Your Work Area

I receive a daily email from "WalkTheTalk.com" Most of them are inspirational messages, but occasionally something like this comes along:

What would you think if you walked into a person’s office and saw piles of paper on the desk, overflowing file cabinets, stale, moldy coffee on the table, and a general sloppy appearance? Well, if you’re like most folks, you’d probably walk away feeling that this person is somewhat out of control. And that likelihood leads to another question that’s definitely worth pondering:

What do people think when they visit YOUR work area?

Fair or not, others tend to evaluate our organizational skills – and our leadership abilities – by what they see around our workplaces. Fact is, a cluttered desk and messy area are not indicators of a busy, important person. Rather, they’re signs of disorganization, confusion, and chaos. And those definitely are NOT the kinds of attributes that instill confidence in the people we lead.

Excerpts from Becoming the Obvious Choice

• Close your door (if you have one) for 20 minutes, put up a “do not disturb” sign, and use that time to organize yourself and your workspace every day.

• Throw things away! Ask yourself: “What’s the worst thing that could happen if I toss this?” Most of the time, you can live with your answer, so start filling your wastebasket!

• The key to paper management is to keep things moving! Move the paper on your desk or table to your out basket, your file, your “to read” folder, or your trash. Don’t just let paper sit.

• Do three things before you leave work: 1) clear your desk (or work area), 2) plan tomorrow’s activities, and 3) enter your next day’s to-do list in your organizer.

I wish I could say that I always practice these techniques, but it doesn't hurt to be reminded!