Spring is here and, with it, a new start for your association! Here are some ideas for freshening things up around the in-person or virtual office:
Spring Cleaning in the Office
Get Your Head in the Clouds
The quickest way to clutter up an office is an abundance of paper files and folders. Make a plan this month to modernize and organize your office by moving your physical copies into a cloud storage option like Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive. Not only will this free up desk, drawer, and cabinet space, but it will also aid in future-proofing your organization. Start by sorting your files, rank them in order of need for accessibility, and begin the process of bulk scanning and saving. Of course, the process may be time-consuming, but it will be worth it when your archives are accessible, organized, and safe.
Outsource Your Storage
Some files are so important that it's best to keep a physical copy. Consider outsourcing your storage to a data and records management provider, like Iron Mountain. Filing things away offsite can be a great way to make space, but it also adds an extra layer of security to your data and makes it easier to follow document retention policies. Such services can also be a good option if you do not yet have the man-power to migrate your documents onto a cloud service yourself.
Inventory Your Swag
If your organization is in the same boat as many are, you might have some conference supplies lying around since 2019. We have good news: It may be time to dig it up again! With the return of safe travel and in-person events upon us, associations are finally putting their branded swag and giveaways to good use. Now is a great time to search the drawers and closets for those logo-clad knick-knacks to take inventory of what you have on hand for your next in-person event. No in-person events on the horizon for your organization? Consider compiling your left-over swag into new member/volunteer welcome packets! Alternatively, create a few boxes of branded goodies and promotional materials as a prize for a social media giveaway campaign. Cleaning out your old swag is especially important if your association might be rebranding in the future.
Breathe Deep and Deep Clean
It might sound overrated, but a deep clean at the beginning of the spring can do wonders for morale and productivity. Corporate office or home office - the principle is the same: take some time to wipe down the desks, vacuum the carpets, and clean out the refrigerator for a literal fresh start this season.
Spring Cleaning in the Virtual Office
You're not off the hook if your team is remote! Here are some ideas for a fresh start in the virtual office:
Audit your virtual storage for opportunities to organize or reorganize. In the course of a year, files often get stashed somewhere and forgotten. This spring, spend a few hours putting your virtual assets back in their homes and considering whether different file paths are more intuitive.
Clean up your desktop. Speaking of places where files get lost, it's a good time to clean the slate and declutter your desktop. Not only will this give you a sense of order and clear-headedness when you boot up each morning, but it's also safer for your files. According to Lincoln Spector from PCWorld, "Files on the desktop are not as well protected as files in libraries like My Documents and My Pictures." This is especially because system restoration programs will clear your desktop and many backup programs do not back up the desktop by default.
Reorg your org chart. Have you and your team recently fallen victim to scope creep? Take a good look at your org chart and the related job descriptions and determine where tasks may have been added to the wrong plates. This can be an enlightening process that leads to two questions: "How can this be resolved?" and "How have these roles evolved?"
Polish your brand. Over the course of normal operations, a brand can atrophy in many ways. Misuse can tarnish a brand when colors, fonts, and logotypes are no longer utilized with the precision and specificity they once were. Revisiting (or, perhaps, creating) brand standards is a good opportunity to rehab your brand. Furthermore, time can erode the relevance of your brand. If you think it might be time for a re-brand or simply a refresh, consider what elements of your branding need to go and which ones are integral to your association's identity. Then talk with a designer and make a plan to start fresh at the beginning of your organization's next fiscal year.
If your organization could use some support in freshening up, contact our team today. We look forward to it!