Success at Work : Techniques : A Cluttered Desk

By Stephen Bucaro

I followed my boss to a co-worker's cubicle where my boss requested a certain document from the co-worker. The actual surface of the co-workers desk was not visible because its surface was covered with a cluttered pile of papers, catalogs, booklets, and other paraphernalia. I was prepared to see my co-worker embarass himself by not being able to locate the requested document in that messy pile.

Some people mistakenly think having a cluttered desk will trick their boss into thinking they are keeping busy. Instead, a cluttered desk makes your boss think the following:

 You are disorganized
 You are a procastinator
 you have poor time management skills
 you have low productivity
 You have lost control

My co-worker pushed his hand down into that cluttered mess and, to my amazement, instantly produced the requested document. Apparently this guy had a mental map of the location of every item in the seemly disorganized pile on his desk. Maybe we misjudge people that keep a cluttered desk.

People think that a worker with a messy desk does messy work. Misjudgment or not, if you have a messy desk, your boss might not want to risk giving you an important assignment. You will get only low profile, boring grunt jobs. Fair or not, that's the way it is.

Things that clutter a desk:

 Pictures of family, pets, etc.
 Trinkets, plants, figurines, signs
 Food, cups, bowls, silverware, wrappers, crumbs

I'm not saying that you have to get rid of every personal item from your desk. Displaying a family photograph gives the impression of a stable, reliable individual, but too many photograph's on your desk sends the message that you would rather be somewhere else. A plant on your desk can make your cubicle seem less harsh, but too many plants makes people think that your hobby is taking over your cubicle.

Yes, it requires a little extra time and work up front to get organized, but in the long run, you'll make up that time. After you get organized, you'll work less to be more productive, and your work will much less stressful. One way to keep your desk neat is to block off 30 minutes each morning to organize your desk. Divide things into three categories:

 Things to take care of now
 Things you will deal with later
 Things to file away for reference

Then utilize the following organizing tools:

 notebooks
 file folders
 boxes
 drawers
 cabinets
 briefcase

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