What is the feeling you have when you walk into your center? Happiness, dread, acceptance? What type of image does your center project? Sometimes we become so complacent with how our surroundings look that we don’t see something that’s right there.
Take a minute and look around. Don’t look at it with your current view; change your mindset to see it as a new person would see it. Look at it like you were a member of the public on a tour. If your center allows it, take a video of a 360-degree tour of your center. What do you see? What looks good? What looks bad? Sometimes changing your mindset and perspective will show you things you didn’t realize you were ignoring.
Your environment will impact your performance and your attitude. If your work environment is dark and dingy, you’re going to feel like a mushroom in a cave. If your work environment is bright and airy, it might lift your spirits and improve your mood. Look at movie and television sets. They work on every detail to make the set look as real or believable as the designers can make it. This is to set the mood. What mood does your center give off?
While it may come across as negative, make a list of what you see that might need fixing, cleaning, or straightening. Approach your supervision/management about your list and see what is on the cleaning contracts for your facilities. Are your air vents routinely cleaned, or are they black? If they’re black, there’s a potential for a health hazard there. Our facility cleaned the vents, and the amount of sick leave decreased. Simple fix, health improvement. What about the carpet? Are there pieces of carpet that need a little TLC or to be replaced? Find out what your facilities or building manager can do about replacing old carpet. How about that perennial stain on the floor that won’t come up? Find out what it will take to get it cleaned.
How often does anyone go under the console? Is there a wiring mess? How about seeing if that can be tidied up so you don’t get your foot stuck and pull the mouse onto the floor? Or unplug something important? What about console kick plates in front of the wiring so you can’t kick anything and food stays out? I’ve found more than my share of dropped food under a console which only contributes to the feeling, “This place is a dump.”
What about clutter? How long ago did someone go through the reference binders and clean out what isn’t applicable anymore? Are there some supply organizers you can buy (maybe a medium-sized stack of plastic drawers) that can sit on a desk and have the folders and office supplies in it? Organize the work area and clean out the junk— it helps improve the work environment.
Anybody got dusters? Yes? Are they used? What about using dusters on the entire console at least once a week, if not once a shift? You’d be surprised how much dust collects on a console or sound deadening board on the back of a console. Remove the dust and make it shine—it works better that way. Trust me, I have been grossed out more times than I care to think about by finding things under consoles. If you aren’t taking care of your environment or putting in a little effort, can you expect your supervision/administration to clean it up only to see it quickly messed up again?
Your building may be past its prime, it may be poorly lit or located, or it may be new but have clutter and dust. Look around, see it with fresh eyes, make your lists, and start work to cross things off. A clean environment will help you have a better outlook and physical health.
