Desk Raiders: Employer Edition

Look at your desk. Now look back at this article. Are you satisfied with how your desk is organized? If your answer is a negative, then you’re certainly not alone with your disorderly work space. Even employers aren’t as organized as you may believe, but they still manage to be professional and prepared for success. How is this possible? Eric Thiegs, the CEO and Founder of StageofLife.com, an online life journal and international blogging community, revealed his own tales from the desk:

What’s On His Desk Right Now

Movies and television often portray professionals’ desks as mostly free space with a few papers, fountain pen, and name plate on its surface. However, is this true in real life? Thiegs said, “As I sit here staring at my desk, I see good things like my pen organizer and my wooden box for business cards.” So far, so good.

“But then,” Thiegs continued, “I also see things like the packing tape I used to mail out a classroom poster today, a book of Father's Day coupons my daughters made for me (those homemade kind that say things like "FREE HUG"), two coffee cups (one was from Tuesday), guitar strings, company bills (that should be in the organizer but aren't), garage sale stickers (why? I don't know), and a few other sundry items.”

Thiegs also divulged that the strangest item he had on his desk was, “Last week, my three-year-old gently placed a pair of underwear on my desk and she said, ‘Daddy, I peed in these.’”

Necessary Items for Success

Despite the miscellany on Thiegs’ desk, he recommended several essential items to ensure success, “A notebook (for taking notes when talking to people on the phone, writing down ideas, making to-do lists, or writing when inspiration strikes), a good pen (for writing in the notebook), and company stationary (for jotting down a quick, personal note to include in a letter or package).”

“Time is money,” Thiegs said. “When I start to spend time looking for something on my cluttered desk, I am essentially losing money for wasteful actions.” By organizing your desk, you can preserve both time and money.

Thiegs added, “Even worse is that any time I spend thinking about cleaning my desk, I lose focus on me growing my company.” Instead of thinking about cleaning your desk, actually get up and do it!

 How to Stay Organized

It may be easy to clean your desk, but the real challenge is to maintain that cleanliness. Thiegs advised, “Find an organizational structure that works best for your work style and allows you to quickly move about your day while sitting at your command center (your desk). My favorite organization item is a binder I created that contains all of my important business documents in it. I never have to look for an important piece of information that I filed somewhere because I know it'll be in my binder.  Make yourself a ‘go-to’ binder for your most important information and keep it on your desk.”