As an administrative professional, you know being organized is crucial to your effectiveness. But have you ever thought about why? What is disorganization costing you?
What many people don’t take into account is the adverse effect that disorganization can have not only on their job and career, but the entire office.
It doesn’t matter if your desk is the neatest one in the office. If you can’t find the information you need, you’re missing deadlines, or details are falling through the cracks, then you’re not as organized as you need to be. And disorganization can do serious damage to your professional reputation and credibility.
When it comes to disorganization, clutter is one of the biggest culprits. In a 2011 OfficeMax Workspace Organization Survey, 38% of respondents said clutter negatively affected their professional image, and 77% said their productivity was impacted. A CareerBuilder survey also found that even if workers were actually working on multiple projects with positive results, workplace clutter was causing employers to have a negative view of them.
Look around your desk and workspace – is there a lot of clutter? If so, take five minutes right now and clear out all of the clutter. Then sit back down in your chair and observe how your de-cluttered workspace looks and makes you feel. It’s a much different feeling, isn’t it? That’s the impact of clutter. When you combine how your cluttered space makes you feel with how others perceive you, it’s a motivating force to pursue a clutter-free space.
The cost of disorganization also comes in the form of stress and lost productivity, which can further damage your professional image. Identifying where you have trouble spots and finding ways to better organize them going forward can literally help you breathe easier during your workday, lower your stress, and contribute to better health.
Take a look at this week’s feature article, which ties into the cost of disorganization by examining the 12 dysfunctional personal productivity personalities. You can also find additional tips and resources on our Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn pages.
Supporting your administrative success,
Julie
