In this post-pandemic world, we are all hypersensitive to germs and any place where disease can spread. The search is on for a new, safe way of working in a controlled environment. The mono desk is a sleek and modern choice that checks all of the boxes!
Replacing old, cumbersome, unsanitary desks with a mono desk creates a simplified workspace that is highly desirable right now.
Why a Mono Desk is Better Than An Isolated Workspace
Whether it is your home office or your mutual workspace in a shared office, simplified workspaces are essential in our post-pandemic world. Business owners everywhere are embracing the concept of a large mono desk wherein five or six employees can bring a laptop and sit along an open space.
The idea of multiple people sitting together at a shared desk seems counterproductive to a germ-free environment.
However, when the desktop is clear there is more chance of it being cleaned regularly. By contrast, an isolated office is rarely cleaned and is a harbor for germs.
Consider an executive office and the last time the entire room was sanitized. Rarely, if ever, am I right?
I started working with a tech company in Northern California a few years ago. The first day I came into the office I noticed that there were no desks. None.
The furnishings consisted of a conference table and chairs, a few club chairs, and a pub table and chairs. The reception area was a big horseshoe shape where three or four people could sit and work. There were just two file cabinets in the entire office.
Everything was done electronically and filed in a cloud or stored on external hard drives. The staff was completely mobile and unencumbered.
Conversations were unscheduled and quick. Everyone just gathered in small groups and had necessary discussions on the fly. It was open, free, and amazing.
Being so nimble, if part of the team needed to gather, they picked up their laptop and moved wherever they were required. Honestly, it was life changing for me to witness.
Employees just gathered in small groups and had conversations. It was open, free, and lovely.
The Mono Desk and a Change In Workspace Culture
We see these types of offices in movies and now an increasing number of businesses are embracing this approach. The concept of a mono desk with only a space to lay a laptop is not new but certainly a way of working that anyone can embrace.
The caveat is that the culture of the employer needs to shift as well.
A few business owners that I have met with note that they simply have too much paper to adopt this modern style of working. That is tragic. Here are some ideas that I have shared with clients concerning the shift into this new work mode.
Reference binders are outdated as soon as they are printed. Adopt a shared drive wherein employees can reference anything they need with the click of a button. Updating files whenever needed allows everyone to have current access to applicable documents at all times. There is less chance of error due to outdating information as well. That efficiency will go straight to the bottom line of profits.
Writing things down only creates more paper waste and the chance for things to get misplaced. Personally, I recommend learning to use a stylus or electronic pencil with an application such as GoodNotes for jotting information down. Once notes are taken they can be added as needed to shared drives and then eliminated on your notes app. Pens and pencils are expensive, need to be stored, and create excess garbage. Look inside of your own pencil drawer right now. How many pens and pencils are in there? Imagine changing all of these out for one stylus.
Consider the expense of the copy machine, reams of paper, and endless toner replacement and recycling. If business owners could greatly reduce these costs, imagine the bottom line of their profit margins. I have a laser jet printer in my home office and I buy toner once every couple of years. There just isn’t the need to print things that aren’t of the utmost importance.
Redesigning Your Processes
Probably the biggest selling factor of the mono desk is the tendency for cleanliness. Working at a desk that is cluttered with cups, photos, reference material, and the like, is just a minefield for germs.
Having a clear, empty workspace lends itself to the daily habit of wiping things off and keeping the surfaces clean.
If you are working in an office that has old-fashioned desks, lateral files, excess paper, and three-ring reference binders, it is time to change.
Please consider hiring an organizer to help you out with adjusting to a modern approach to an efficient office space. If you cannot hire a professional, take my tips from this article into account and start the process on your own.
Once you realize how easy it is to work without excess clutter, you will be amazed at the efficiency of this new work style!
