Your Office & Your Image “I can’t stand this proliferation of paperwork. It’s useless to fight the forms. You’ve got to kill the people producing them.” Vladimir Kabaidze, Plant Manager addressing the Communist Party New York Times Productivity Partners, Inc.
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There are papers on the floor, across the desk and resting on the keyboard. Piles of files
are all around. Magazines, newspapers, you name it. Just about anything can be found in this office. You know what I’m talking about. You might have seen something similar in your own organization…or your own office. Several years ago an employee called me because her performance review included items relating to the disorganized state of her office (clutter). When I arrived, her desk was piled high with papers. I began asking questions. Are you late with assignments? Does it take you more than 15 seconds to find information? Do you tend to completely lose information? With each question the answer was ‘no’. Probing a little further, I discovered that her supervisor needed to walk past her office every time he walked to the front of the building. Each and every time he walked by, he mentally noted the condition of her office. It seemed her true work performance was not in question…the concern was about her organizing skills. Why? For many people, a messy desk is a sign of a mess mind. And the concern with a messy mind is that work isn’t getting done and deadlines could be missed.
Whether we like it or not, appearances matter. An employee with a messy desk and office is often perceived as out of control, non-caring and inefficient. It can cause the employee to be passed over for a promotion. If you’re a manager, remember you’re also a role model. Direct reports are watching. And forming impressions of their own. I also remember a client company who hired me to coach some of their employees on improving their personal productivity. That company had a ‘Clean Desk’ policy, which meant that before employees left for the day, desktops were to be free of loose papers. I was assured the policy was enforced. In fact, employees had been seen dumpster-diving to find loose papers they left on their desk the night before, which had been tossed out by the cleaning crew. I don’t advocate this particular type of policy or its enforcement. But it seems that a better way to face each new day would be to end the previous day by taking a moment to place loose desktop papers in a container. Get in the habit of taking a few minutes at the end of your day to make desktop neat. It will help prevent the judgment and negative impression people walk away with when they see papers and piles. And you might just like it, too. © 2001 Cynthia Kyriazis
Productivity Partners, Inc.
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Productivity Partners, Inc. specializes in helping employees overcome the 24/7 time management and organizing challenges they face in order to improve performance, increase productivity and reduce stress. PPI assists individuals, teams, and entire companies in gaining confidence and control when it comes to paper, information, time, space and choice management. Offerings include: Onsite workshops Online workshops or webinars Assessments Coaching Consulting Presentations Products
Cynthia Kyriazis started her business in 1992 after 25 years experience in multi-unit operations management. She is an organizing and time management coach, consultant, trainer, speaker and author. Cynthia is past Secretary of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), 2008 President of the International Society for Performance Improvement-Kansas City chapter (KCISPI), a national speaker, and consultant to the American Coaching Association. Cynthia can be reached at Cynthia@ProPartnersInc.com www.ProPartnersInc.com www.Moveyourmindset.wordpress.com Linkedin.com/in/propartnersinc Twitter.com/ProductiveYou GoogleMe Productivity Partners, Inc.
913-649-0878
888-482-2688