What's in Your Wallet...Er...On Your Desk?

Michael Doan: A Clean Desk

I’ve been an advocate of having a clean desk.  There’s something about walking into your office in the morning and seeing your desk looking like the flight deck of an aircraft carrier:  clean, clear, and ready for action.  So the last thing I do at the end of the day is to file all my loose papers and get my desk ready for the next day.  I also believe that I’m best organized when I have only one project on the desktop at a time.  I realize that during the heat of battle, a desk can look like a battlefield with multiple projects here and there (not by choice, but when the boss walks in and has several things he/she wants done now), have supplies and materials scattered about, and have reference material hanging on to the edges. Periodically, however, I stop everything to get my desk back to zero.  This goes back to David Allen, in his book, Ready for Anything, where, at times of indecision, he advocates cleaning something up, something obvious and in front of you.  Nothing is more in front of us than our desks.

This is only one preference, however, as some like multiple active projects out and visible to keep them in mind and to remind themselves to be working on them.  The rule of thumb in this case should be that if you can find what you need in two minutes or less and if your projects are always completed on or before the due date, you’re OK — whatever is effective for your working style.

Here is what I routinely keep on my main desk…

• Blotter


• Planner


• Phone


• Nameplate (Yeah, I have to have it with the number of visitors that I have)

On my computer desk…

• Computer/printer


• Outbox

On my credenza…

• File of blank forms needed for daily business


• Blank file folders


• Labeller


• Stapler

Everything else is stored in drawers and only needed supplies are brought out for the current project on which I might be working.  Oh, yeah, my top left drawer is my inbox.  Open it up, drop the item in, and close it.  Then, I process it periodically during the day.

So, as the commercial asks, What’s in your wallet…er…on your desk?

Comments

[John Richardson]

Just wondering how you do your filing? I have always struggled to come up with a quick & efficent filing system. Any tips..

John

[Bert]

John--

I use the system advocated by David Allen in his book, "Getting Things Done". Filing has always been a hassle for me...but no more. It works. Jason Womack, one of David's trainers, showed his filing system and how he emptied his inbox here: http://jasonwomack.typepad.com/photos/office_productivity/