On Closets and Workplace Tech
For years, I struggled to find cleaning supplies in my kitchen's utility closet. As a result, I'd sometimes buy duplicate products. "I could have sworn I recently bought Magic Erasers," I'd say to myself when rummaging through cluttered shelves. Random bags and plastic cups were everywhere. A proper system this was not.
In April, the situation reached a tipping point. I recently decided to do something about it. My bestie Claude didn't disagree:
The core problem: you mixed food/paper goods, cleaning chemicals, and bags/gear with no logical zones. You also store the mop loose, which wastes vertical space and makes everything harder to reach.
See for yourself:
Challenge accepted.
Gain a deep look into how your team, department, or organization uses its current toolsโand what it can do better.
The Big Cleanup
Over the course of a weekend, I removed everything from the closet. I cleaned the shelves and laid down some black shelf liner in case of future leaks or spills. Logical sections began replacing the utter chaos I had created. I picked up some industrial sprayers and refill bottles. Finally, I installed some under-shelf rechargeable lights. Why not go the full nine?
Night and day.
Here's a photo of a newly organized closet shelf. Let's just say that it looks nothing like its predecessor.
Now I can easily locate Formula 409, granite cleaner, and whatever else I need. Why I didn't undertake this project years ago mystifies me.
Phil Simon
A Workplace Parallel
I suspect that many small business owners, CXOs, team leads, and department heads can relate to my little yarn. They routinely struggle to find key information. Teammates sloppily enter duplicate records in systems because they can't find what they need. Automated reporting is a pipe dream. Answering simple questions takes way too much time and effort. They pay for tech they don't useโat least as much as they could.
You get my drift.
If you want some help cleaning your tech closet, let's talk.
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