Disorganized Office Desk Costs Business People 2 Hours a Week: Survey
Nearly
34% of individuals lose more than 15 minutes a day
or nearly two hours every week to disorganized office desk - hunting for
lost papers, sorting through messy files and rebooking missed
appointments - according to a new survey by Office Depot (ODP).
According to the study, the majority (53%) live in “controlled chaos,” where their desk is a mess but they claim to know where everything is located. Busy professionals also are finding this rather chaotic lifestyle costly:
- 76% of respondents report they lose time to disorder,
- while more than half (51%) are concerned about missing important deadlines or appointments,
- 16% cite fear of diminishing their reputation
- 14% losing business opportunities (14%) due to disorganization.
- 61% said the biggest frustration with their disorganized environment is that they can’t find what they need quickly
- 27% of professionals said they find it hard to concentrate with messy files around.
Given these facts, it’s surprising to learn how few business professionals take on the task of becoming and staying organized:
- A mere 22% of respondents stated that they arranged their desk for maximum productivity every day,
- while 49% organize only once a month – or less frequently.
Why does this disorder happen to otherwise productive individuals? That may be the most revealing part of the study – 67% are not sure how to start or maintain their efforts.
To help business professionals become more organized, Office Depot and Winston developed the Office Depot Five-Day Office Makeover Plan that will help anyone find the paperwork they need in less than 60 seconds. The Office Depot Five-Day Office Makeover Plan, which is available for free download at www.officedepot.com/getorganized.
About the Survey
The Office Depot Organization Study, conducted by TNS NFO, was designed to gain insights into consumers’ organizational behaviors and challenges. The objectives of the omnibus survey were to understand the importance of organization, including the amount of time lost to disorder. The poll of 2,500 people (representative of the U.S. household population, 18+ on age, gender, geographic division, income and household size, household designation and market size) was conducted November 8-13, 2006. To view a full listing of survey results, please visit http://mediarelations.officedepot.com.
