It has long been asserted that if you are to achieve optimum
efficiency, then keeping your desk tidy and free of clutter is of vital importance. The theory is
that if important documents are safely filed and desktop distractions are kept
to a minimum, then tasks will be completed properly, in good time, and to the
best of your ability. However, a newly conducted survey seems to contradict this long-stated mantra.
The survey,
conducted by office design firm Herman Miller, focused on what they call ‘Work
Masters’, which basically translates to meaning the most productive of
employees. According to those involved, the survey categorically indicates that
“neatness and organisation are not the same thing”, and many have in fact been
approaching the issue incorrectly all their working lives.
Firstly, the report states that those with more of an
inclination toward organisation may end up storing significant quantities of
unnecessary information, making it all the more difficult the find that which they
require. On the other hand, ‘pilers’ - those who tend to appear as though they’ve
just strewn documents across their desk - improve efficiency as more urgent
documents naturally work their way to the top of the pile as tasks are
completed and/or reprioritised. HR News appropriately
describes this inadvertent filing system as akin to a form of real-life RAM
(Random Access Memory).
This obviously works better for an individual than it does for
a group of several members each needing an understanding of where important
documents are kept, but ‘pilers’ apparently have other advantages over ‘filers’
that help balance this out. For instance, the reports states that the more
organised among us can often fall into the trap of ‘premature filing’,
resulting in documents being stored away before they are properly examined and
understood. Those who seem disorganised actually tend to have a good idea of
exactly where everything is, and are reportedly better at recalling key
information.
‘Filers’ are also more likely to duplicate work, according
to a behavioural study conducted by AT&T Labs, as various documents may be
stored in multiple locations or folders, leading to confusion as to which tasks
still require completion.
It is further suggested that many tasks deemed important by
the obsessively-organised are in fact substantial wastes of time, as they spend
lengthy periods simply filing rather than actually completing the necessary tasks.
One given example is the practice of separating emails into folders,
subfolders, and a few more folders, as the search function provided by most
email applications is in fact a much more efficient and time-effective way to
locate important emails.
Ultimately, neither approach is likely to work for all
members of your workforce. While additional organisation may be beneficial in group
projects and collaborative tasks, allowing staff the freedom to organise as
they see fit in regards to personal tasks and documents could provide a decent
productivity boost. Some desks will remain spotless, others will fill with
clutter, but your workforce as a whole will be all the better at managing individual
workloads as a result.
Sam Bonson
Sam
is an aspiring novelist with a passion for fantasy and crime thrillers. He is currently
working as a content writer, journalist & editor in an attempt to expand
his horizons.
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