Organizing for Success: The 6S Model™
Step 6: Sustain
Several years ago, I read that “Change is the enemy of organization.” I don’t usually think of getting organized in terms of warfare, but this analogy made sense to me. Think about it—if nothing new came into or out of our lives, it would be easy to maintain an organized space. It resonated particularly deeply at the time I read it, as a mother of a newborn; as soon as I seemed to have a handle on baby clothes, toys and supplies, my son would grow or change and it was time to re-sort and re-arrange.
And even when we are fairly organized at work, big changes impact our ability to stay that way. Those five minutes we reserve at the end of the day to straighten up our desks just isn’t enough to deal with the chaos caused by a big change like reaching the end of our fiscal year, getting promoted, taking on additional responsibilities, or moving our office. The change could be something less dramatic, like launching a web site or changing a business process. Completing a project can render critical files and papers useless.
This doesn’t mean that all of our organizing efforts were in vain. I point out to my clients that there’s a fair chance that as big changes happen, clutter will reappear. But I also give them a few techniques for dealing with it.
Schedule routine maintenance during quiet(er) times. No one seems to have down time these days, but there are times when it seems possible to catch up if we schedule a maintenance appointment in advance. These times can be when your industry is quiet, when your boss or co-workers are on vacation or at a conference, or during days when the office is quiet but you still need to be there, like the upcoming workday on July 3, or the week between Christmas and New Year.
Make wrap-up a part of your project plan. Anticipate that you will need to spend time archiving, cleaning, and debriefing. When you begin a project, include maintenance in the plan.
It can be discouraging to think of staying organized at work is a never-ending process. If you prefer, view it as a journey on which you travel closer to your best professional self, eliminating distractions along the way. Happy traveling!
Want to use this article in your e-newsletter or website? You can use this material in whole or in part, as long as you include this complete attribution and live link: Productivity consultant and trainer Cristin Lind of Clearwater Productivity helps busy professionals enhance their work and enrich their lives. If you’re ready to get more done with less effort, visit www.clearwaterproductivity.com.