It was a delight to do an interview with Jennifer Myers of The Globe and Mail. In the article entitled, Lists, clutter, interruptions, e-mail … Arrrrgh! we discuss getting organized in the office. As we head into the new year, it’s a great time to think about order and disorder in the workplace.
“Downsizing and layoffs have resulted in fewer workers but no reduction in the workload. Those who have kept their jobs are functioning in a state of semi-chaos, scrambling to bring order to their work lives. And far from helping us stay on top of things, technology has only made things worse,” says Linda Chu, founder of Out of Chaos, a professional organizing firm in Vancouver. “Business has moved to a 24/7 economy and workers are now always on. We try to multitask and it’s not working,” she says.
I talk about the common problems with organization and productivity in the workplace and provide some solutions.
Clutter Control
- PROBLEM: For many, the desktop has become a storage place.
- SOLUTION: Make it a habit to always put things away.
- PROBLEM: The distraction of checking e-mail and overflowing inboxes.
- SOLUTION: Check e-mail on a schedule and set up rules to automatically sort incoming e-mail.
Personal Productivity
- PROBLEM: With the constant barrage of interruptions.
- SOLUTION: Develop an action plan each day. Use a to-do list to set priorities.
Read the full article to get all of my solutions. If you are screaming “Arrrrgh!” about your lists, clutter, interruptions and e-mail, contact Out of Chaos right away! We’d be happy to help.