What would you take from your desk?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/magazine/7618966.stm

Version 0 of 1.

Leaving with just a box By Denise Winterman BBC News Magazine If you were told to clear your desk of personal belongings and leave the building, like staff at the UK headquarters of Lehman Brothers, what would you take?

Photos of the kids, spare ties, trainers, mugs - a cuddly toy? What was in the cardboard boxes being clutched by stunned staff as they left the London offices of the bankrupt US investment bank Lehman Brothers?

The bank's 5,000-strong workforce turned up on Monday only to be told they were to clear their desks of personal items and go home. Images of the newly out-of-work carrying their possessions were beamed around the world.

But if you got the same instructions from an employer, what would go into your box?Some companies frown on efforts to personalise desks

"I'd take a piece of card with my name written in Arabic on it, a 30-year-old photo of my school football team, a Barcelona football club mug, a copy of my friend's novel, a two-year-old thank you card from a student, some spare contact lenses, an iPod charger and two pairs of shoes," says teacher Chris Baxter.

"Mainly they're little things, but most of them are very personal. A lot of the time I don't really focus on them, but other times they trigger good memories. I wouldn't want to leave them behind."

Nesting

For some it's a case of accumulation by stealth, rather than a conscious decision to personalise a drab little corner of corporate space.

"I'd never really realised it before but I've managed to condensed my living room, wardrobe, bathroom cabinet and kitchen cupboard into my desk," says marketing manager Julia Kelly.

"I have a book, postcard from a trip to Ireland two years ago, toothbrush, mouthwash, make up, a spare pair of shoes, jumper and jacket. Also, a coffee cup, small plate and washing-up liquid and a brush to clean them."

When people personalise their desk they are marking their territory, says workplace behavioural expert Judi James.

"It's something humans are hardwired to do. We're basically animals and need to mark out what is our space. We're also nesting and making ourselves comfortable."

But it's also about opening ourselves up to others and that can be very good for business. Personalising desks benefits organisations, banning it is counterproductive Gary Fitzgibbon, workplace psychologist

"Personalising your work space is also about giving other people the opportunity to ask questions, it's about socialising," says workplace psychologist Gary Fitzgibbon.

"If someone sees a photo on your desk, or picture, it is easier for them to strike up a conversation and for communication to flow. Generally, if someone shows an interest in you, then you are more likely to help them when they ask."

But the evolution of the modern office environment, with its hot desking, can make stamping some personality on your workspace a bit harder. Modern technology has also had an impact.

"There probably wasn't many family pictures in those boxes being carried out from Lehman Brothers because the screensaver has replaced them," says Ms James.

"Nowadays, personal possessions at work quite often come down to a pair of trainers and tracksuit for the gym."

<hr />

Let us know what personal possessions you have on your desk, using the form below.

<a name="say"></a><form method="post" action="http://www.bbc.co.uk/cgi-bin/cgiemail/newstalk/form.txt"> <input name="email_subject" type="hidden" value="desk"> <input name="mailto" type="hidden" value="the.magazine"> <input name="success" type="hidden" value="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3042292.stm"> Name