“Can You Really Be Productive Amidst All That Mess?”

That was one of the opening lines to an article I recently re-read that I saved from 2007. It was an article extolling the virtues of a messy desk. It had been forwarded to me by a client.

I cringed.

Was she trying to ruffle my feathers or merely show me “the other side?” I’m sure she was trying to open my eyes and share some differing opinions about organization and productivity. Well, that's fine. It worked, but my blood-pressure still rises when I read articles like that. ;-)

The author who wrote the article (Kate Lorenz of CareerBuilder.com), answers the question above with a resounding “Yes!”  by quoting writers Eric Abrahamson and David H. Freedman, who wrote "A Perfect Mess." The book they wrote “claims to reveal the hidden benefits of being unorganized and cluttered.”

Benefits? Really? I’m not sold.

I selected three hair-raising statements from this article that I just had to speak to and perhaps you’ll share your opinions too.
 

1. “Following rigid organizational systems and living life driven by a day planner means you're operating with blinders on.”

Being organized and using a day planner (actually I prefer Outlook Tasks) does not mean that you’re cutting yourself off from new ideas or turning down spontaneous events and opportunities. What it means is that you have a plan. When you’re organized and you have systems and processes in place that support your productivity, it means you’re clear on your tasks and priorities, you know where to find everything you need and you know how you’re using your time.

It also means that with each new opportunity, you’ll consider the possibilities and its importance compared to your existing tasks, appointments and other opportunities. Then you can decide where it fits in and when, if it gets fit in at all. In this case, you’re clear on how much you’re committing to because you already know what you’re already committed to.  No blinders here. As a matter of fact, having a grip on your day, your office, your goals, and your plans means total clarity and peace of mind.
 

2. “The various piles on a messy desk can represent a surprisingly sophisticated informal filing system that offer far more efficiency and flexibility than a filing cabinet could possibly provide."

A file cabinet that has a dependable system of files inside can be one of the most productive and efficient systems around you. Granted, if you haven’t taken care of your file system or you didn’t set it up in the best way possible to begin with, then you’re right, it won’t work for you and it will be inefficient.

When you take the time to set up a system where it’s easy to find and file the things you want the most, it makes you think about what you’re keeping. It promotes decision-making (so you don’t keep everything under the sun) and creates a system that acts as a library for future use. And you can fit anything in there that you want, given that you’ve maintained it and left room for growth – meaning you’ve re-addressed what you’ve kept from time to time so that the old, expired and obsolete materials are periodically tossed.

Maintenance is actually required for a messy desk full of files and papers too. You have to re-address the piles at some point or they will be as high as the ceiling and will start to topple over. Why not use a file system that keeps things in a place where you know you can find them and allows you lots of free desk and work space?

3. “In general, on a messy desk, the more important, urgent work tends to stay close by and near the top of the clutter, while the safely ignorable stuff tends to get buried to the bottom or near the back, which makes perfect sense.”

In my clients’ offices, we’ve found lots of important, and sometimes urgent, work that needed to be done far down in the piles, so I have to disagree with this generality. It’s not always on the top.

Not only this, but why are we “safely ignoring” the other stuff at the bottom or in the back? That doesn’t make sense to me. If you’re ignoring it, then how important is it? Why is it still there? Are you hoping it’s not actionable and hoping that it’ll go away if you ignore it long enough? Way to be decisive. Go get ‘em tiger.

The stuff you’re ignoring should be gone and if you needed it for reference, then it could have been filed away and forgotten until the next review.

The only things that should remain on a person’s desk, either in a small, neat pile or in a vertical sorter, are the few papers or files representing action steps. And while these action items should stay out, they should be noted on a task list so that taking action is targeted for a certain day or week. Otherwise, it’s a roll of the dice when it gets done - or when you’ll actually find it on your messy desk!