The Chaos of Clutter

Clutter is something that is a part of all our lives. When clutter is present harmony is not.  With clutter comes complexity and chaos.  Chaos leads to waste and complexity leads to quality issues with products and processes.  An organized workplace is one where there is a place for everything and everything is in its place.  Getting organized is a process; it is something that is ongoing, not a final destination.  Even those of us that work just fine in clutter need some method to our madness.

When it comes to clutter you have one of two options- you can either cut the clutter or you can waste time shuffling it around.  When you are moving piles from area to area you are complicating a simple process.  Keep in mind that complexity affects quality.

When you are tackling the task of organizing your workplace the main goal to keep in mind is the goal to plan.  To start the process you need a plan.  By this, I simply mean try and anticipate the needs of an operation.  After you have assessed your needs you can then organize according to the plan.

Process: A series of actions used to produce something or reach a certain goal.

Evaluate what you need and why you need it – different areas provide different functions and need to meet different needs.  Which areas are you going to address?  What function(s) do these areas serve?

Determining the function and purpose of an area makes this next step easier.  Remove items and organize into four piles – Donate/Toss/Keep/Recycle.  Once you donate, toss or recycle you need to deal with your keep pile…

Containerize- think about what is practical.  What do you use the most frequently?  What do you only use on a monthly basis?   Placing items in their new home can be tricky if you forget to think about practicality.  Lesser used items can be stored vertically – in overhead storage bins, or hanging folders.

Evaluate – After a trial run with your new system it is important to evaluate the effectiveness of it.  If your desk still has piles and heaps of paperwork you might want to consider a new plan with a new system.  Organizing can be a trial and error process.

By having a place for everything and keeping everything in its place you can locate items at the drop of a hat.  Don’t get discouraged.  Keep in mind that if you created it, you can change it.  Chaos is a demanding taskmaster and time waster.  Getting organized requires a redirection of energy away from one type of experience to another.

*A clutter free work zone does not equal a clean work zone.  Call Envision Commercial Cleaning for your free cleaning quote today.

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