Your Organizing DNA

January is national Get Organized month. It’s time to celebrate.

Regardless of technology, paper still lives on and will for many years. So organizing paper
documents and folders is still important. But the system you set up for yourself needs to be user friendly
because a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work for creating and supporting your workspace.

Do you file or pile when it comes to your documents and folders? Do you prefer storing your papers
on top of your desk in trays, baskets or just plain piles? Do you have a preference for Post-it® notes or
maybe colorful file folders? Or are clearly labeled files and file cabinet storage more your style?

These are the types of questions I ask my workshop participants. In fact, I have them take a P.O.P.
quiz…Personal Organizing Profiles quiz to help at least narrow-down what works for them.

Research conducted in the late 1980’s claimed that human beings exhibit brain hemisphere
dominance in early childhood. Although some of this research has been questioned in recent years, the
fact is that we have two brain hemispheres with distinct functions that work together. All of us use both
sides of our brain in everything we do. But there can be a dominance and that directly impacts how you
respond to new experiences. The more aware you are of your own style when it comes to learning and
retrieving, the better positioned you are to set up systems that work for you.

Left-brain dominance indicates someone who tends to be an analytical, methodical and somewhat
linear thinker. This scenario may imply that left-brainers are more organized but this is a perception
more than a reality. Language resides in the left side of the brain so these individuals look for a word on
the file folder tab. Looking for folders in a file cabinet is not a problem, because they see the tabs and the
word they’re seeking.

Right-brainers, on the other hand, are generally characterized as individuals who are conceptual
and visionary and frequently described as big-picture or strategic thinkers. Going to the detail of a
written word on a file folder just isn’t something that works for them because they tend to scan more
than focus. And when they do this they scan for a visual cue, not a language cue.

Then there is a third style. Individuals who brains access using both linear and visual cues. I call them
whole-brainers. And this group may have the hardest task of all. It involves figuring out what works for
you based upon what you’re looking for.

Here’s an example. In my office if a project has been completed or has become a reference document,
my left- brain triggers and I look for a words to find the folder. Keeping this in mind, it’s easier for me to
store these folders vertically on top of my desk or in my file cabinets because I can see the label.

 Cynthia Kyriazis 2017

However, if I have a work that is also on-going, in progress or involves more of a creative
approach. I find that my right-brain triggers in looking for this information so I store these files in a
horizontal manner on top of my desk. Trays, baskets or containers with slots of any kind so I can see the
location of the document immediately.

Identifying your natural style of paper management helps you work towards eliminating those
on-going feels of stress and frustration when you need to retrieve information. Actively developing
a user-friendly system that supports your style is a key element in not only creating an organized space,
but more importantly creating a user-friendly space and being able to maintain it.

 Cynthia Kyriazis 2017

 The Cost of a Cluttered Desk
From time to time a person attending one of my presentations expresses the dire hope that getting
organized is a one-time event based on acquiring the right tools. Then they secretly hope for magic
results. But there’s something of that is of greater concern. The price tag for not getting organized is significant
in time, money, stress and frustration for the individual the team and ultimately the organization itself.

The Wall Street Journal reported a statistic which has stood for years. “The average US executive loses
weeks per year retrieving misplaced information from messy desks and files. The cost in salary and lost
productivity is enormous.” Six weeks a year translates to about one hour/day. Simply take one hour a day,
multiply it by the average hourly employee rate and then multiply that by the total number of employees in your
organization. If you include the cost of looking for electronic files, the time required doubles to two hours a day.

This calculation provides you with an annual dollar figure on lost productivity. Keep in mind this figure
doesn’t reflect the $250 cost incurred in order to re-create each document that is lost. Nor does it reflect the
hidden amount of time lost in pursuing new opportunities or focusing on priority issues. The direct and hidden
cost of not being able to easily access needed information can be staggering for any organization.

It’s not about a paper-free workspace, it’s about a clutter-free workspace. And cluttered is defined as a n
assortment of unrelated things lying about. There is no magic answer on how to maintain a clutter-free
environment, but strategically speaking there are three key principles involved in becoming and remaining
organized.

