I confess. I keep a messy desk.
Last Wednesday’s leadership group discussed three of the 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader. One of the topics discussed was problem solving. John Maxwell’s advice to those who get paralyzed by unforeseen circumstances is to anticipate problems. In other words, we need to plan ahead and take into consideration that things might not go exactly the way we planned.
One thought led to another. And we found ourselves talking about the state of our workstations. My friend Char defends the mess by telling people who sneer that what is one her desk is disorganized chaos. One of the pastors she works with replies: there’s no such thing.
True, true. While I relate very much to having piles of paper and other stuff on my desk and being able to find that teeny-weeny piece of paper where I wrote so-and-so’s phone number, I also know that just because I get by with organized chaos (yes, maybe I even say I work better with it), the truth is I love a clean desk. I love the idea of knowing where exactly the contract for QTV is because it’s filed away (fastened and all) in the 2008 Contracts – TV folder which is placed where the other folders are. It’s a relief to see what my desk really looks like almost-bare.
The desk is now neat. I’ve been toiling for a couple of hours. I’m sure it’s not as neat as a certified neat-freak’s desk, but this is certainly a good start. I think it’s Emily Barnes who said this: A place for everything; everything in place.
That’s a nice thought.
