How to De-Clutter Your Team Workspace (Part 2)

Part 2: Simplify Your Workload

In Part 1, I shared a technique you can use to periodically de-clutter your work areas.  It feels so good to work in a clean, organized and de-cluttered space.  (Click here to read Part 1)

In this blog, I’ll share with you some ideas to simplify your workload.  If you ever feel overwhelmed with all the strategies, projects and actions you are working on, please read on.

Each team is a system and has processes for working together and getting the work done.  Sometimes, these processes are formalized and documented.  Other times, they are not and processes evolve organically.  Regardless, it is wise to occasionally step back, examine the way the team is working and what the team is doing to decide what is “cluttering” the team.  If you can identify just 5-10% of activities that can be eliminated or streamlined, you will be giving your team the gift of time.

Most of us waste some time working inefficiently or doing things that do not have a significant impact.  Teams may duplicate effort unknowingly as well. Here are some ideas on how to uncover those time-sucks so you can eliminate and/or minimize them to free up time, energy and/or resources for more important things.

1. Analyze your team meetings.

   • With your team, discuss what is working and what is not working in your team meetings. Consider things like:
     • The time that you meet – the time of day, the length of the meeting and how often you meet
     • The process – the meeting agenda, how you make decisions and collaborate to create solutions
   • Is there a way to streamline the meetings?
   • When/why/how do your meetings get bogged down?
   • Are there ways to accomplish some things without meetings?
   • Are there too many people making the decisions?

2. Analyze how your team communicates.

   • What is duplicated?
   • What is difficult to find?
   • What is confusing?
   • What is missing?
   • What is communicated that is not necessary or important to everyone?
   • How can you streamline communication?

3. Analyze your team’s shared resources.

   • Are they organized and easy to find?
   • Which resources are being wasted?
   • Are there any resources that can be shared or recycled?

4. Analyze your strategies and projects.

   • What can be simplified?
   • What can be delegated or shared with another team?
   • Which strategies are not going to provide enough return on investment?
   • What can be pushed until later?

Just taking an hour to talk through some of these questions is likely to save you many hours.  I challenge you to see how much “clutter” you can remove from your own to-do lists.  Every minute saved improves your team’s efficiency.

About the Author: Leigh Ann Rodgers, Founder of Better Teams and Forward, is an IAF Certified Professional Facilitator with 20 years of experience in the human development field. Leigh Ann is a skilled meeting facilitator, trainer, and coach working across the globe to help leaders cultivate teams that are happy and high-performing.

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