Head space or Physical Space?

woman-with-messy-office-desk1-1024x1024

Over the last couple of weeks I have spent some time acclimating myself to my new environment. Observing, researching, investigating and asking questions. For me this is all an important step in my entry plan. This process has started and is well on its way to helping me understand my new environment and the new people in my community but I still felt unsettled. Some would say “Time Ann Marie.” Yes, I understand that 2 weeks is not enough time to feel a part of anything yet but for me that was not what was needling at me. For me in order to feel comfortable I must get on with the business of reorganizing and rearranging my physical space. It is usually the first thing I do when I enter any new building, home, hotel room etc. I reorganize, rearrange and try and make it my space. A place that is comfortable for me. When I started at Prince Charles on the PD that was not my first priority. I did not want it to be about me moving in and taking over so I went about the task of building relationships with my new staff first. As the last couple of weeks have gone by there has been a series of appointments, meetings, family circumstances and the new drive to work that have made this task of making my office my happy place more challenging. Finally last Wednesday I decided to begin the transformation of my new office.

I found my anxiety, my uncertainty and my discomfort melting away as I purged files, vacuumed the carpet, rearranged the furniture and cleaned. It was cathartic! As I went through the process I asked myself many questions. How do you honour the work of those who have come before you? What does this layout say about you? What impression do you want your office to give to others? How will you create a space that is both inviting and functional? How can you use what you have already in the space? What will you get rid of? What will you keep?

As I closed the door on Wednesday at the end of the day, I felt calmer and more at home. There are still lots of boxes to unpack, lots of finishing touches to put on and lots of decisions to be made but for me having a space that I understand more deeply and feels more like mine is crucial to having a sense of belonging within my new community.

What factors do you consider when setting up your new office space?

princpal's office

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *