Spring is in the air, in our footstep and in the photo on the calendar you have proudly perched on your desk. At home spring cleaning has begun but in the office it’s more of the same. Here are 7 tips from the Bayt.com team to spring clean your professional life and welcome the season of rebirth:
1. Tidy that workspace. If debris from eras gone by lurks in the drawers and some of the boxes and files in your cubicle or office its time you showed it some air! Start somewhere, anywhere, and don’t stop till every drawer and file is familiar to you and has been organized and arranged. Toss out the unnecessary and make way for the new. You will likely stumble upon countless old To-do lists and snippets and cut-outs that you never got to and this may well be the right time to undertake these dormant ideas as viable projects. 2. Organize your computer files. Memory may be far from full on your desktop but why wait till then to clear out old files and duplicates? Is there a place for everything and is everything in its place? Revisit the logic of your online filing system and optimize the names and filing systems and flows.
3. Dust the reading materials. We all know you have borrowed, bought and been given a generous selection of books, magazines and online articles in the past year some of which you read and some of which need starting or completing. This is the time to take them off the shelf, find a nice spot of shade and start inhaling knowledge with the spring breeze. If you don’t have one yet, make a reading list fast and make sure it’s a furiously ambitious one that contains all the latest industry tomes as well as popular business “classics”.
4. Polish old relationships. Winter cast a shadow on some old client relationships that seem to have fallen by the wayside? Take this as an opportunity to call them with a cheerful chirpy voice and ask for a meeting. What better mood for a meeting to fix a relationship gone cold than with the warm spring sunlight streaming in a window and the promise of summer nudging at the door.
5. Wash the sports shoes. Then walk to work. That’s if you don’t want to bike or jog or swim to work. Good weather calls for increased outdoor activity and you will feel far more invigorated in your work day and ready to take on the world if you have started it off with a bit of exercise. Don’t worry if outdoor pursuits are difficult where you live; replicate the spirit with a vigorous daily morning workout at home or in the gym. Even if you don’t feel you can commit to a strict exercise regimen all year don’t miss the chance to shape up this spring and feel that much healthier, fitter and smarter in your business suit all summer.
6. Brighten the mood. Place a smile on your face and commit to publicly praising achievements of any team members who deserve it; be generous and genuine in your praise. Spill good cheer and look for random acts of kindness you can do around the office, whether it is replacing your assistant’s wilted gardenia, giving the birthday girl an afternoon off, offering to help solve a difficult problem, volunteering with corporate CSR activities or generally being a joy and pleasure to work and be with.
7. Refresh your CV. If you’ve had enough and it’s time for a career change there is no point in postponing the inevitable. Refresh your online CV on a leading regional jobsite and update your public profile so employers can find you. Remember thousands of fresh jobs are posted daily on reputed leading jobsites such as Bayt.com and countless others are filled through the Search mechanism on these sites without ever being advertised. You may wish to create a Bayt.com public profile, set up an online Search Agent and subscribe to the regular newsletters (all free) simply to see what great opportunities are out there. You never know what top employers are searching for on the leading jobsites at any point in time; your next job may well be only a few clicks away.
