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Lansing's Advice Column

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Dear IMO,

My desk is always a mess.  I can’t seem to keep the paper from piling up on every available inch.  I even put paper on top of my phone making the simple task of answering it a challenge.  Do you have any ideas of how I might begin to tame this paper tiger? 

Sincerely,

Marilee


Dear Marilee,

A messy desk does necessarily mean you are disorganized. You might be one of those individuals who are comfortable in your space and can find everything that you need when you need it. I had a college professor who had stacks of papers and journals on his desk, surrounding his desk, and strategically situated around the room. If you asked him a question on a particular topic, like the process of 2-3 dimethyl-hybridization of a benzene ring, he would quickly jump out of his chair, hurry toward one of those stacks, pull out a handful of papers and journals, perhaps take a few items from a neighboring stack, hand you all of them, and then quickly send you on your way.

Most of us are not like my college professor. A messy desk can slow you down and make you feel bad. Disorganized people may not realize how much time they waste trying to find things, like the phone. And when you cannot find things, you are more likely to procrastinate thereby lowering your productivity. As more papers arrive from the printer, you place them on top of other papers, and the cycle repeats. You feel helpless, depressed, and others begin to talk about calling OSHA. So how do you break the cycle?

You must make time outside of your regular work day to come in and organize the mountains of paper on your desk. The time you devote to this matter, without interruption, will assist you in this seemingly impossible task. You will also need some type of filing system. Avoid expensive or fancy organizing equipment as this will only slow you down. You can start with a box of plain manila folders, a box of handing files, filing tabs, and a few colored markers.

Next, take all the papers and place them in three piles of equal height. This will give you instant relief as you have just simplified your task and freed up a lot of desk space. Start labeling your folders with broad categories like, "Meetings," "Projects," and "Boss's to do's." Place all your email jokes, cute stories, last year's invite to the office Christmas Party and the like in a recycling bin.

Once you start to get things under control, keep the folders you use often in a vertical stand on your desk. Folders used less often can be placed in labeled hanging files in the desk. Your goal is to find a home for all papers even those you are currently working with so there will be no chance for piles to take root on your desk.

As papers come into your office, find them a home in the appropriate folder. At the end of each day, spend 10-15 minutes cleaning off the desk top so that there are no papers left. When you come back the next morning, open the folder that contains your first item that needs attention and you are ready to go.

This simple change in behavior will bring a sense of accomplishment, increase productivity, decrease stress, and show your boss that you really care about your job and enjoy your position at the company.

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