10 Ways Disorganization Effects Your Business
On numerous occasions, I have been hired to establish efficient office procedures and to develop an organized system for better functioning and productivity. Because organization is my strength and because it is second nature for me, I was astonished at how unorganized those offices were. As I worked to improve and organize their office systems, I began to wonder how the office personnel functioned at all. Disorganization in any office or business setting can, without a doubt, affect the overall success of any business. Even when it isn't clearly apparent to those involved, disorganization affects everyone; the unorganized employee(s), the co-workers, the clients/customers, the managers, and certainly the business owner.
How does disorganization affect everyone? Here are a ten ways that it does:
1) Financially~Disorganization can cause the business money in a few ways. First, time is money. When employees are disorganized, they also practice poor time management. Not being able to find things will slow anyone down. In addition, paperwork lost in piles of papers can have serious consequences. Some clients/customers may not be billed for services in a timely manner. Not to mention, if an accounts payable is misplaced, it may be paid late by the business, which usually results in unnecessary late fees, and sometimes in extreme cases can cause disconnection and then reconnect fees. If the bookkeeper is not organized, he or she can cost the company money by not keeping accurate records. A lot of employees who are not organized may require overtime hours to get the job done (which the employer has to pay.) If organized systems are in place and everyone is properly trained to work the systems, money can be saved and in the long run, more money can be available for profit and performance raises.
Another way that disorganization can cost extra money is that often supplies are misplaced and wasted. Guess what? More supplies have to be bought sooner than should be needed.
2) Decreased Productivity~Disorganized employees are usually not performing at the level that they could or should be. Not only can disorganization slow down the messy employee, but also his or her co-workers. A day can go by quickly and the desired tasks can be incomplete because much of the time is spent backtracking and searching for materials needed, which will result in putting the staff behind for the day and then the next day, and then the cycle repeats itself.
3) Stress and Frustration~ Disorganization can cause undue stress and high frustration levels on each and every person involved. Not just management, not just the employees, but also for the client/customer. When the workplace is not organized, service will not run smoothly. How many times has someone with a messy desk or work space had to tell a client or customer that they could not find something important to serve them adequately? I promise you, whether you know this or not, it happens often. I have witnessed it myself.
4) Unmet Deadlines~ Not only can accounts payable slack in paying bills on time, but other important deadlines can go unmet. An unorganized person will struggle to get the job done on time and as a consequence can cause co-workers not to be able to meet their deadlines and can add extra work to their co-workers who jump in to help or who are ordered to help. This can cost you money, clients/customers, and can cause everyone an extreme amount of stress, and at times some resentment. Some who say that they work best under pressure, may not be truthful. Ask them how they really feel when they have to work extra hours to pick up someone else's slack and help meet deadlines.
5) Arguments and Drama~ Sometimes without even knowing why, co-workers can become agitated with one another. If all of your employees are unorganized, then maybe they are not bothered by the disorganization. At least they think that they aren't. Because clutter can clutter the mind, it can also cause ill and uneasy feelings. Tempers can escalate and drama occurs. People who have cluttered minds can easily become snappy at others. And, when deadlines are not met and other dysfunction occurs people often blame others before looking at their own faults in the situation.
6) Poor Image~Believe me, when your office space is a disorganized mess, it shows in one way or another. Clients and customers can get the impression that your business is untidy, and so may be your services. Messiness and disorganization can portray a poor image of the overall business. Even when the mess is shoved under a desk or a counter where the clients or customers cannot see it, the effects of disorganization will show and a poor image may still be reflected.
7) Unhappiness-Low Morale~ When operations of a business do not run smoothly, customers are not happy, employers are not happy, and employees are not happy. It is a domino effect. And, as we all know.....it rolls downhill.
8) Lack of Space~When work areas are cluttered, space is not being utilized at its best. When we hang onto things that we do not need, those things take up space. When closets and filing systems are in a mess, less things can be stored properly and out of site. Everything has its place-or at least it should! If everyone is not in the practice of putting things where they belong, clutter becomes a big issue and the work area can become cramped and dysfunctional.
9) Lost Files and Paperwork~ Without a well organized filing system, files can be lost. I can't tell you how many times I have worked with a business that had employees who had no idea how to properly file. Finding a file, (that has been misfiled,) is nearly impossible, or at the very least extremely time consuming.
10) Poor Attendance~ Clutter and disorganization can cause physical and emotional health issues. As mentioned above, it causes increased stress levels. As a result, you will often find that employees working in an unorganized and dysfunctional environment often suffer from headaches and backaches. Often, you will find employees attendance to be poor.
There are more negative affects on a business than mentioned above. However, these affects are enough to cause any business to suffer. If disorganization is a problem in your business or workplace, don't give up. First, focus on getting organized and developing a more efficient system for getting things done and keeping things in their place. Everyone plays a vital role in getting things in order. As importantly, everyone has an important role in maintaining a functioning and organized workplace.