System. If thought and planning are not given to preparing a home’s foundation, in time the house may
crumble. If an employee’s working environment has not been given the time and attention needed in order to
create user-friendly systems or foundations, then clutter and disorganization are just a step away…and so is
the negative impact on the top and bottom line. Remember…paper, time, space and electronic management
systems are all interconnected. A non-workable system in one part of the environment will more than likely
result in a similar situation elsewhere.

Process. Once a workable system has been established, the next objective is to establish and practice the
processes required to keep work moving forward. Processes help an employee do the right thing at the right
time---the definition of being both effective and efficient. Processes reduce stress and improve performance
and productivity by helping individuals make faster decisions about what to do next. This approach benefits not
only the individual but their team as well.

Behavior. This is, of course, the most difficult step. It represents change and change can be a challenging and
difficult arena to tackle. It takes commitment to overcome the habit of delayed decisions making, let go of un-
needed paper or remain focused on priorities. But the rewards are there to be had by anyone willing to replace
ineffective habits with effective ones.

Just remember…everything we do and don’t do is dependent upon how organized we are…or can be.

 Cynthia Kyriazis 2017

 “It's Here Somewhere…"
I have repeatedly said the title of the next book I write will be "It's Here Somewhere". Why?
Because this is the single most repetitive phrase I hear when working with clients. And I know it IS
somewhere…but if you can't lay your hands on it when you need it, then 'somewhere' isn't working for
you. Time for a change. Time to think about how work actually moves around your office. So think of
managing information in 3 stages—incoming, desktop and outgoing.

Incoming. This represents all the paper and information brought to you by anyone - including
yourself - like notes after a meeting or attending a conference. Information also comes from the post
office, the fax machine, printed emails and overnight deliveries. It just never seems to stop. The best
thing you can do for yourself is store this information in one location like a box, a letter tray, etc.
Keeping some of it on your desk, some on the floor, some on the bookcase just isn't an effective use
of time or space. And it can cause you stress and impact job performance. So try putting all this
incoming information in one well defined spot.

Desktop. Next step? Take this stored, incoming information and move it forward. Most of us have
heard the saying 'only handle a piece of paper once'. This strategy worked years ago, but today
maybe not so much. We receive and handle more paper now than ever in the history of
mankind….and digital information is right behind it. So a more effective mantra might be when you
receive paper or electronic files, make a decision to move it forward because just reading it and
putting it back where you got it from wastes precious and irreplaceable time and energy. Move
information forward to the project folder, phone call list, trash or file pile. Oh yes…the file pile. Read
on.

Outgoing. Paper and information come into your office and then roam around your desktop or email
files, but most of it eventually leaves and goes somewhere else. It can go to…another person's office,
filing system or trash/delete. If you keep papers and files because they bring value, then they’re
generally stored in a physical or electronic filing cabinet. The problem is those locations are loaded. If
you don't have a system to help you retrieve this valuable information, it impacts your sales, profit and
peace of mind. So take time to set up a user-friendly filing system. A general guideline is maintaining
no more than 7 broad categories. For example, Financial, Legal, Administrative, Personal, Vendors,
Suppliers, Clients, etc. You can maintain a number of sub-categories, but the initial decision you need
to make to store or retrieve information should be limited to no more than 7 category names. And
remember…'Miscellaneous' is NOT a category! So the next time you hear yourself saying '…it's here
somewhere…' take a step back and ask if you’ve done what’s needed to get organized and find
paper, time and peace of mind!

Cynthia@ProPartnersInc.com 913-649-0878 www.ProPartnersInc.com

 Organize Your Mind
I began reading The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload by
Dr. Daniel Levitin. Based on the title I figured heck, who couldn’t use this type of information.

I like to read books that talk about decision making and change. the last few years of
neuroscience research has helped us understand those areas even better. It’s not always light
reading but I do it for a couple reasons. First, because I’m naturally curious and second, it gives me a
better understanding of why my clients face certain types of time management challenges which
helps me develop strategies for overcoming these challenges. It’s most of what my work is about. The
exploration ultimately it helps me help them.

Decision overload is one of the things neuroscientists have discovered that causes a ‘lack of
productivity and loss of drive’. Dr. Levitin goes on to say that part of the problem is that we’re
asked to make decisions ‘under conditions of uncertainty’. Leaders know this all too well.

