Is a clean desk really
the sign of a sick mind? 

As a work psychologist, I can tell you that, more often than not, an office piled with papers and other orphaned objects has a major impact in two areas of your professional life that you probably would prefer remain unquestioned – your productivity and your credibility.

According to a 2005 article published in The Wall Street Journal, the average businessperson wastes six weeks annually searching for important documents lost in clutter.  Imagine the productivity gains you could realize if you recaptured a portion of those six weeks.

However, the biggest price you pay when your office is cluttered comes from funds withdrawn from the First National Bank of Credibility.  The more often you prove yourself to be high-performing, reliable and honest, the more your coworkers perceive you as credible.

Psychologists like to refer to your credibility score as “idiosyncratic credits.”  As you gain more idiosyncratic credits, you gain the ability to “pay” for your idiosyncrasies, like tardiness, clutter, and those red sneakers you insist on wearing on casual Fridays. 

However, if you eliminate the tardiness and clutter, you can “spend” your idiosyncratic credits on more value-added leadership activities such as enacting change and challenging the status quo.

So, how can you dig yourself out of a messy office? 

First and most importantly, you need to want to do it and be willing to prioritize it.  Second, set goals and hold yourself accountable to their accomplishment.  Third, enlist the help of others.  If you are lucky enough to have an organized assistant or coworker, have them help you declutter your office.  Sometimes, the simple presence of another human being in your space can bring focus and accountability to the process and will inspire you to see it through to completion.  Hiring a professional organizer can also bring great value.

So, what’s the reward?  An efficient, productive space will clear your path to greater levels of accomplishment in your career and enable you to balance your time more effectively across your many priorities.  Your organized office will also reflect outwardly the fact that you are productive and effective in what you do.  Coworkers may even model your behavior, because credible people inspire others to higher performance.