Employee A arrives at work and immediately feels a familiar sense of dread. She sits down at her cubicle and promptly begins checking messages in her company email account. She comes across a message from her supervisor requesting that she print several documents and prepare them for the late morning department meeting. As Employee A proceeds to the printer to pick up the documents, the printer chimes to signal an empty paper tray. Employee A redirects her path to the storage closet on the other side of the office where the printer paper is stored. Upon retrieving more paper, Employee A hears the phone on her desk ring. She returns to her desk, recognizes the number as that of her supervisor and answers. Her supervisor asks whether Employee A has seen another email referencing a spreadsheet she has been tasked to create by noon. Employee A jots down a few notes regarding edits she will need to make to the spreadsheet’s layout and dutifully returns to the print station to refill the paper and to finally retrieve her documents. After returning to her desk with documents in hand, Employee A reaches for her stapler and discovers it has run out of staples. She sighs and returns to the supply closet, located across the office, and realizes she is only 15 minutes into her workday and is already beginning to feel exhausted. Employee A repeats a similar sequence of events several times for the next seven hours.
Disorganization Contributes to Fatigue
Many employees find themselves experiencing fatigue, not solely due to the extent of their workload, but also as a result of attempting to work efficiently in a disorganized setting. Overcrowded file drawers, illogical layouts, and the hunt for misplaced supplies can add up to a non-obvious losses in productivity as employees must divert their time and energy to secondary tasks.
Maintaining an Organized Workplace Improves Productivity
A professional organizer who specializes in office settings can help businesses identify these “productivity vampires” and recommend solution to make the workday less taxing and more efficient for workers. By working with a professional to identify and address pain points, companies may significantly reduce worker fatigue and enable their employees to focus more of their time and energy on performing essential job duties.
Rolanda L., Professional Organizer 