Information overload is another culprit. Organizing our mind is just as important as organizing
physical objects. Research shows the brain wants to organize in categories and does so in 3 ways.
Through appearance (all the pens are together), through a ‘function equivalence’ (not the right tool,
but will get the job done for now) and particular situations (useful vs not useful). This is called ‘active
sorting’ and leaders do it all day long. The key here is that active sorting is crucial to becoming and
remaining organized and productive… for both leaders and their employees.

Then there’s mind overload. Dr. Levitin identifies our brain’s two modes. ‘mind-wandering’ and
‘executive’. This is all about big picture vs execution. Over the last year I’ve seen a trend in both
smaller and larger organizations to provide quality uninterrupted time for their employees. Larger
organizations create a space or room where noise is not allowed. It’s strictly a place to enable critical
thinking – strategic or task-oriented. Smaller organizations who might not have dedicated space but
employees consistently ask me how to help them manage interruptions so they can focus in order to
get priority work done rather and mitigate the feeling of overwhelm.

The two things that move us forward are focus and execution. But as we all know, there’s
enough happening around us all day that diverts us from these two things. Execution can’t be
accomplished without a strategy and strategy goes nowhere without execution. It’s the chicken and
egg scenario. Refrain from believing that one is more important than the other. It takes two to tango.

Consider a designated ‘quiet’ time for your organization. I suggested to one organization that
they try this for 1.5 hours/day and employees pushed back. Within a week they were asking for 2
hours/day because they got so much more priority work done!

Something to consider.

Cynthia@ProPartnersInc.com 913-649-0878 www.ProPartnersInc.com

 Your Office and Your Image
There are papers on the floor, across the desk and resting on the keyboard. Piles of files are all
around. Magazines, newspapers, you name it. Just about anything could be found in this office. You
know what I’m talking about. You may have seen something similar in your own organization…or your
own office.

Several years ago I received a call from a supervisor regarding an employee who was ‘out of
control’. Her performance review included items relating to the disorganized state of her office. When
I arrived, her desk did appear cluttered and felt chaotic so I began to ask questions in order to better
understand what was going on. Questions like…

 Are you late with getting assignments completed?

 Do you miss deadlines?
 Does it take you more than 15 seconds to find information you’re looking for?
 Do you frequently lose information completely?

With each question the answer was ‘no’.

Probing a little further, I discovered that her supervisor needed to walk past her office several times a
day in order to get to the front of the building. Each and every time he walked by, he mentally noted
the condition of her office. It seemed her true work performance was not in question…the concern
was about the sense of an unorganized work environment. Why? Because for some supervisors a
messy desk is a sign of an unorganized mind with chaotic outcomes with a concern or fear that work
isn’t getting done and deadlines could be missed.

So let’s admit it. Whether you like it or not, appearances matter.

An employee with a desk and office strewn with paper is often perceived as out of control,
messy and inefficient with their time. Whether these perceptions are true or not, these types of
judgements about a person’s physical space in a work environment can cause the person to not be
given critical assignments, be passed over for joining a team or worse yet, get passed over for a
promotion.

And if you manage others, remember you’re also a role model. Your direct reports watch you and
form impressions of their own about you, what’s important to you and how you work.

Shortly after working with this employee I worked with a company that had a ‘Clean Desk’
policy. This meant that before employees left for the day desktops were to be free of loose papers. I

 Cynthia Kyriazis 2017

was assured the policy was enforced. In fact, employees had been seen dumpster-diving to find loose
papers they left on their desk the night before, which had been tossed out by the cleaning crew!

I don’t advocate this type of policy or its enforcement. Yet it has always seemed to me that a
better way to begin each day would be to end the previous day’s work by taking a moment to place
loose desktop papers in a container of some kind. A tray, a basket, a box…whatever it takes. This
approach prevents you from walking into an office first thing in the morning that already feels
cluttered. We all have more on our plates than we can accomplish in a day so why begin your day
already feeling overwhelmed or stressed by what you see the minute you walk into your office?

Cultivate a habit. End and begin your day with some sense of order in your office or you’re the top of
your desk. If can help you feel like things are more manageable or controllable in your world. At the
very least it may help prevent supervisors and colleagues’ judgment and negative impressions of your
work.

And you might just like it, too.

 Cynthia Kyriazis 2017