Disorganization is one of the leading causes of job dissatisfaction and a major contributor to stress.

If the disorganization is yours, then you can choose to make changes. However, if you are the disorganized one or the organized one working with a disorganized colleague, that lack of organization has an impact on you.

• Who does the disorganized person interrupt when they need something? After each interruption, the most organized person has to work, it can take 20 minutes or more to get back into the flow of work again.
• Who gets more stressed during the workday? Typical characteristics of the stressed person may include irritability, anger, and negativity. Have you ever had to “tiptoe” around someone, wondering what mood they were in that day? It does not lead to a comfortable work environment.
• Who would your customers prefer to deal with? Negativity and irritability are often not equated with great customer service. It affects the bottom line and piles more work on the organized individual whose help is preferred.
• Who misses more days of work? Stress leads to absenteeism and illness. Who covers for the stressed and disorganized person when they don’t show up? And, of course, it’s also harder to cover for the individual whose work is scattered all over the place and who didn’t set priorities before leaving the night before.
• Who delays the completion of the project? When working as a team on a project where one piece depends on the next, the disorganized person can create two problems:
• Sloppy work because it is done in a hurry on the deadline.
• Pressure on others who are waiting, and end up doing their part in a time crunch.
• Who is usually assigned additional tasks? The cluttered work area does not announce that you are ready to take on more responsibilities. When a manager wants a task done, he is more likely to assign it to the person he considers trustworthy.

When you are organized and in control, your attitude is more likely to be positive. Nine out of ten people say they are more productive when surrounded by positive people (Gallup, 2004). A work environment that reflects organization and positive attitudes can bring great satisfaction.

© 2008 Key Organizational Systems.