What does your office environment look like when you first walk in? Is it organized? Fun? Stimulating?

People should be able to get an idea for what it’s like to work in your office from the moment they walk through the front door.

If you don’t bother with first impressions, believe me, people notice.

One of the companies I’ve mentored for years is called Nurse Next Door. The very first time I visited their office in British Columbia, paper and boxes were everywhere. It was a disaster, and I told them that.

They listened, and every Wednesday ever since then, they have held “Wasteless Wednesday,” a day where they throw out anything they can to make the office, the walls, and people’s desks look clean and neat.

The difference in their space and the mood of employees has been profound: the energy is different, and they can actually fit more people into the same space without feeling crowded at all. Best of all, just recently, they were named #1 Company to Work for In British Columbia!

Oh and here’s a tip, since it’s 2010 and all: GO PAPERLESS!!