. (In fact,
studies indicate that a certain
amount of clutter can be good for
some people.) Instead, I want to talk
about two general concepts that
apply to everyone from the most
ardent neatniks to the method-tomy-madness folks. Your optimal
workspace, like your personality,
will ultimately be unique to you, but
we could all stand to be more mindful of our spatial environments to
reduce stress and create enhanced
collaboration.

PERSONAL SPACE:
Everything in its right place
In restaurant cooking, the French
term "mise en place" (literally "putting in place") refers to the act of
preparing your station in order to
facilitate a smooth service. If you've
ever watched a chef assemble a
bowl of ramen or pizza-quickly
grabbing pre-sliced ingredients to
move onto the next order-you've
seen the value of mise en place in
action. I love this idea as a way to
create a functional desk area.
Ask yourself: What are the
essential ingredients for me to do
my job? Those are the things that
you should have ready at hand at all
times. If that's a real-life object, you
should have it on your desk or in a
drawer. If it's a digital app or plat-

IN THE SAME way that dogs resemble their owners, a person's desk can be a reflection
of how that person works. Your personal workspace and workplace at large influence the
way you perform your daily tasks in all sorts of ways, yet too many of us don't consider
how to set up our areas for maximum efficiency and quality of life. When where you work
is actively working against you, it takes time out of your day and increases your frustration
and anxiety. As such, it's important to play an active role in creating a space that helps
rather than hurts you.
form, you should be able to access it
quickly and directly. A screen with
too many icons, windows, and tabs,
is like a kitchen full of ingredients
you don't need. Take some time
every week or so to regularly check
your mise en place skills and you'll
never find yourself scrambling for
an important tool or password at
the last minute.
Another important part of
"putting in place" is deciding what
is extraneous to your workspace.
For example, I recommend keeping a water bottle at your desk at
all times, but keeping snacks and
meals away from it. Why? Because if
you keep food at your desk, you give
yourself an excuse to never leave it.
Taking regular breaks benefits your
performance and well-being, so you
want to build a space that encourages you to do so. This illustration
is just one of the countless ways
that your workspace dictates how
you operate.

SHARED SPACE:
Form and function
If desks and other personal spaces
can be tailored to individual tastes,
shared spaces should be designed to
accommodate groups and provide
inspiration. Whether to opt for an
open plan or traditional office layout
is a debate unto itself, but regardless
of the overarching set-up of your
office, you should consider how your
true shared spaces are designed.
Conference rooms, break rooms

and the like are all too often put
together with the bare minimum of
thought. You may not even realize
how poorly they meet your needs.
Take, for instance, the rectangular conference room table that is
a de rigeur feature of most offices.
An awesome case study from Work
Design Magazine (seriously, you
should read it) showed that the
rectangular shape was actually
counterproductive to fostering
collaboration and open exchange
of ideas. A rectangular table is
inherently sociofugal, which means
it creates a hierarchy where energy
is funneled to the head of the table.
A circular space, on the other hand,
is sociopetal, sending focus toward
the center. Changing the shape of
a table, then, isn't just a cosmetic
choice, but rather a decision about
how you want a room to function.

MARCH 2020 ■

Ideally, all of the shared spaces
at your workplace will be constructed with an eye toward how
they'll be used. We've all been in
a breakroom that hardly feels like
a place to relax, one full of broken
chairs and boxes of who-knowswhat. Factors like these may seem
secondary or unnecessary, but they
provide vital ancillary support to
every person and activity at your
workplace. Ignoring them is akin to
playing a passive role in developing
office culture.
Simply put, setting matters. Your
workplace and workspace are the
setting for your career. How they
look, feel, and function will have
a profound impact on how you do
your job. Don't live their impact up to
chance. Build and maintain a space
you want to work in, and you'll feel
the difference in so many ways. ■

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