It’s spring! As signs of life begin to reappear outside, you might feel the urge to swing open the windows and tackle that growing pile of clutter that you ignored all winter.
That’s the same feeling that motivates so many people to do some spring cleaning every year. By applying this mindset to your business, you can gain a fresh perspective on your company.
Every year, I try to do some in-depth spring cleaning, and I use the same process each time. Although your needs might vary from year to year, this time-tested approach is sure to return your business to a healthier, livelier, and more profitable state in no time:
- Take inventory of your mindset. The year is 25 percent over. Are you where you want to be with your business goals?
To get your business back on track, take inventory of your mindset and beliefs. Are you operating from a clearheaded, peaceful state of mind and making progress toward your day-to-day goals? Or are you falling into negative habits in your comfort zone that could be impeding your progress?
Chances are you know this stuff intuitively. But taking the time to think through these answers mindfully and proactively will help you steer yourself back on course.
- Get in touch with the right resources. After your personal leadership assessment, consider the business as a whole. Do you need additional resources to help you make necessary changes?
One of my recent goals was to revamp and relaunch my website. I don’t have the skills to accomplish this myself, and it wouldn’t be the best use of my time. So I hired experts to do it for me.
Similarly, be mindful of the fact that your staff might need help attaining their goals or decluttering (and staying decluttered). Consider bringing in outside professionals to get the job done quickly–and correctly–the first time. Make sure to create systems and structures that you can use to stay organized and streamlined.
- Rid your team of physical and mental clutter. It’s amazing what working in a clean, uncluttered workspace can do for your creativity and productivity. Are there external distractions keeping you and your team from working at peak capacity?
If you’re removing physical clutter, knock out one section at a time so you don’t overwhelm yourself. Ask whether an item serves you or is just taking up unnecessary space, and part with it if it doesn’t have a clear utility. You can also create filing systems to contain and conceal items that you don’t need on a daily basis. This way, you can easily retrieve them without taking up valuable real estate. Consider scanning as much paper as possible to conserve even more space.
- Make it a team effort. If you’re making more substantive changes to operations, solicit input and ideas from the team members who stand to benefit. Explain why the process will help them do their jobs better, collaborate more effectively, and be more productive.
Team members who take an active role in the process and feel valued will be more likely to adopt the solution after the cleaning bug passes. To incentivize employees even further, establish a system that rewards them for maintaining the new approach or making suggestions for ongoing improvement.
Spring cleaning is about starting fresh. But you don’t have to wait for spring to sweep your company clean; applying this process any time during the year will yield the same benefits.
Don’t let your efforts to spring clean wither away come fall. Make a conscious effort to rid your company of clutter, negative thoughts, and inefficiency for good so everyone can remain organized and stay focused on the business objectives that really matter.
This article was previously published in Inc.com magazine
To your best success,
Kelli Richards, CEO of the All Access Group, LLC
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