What Your Desk Says About You


For many people, a desk is much more than just a place to sit and do work. It is quite common for workers to spend more time at their desks in their office than sleeping in their bed at home, so it is inevitable that a desktop eventually starts to resemble the person who sits there. However, this tell-tale information could be defining who you are to your clients, coworkers, and your bosses, and not necessarily in a good way. Decide whether or not your desktop needs a makeover with these examples of what your desk decoration may be saying about you.


Desk Description: Filled with Photos
What It Says About You: Being family-oriented is a positive personality trait, but a desk covered with dozens of reminders of what awaits the worker after hours might make the worker appear less dedicated to his job and anxious to get home.
Jobs That Gel With Your Style: Companies that are very flexible when it comes to family obligations and that offer the option to telecommute at least a day or two each week are ideal for you if you're a family man or woman.

Desk Description: Bare Bones
What It Says About You: People with empty desks often aren't satisfied until a project is complete and off of their desks. Extremely interested in order, workers with bare bones desktops pride themselves on their clarity and efficiency. Unfortunately, without anything personal on the desk it may seem to others that the worker isn't committed to staying long enough to make personalizing their desk worthwhile.
Jobs That Gel With Your Style: Personality-driven professions like being a pharmaceutical rep or counseling would work well for you because being surrounded by a minimalist desk will enhance your pizzazz and allow the focus to stay on you.

Desk Description: Candyland
What It Says About You: A never-ending dish of candy is always an office favorite, and the provider is seen as welcoming, giving, and appreciative of friendship. Usually a team player, the candy giver can also be thought of as the office chatterbox, which may or may not be a good thing.
Jobs That Gel With Your Style: Your personality is as fantastic as the candy you conveniently leave out for anyone to grab, so communications is the perfect field for someone like you who would like to share their sweet tooth and their sweet personality with the world.

Desk Description: Potpourri Paradise
What It Says About You: Desktops full of fragrant bowls and sprays are usually created by people who believe themselves to be thoughtful and considerate people by sharing their smells with the office, but this practice usually stems from the opposite personality type. If you're a potpourri queen, you probably have a tendency to not be considerate of your clients and coworkers' opinions and desires, which frequently include a fragrance-free environment.
Jobs That Gel With Your Style: If you need to be surrounded by scents, go straight to the source and work for the parent company of your favorite fragrance in any capacity, from sales to marketing. Or, perfume counters at department stores are excellent places to indulge and have career paths for management. Your obsession is sure to be appreciated by your bosses!

Desk Description: Gadgets Galore
What It Says About You: Lots of gadgets express that the individual is curious, up for a challenge, and quick to pick up new tasks and technology. Anything that adds spice to your everyday life is welcomed with open arms. However, if you're constantly playing with your gadgets or inviting coworkers to come play, you and your gadgets may be seen as an office distraction.
Jobs That Gel With Your Style: Technology-oriented or computer-driven jobs will keep your creative side satisfied.

Desk Description: Covered in Post-It Notes
What It Says About You: Trying to stay organized isn't quite the same as doing it, and an addiction to Post-It Notes represents someone who is a hard worker but could use a couple of classes on time management, organization, and working smart and not hard.
Jobs That Gel With Your Style: Anything streamlined and with a predictable routine that won't have you reaching for your pad of Post-Its to jot down any caveats, like being a medical technician or a bank teller.

Desk Description: Full of Flowers and Plants
What It Says About You: Being able to keep green things alive under the harsh florescent office lights is a sign of being very nurturing and attentive to detail.
Jobs That Gel With Your Style: Positions where you're able to take advantage of your comforting capabilities, like as a social services worker or as a daycare professional, will fit your personality well.

Desk Description: Full of Organizational Files and Folders
What It Says About You: Having information accessible in seconds is crucial for the organized worker, who loves control, order, and who also efficiently prioritizes everything until the job is done.
Jobs That Gel With Your Style: Bookkeeping, auditing, or anything else where you're crunching numbers, compartmentalizing everything, and staying on track of tons of tiny pieces of information is an excellent option for you.

Desk Description: Inspirational and Motivational
What It Says About You: People who surround themselves by lots of positivity are often aspiring to be leaders and tend to be more productive due to their positive attitude.
Jobs That Gel With Your Style: Look into upper management positions or consider teaching to take full advantage of your healthy outlook on life and ability to encourage others.

Desk Description: Decorated with Accolades and Awards
What It Says About You: Being proud of past achievements is one thing, but a desktop covered with them is a bit much. Lots of personal awards may come across as braggadocios and aloof, even if the awards are related to the field.
Jobs That Gel With Your Style: Some professions are based off of the fact that you must prove yourself worthy to the client, so for places that may encourage you to flaunt your accomplishments consider sales, legal fields, and perhaps the entertainment industry.

http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2009/06/28/what-your-desk-says-about-you/

Open vs. Closed Work Environments

     One of the first considerations for any business' office is whether they want to have closed offices or an open plan layout.  Both approaches have pros and cons so businesses must consider carefully which option is most suitable for their particular needs.
     Open work environments are often thought of as one giant room with no boundaries or walls separating employees.  Although that can be an example of an open work environment, that doesn't mean it's the only option.  Office layouts that are classified as "open" usually refer to a work setting that fosters flowing communication.  This type of environment allows employees to receive input from colleagues, projects can run more smoothly, and it fosters informal conversations that build trust for others' judgement calls and expertise.  Although many employees prefer closed workspaces, they can sometimes work more productively in open ones.
     Closed office spaces allow staff a greater amount of privacy than an open plan office layout.  They have the chance to work in peace and quiet, keeping them focused on the tasks at hand without getting overly distracted by what their colleagues are doing.  Closed offices also offer space for employees to think or be creative without too much interruption.  However, some people feel that closed offices, whether individual or for small teams of employees, promote a culture of individualism rather than teamwork, and would prefer an open plan office layout.
     To get the best of both worlds, you can offer an array of different work settings.  You can use panel systems to offer workspaces with privacy without fully restricting the free flow of conversation between employees, and by grouping employees with similar jobs, you can build clusters that have the feel of an open plan.