How clutter affects productivity at work
Tamarind PhiniseeADDISON -- You may remember the constant battle between Oscar Madison and his friend Felix Unger over the issue of cleanliness versus clutter from "The Odd Couple." In the end, Felix learned to accept Oscar, clutter and all.
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Perhaps you've had the pleasure of working with some Felix Ungers or Oscar Madisons -- together in the same office.
Deborah Driskill, assistant to the president and chief ethics officer for cdg & associates, says she may have a lot of clutter in her office, but she can put her finger on anything she needs. Donna Manchester, vice president of human resources for cdg & associates, says she can't stand clutter and that it decreases a person's productivity.
"I have a concern that the person who owns that office is not very well organized and not able to find whatever it is that I've come to talk to them about," Manchester says.
But does it really?
Barbara Hemphill, CEO of the Hemphill Productivity Institute, and author of "Taming the Paper Tiger," says that clutter does affect productivity.
"I think (clutter) reduces your productivity...I've been helping people organize their offices for 22 years and that's certainly been my experience," says Hemphill.
She said people spend approximately 150 hours per year looking for misplaced items.
"If you can't find what you want when you want it," she says. "then you can't be very productive."
Lisa Kanarek, home office expert, author of "Organizing Your Home Office for Success" and founder of HomeOfficeLife.com, says clutter not only hurts productivity, it also hurts morale and image.
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