What the heck is growing in my office drawer? De-cluttering the hybrid office

We are a nation of vociferous consumption. Not only do we want our new at-home workout mat (which we will use exactly twice before putting away forever), but we want it delivered the same day and it better come cheap and with a 5-star rating. Can’t find that HDMI cable for your kid’s new video game console (OK it’s actually mine), click a button it'll be here by 5 pm. We are addicted to our stuff, and addicts need their fix.

And this cultural albatross has carried over to the office. We don't want to be forced to go to the office but when I get there I better have my own desk with all my "stuff". Water bottle, framed picture from my Disney World trip, my personalized mouse pad that also serves as a good luck charm, a mini plant that somehow made it through the pandemic, and a jar of M&M's for those high-stress moments.

But this too shall pass.

We have all begun to purge to make life less complicated. Homes are less cluttered as people have become more aware of the effects of clutter on mental health. Entire families being stuck at home throughout the pandemic 24/7 forced people to clear the clutter as a survival mechanism and the same rule applies to the office.

Think about it. What really do you keep in those office pedestals and lockers? I'll bet that if you've recently returned to your office you'd find everything from ketchup packets to smelly t-shirts to "work papers" that haven’t been looked at in years. That plant that you left in the office is either long gone or turned into Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors (does anyone still remember this play/movie?).

More and more companies are shifting a non-assigned desk offices with little to no storage at these desks. Why lease space for 500 people when only 200 will be in at any given time? Why is in office storage disappearing?  A) people tend to leave their stuff in a pedestal overnight even if desks are unassigned and no facilities manager wants to police this B) You can do most of your heads down work at home so get up and talk to your co-workers you hermit!  C) Supplying office lockers for every employee is costly and eats up space and lockers still remind us of those terrible Junior HS years.

For better (and a little for worse) offices are now like very swanky hotel lounges, places to socialize and share ideas, work a few hours on your laptop, grab lunch and share more ideas, and meet with the boss on the corner side of the lounge (with the best view). You get the idea. There is little room for filing, bulky lockers, or large cubicles. So employers have sent out the memo to make sure you pick up all of your items because those desks are no longer YOUR desks.

BUT...  even after purging our non-essential items we still have  "stuff" that we require to work effectively. This is where (shameless plug) Slyde TOTem comes in.

Slyde TOTem is a compact and ultra-portable office caddy. It's designed as a cubby to keep your work items so that you don't have to lug them in every time you come to the office. Designed by Perkin and Will / SHL Architects TOTem is sleek (6"H x 19" x 13.5"W), has built-in compartments for wires and work accessories, and even docks under your desk to act as a storage drawer for the day. Once you are done with TOTem simply store it away in one of our elegant storage systems (EVO or Kompact). Instead of bulky and expensive lockers you now have an EVO work-wall that also houses your totes or a Kompact meeting island to collaborate at. Both solutions take up half the space of traditional lockers at half the price.

The goal is to make it as simple as possible to come to the office so why not help encourage a spring cleaning with the Slyde TOTem hybrid work tote system?

Use Me!