Office Space

Can your office reveal things about your personality? According to a study conducted at the University of Texas at Austin, it can. Certain aspects of your personality are displayed through the choices you make each day, and it’s no different when you are in the office.

What does your office say about you? Well, according to the study:

• Highly personalized space — Indicates individuals who are secure about their position and claiming their space.
• Empty or Un-Personalized Desk — This indicates either a lack of dedication to the job or someone who is generally dissatisfied with the job—in either case, not a good sign.
• Plants — Plants, whether they are cared for or not, reveal that a worker is planning to stay at the job.
• Candy Bowl/Lots of Supplies — This worker wants people to come visit her and is an extrovert—shy or introverted types would never put anything on their desks that would draw others into their spaces.
• Motivational/Inspirational Items — This is an ambitious person who is dedicated to his job and wants to remain engaged—can indicate someone who wants challenges and a chance to prove himself.
• Family Photos — This can go two ways. If the photos are placed for others to see, it’s usually a status symbol and done more for the appearance. If the photos are placed for only the worker to see, they are usually genuine reminders of loved ones, which can motivate the worker or ease the guilt of spending so much time away from the loved ones.
• Excessive Post-It Notes — Indicates the worker is feeling overwhelmed and not able to keep up.

My desk is a personalized space. It includes motivational items and family photos. It also has way too many post-it notes, which makes me question my sanity at times. I don’t have candy. It’s not that I don’t want to be friendly. I just work from home most of the time, and candy isn’t healthy.

So, that’s my office. What’s in yours?