Jugglezine - The Zen of Desktop Management

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The Zen of Desktop Management
How a clear desk can free your chi
TEXT BY DEBRA WIERENGA ILLUSTRATION BY LINDA KETELHUT JULY 5, 2002



What type of music best reflects the state of your desk? (Choose one)
	Classical
	Jazz
	Rock
	Heavy Metal
	Rap or Hip-Hop




Agree? Disagree? Stop sounding off to your computer screen! Instead, share your point of view on this subject with our readers.

What are you doing right now, besides reading my essay on multitasking? Talking to a client on the phone? Feeding the baby? Listening to your Speak Italian Like a Diplomat tapes? All of the above?

Well, cut it out, and focus on this: " . . newly released results of scientific studies in multitasking indicate that carrying on several duties at once may, in fact, reduce productivity, not increase it."

In "Executive Control of Cognitive Processes in Task Switching," University of Michigan researchers explain that there are quantifiable "time costs" associated with switching between tasks.

Their research found that moving from one job to another requires two distinct steps: goal shifting, or making the decision to change what you're focusing on, and rule activation, in which you actually make the switch and get up to speed on the new task by "turning off the rules for that and turning on the rules for this."

The upshot of this, the authors caution, is at best a waste of time and at worst a disaster. (If you're driving while reading this, pull over right now.)

The findings are interesting, but not exactly new news. A first-century Chinese Zen master put it like this: When walking, just walk. When sitting, just sit. Above all, don't wobble.

In fact, the essence of Zen Buddhism might be concisely if inelegantly stated as no more multitasking. Practitioners say that having a Zen-like attitude at work requires "being in the moment," focusing on one task without thinking about all the others that also require your attention.

Current research and another form of ancient Asian wisdom, Feng Shui, suggest that taking a be-here-now approach to the design and management of your literal and virtual desktops can also contribute to stress relief and improved effectiveness at work.

Feng Shui is a Chinese folk art that describes the optimal placement of objects and use of materials in one's personal environment to achieve desired goals in one's personal life. It is an increasingly popular interior design tool in the West. Although some of the prescriptions from sources like The Feng Shui Office can seem a bit eccentric ("A small aquarium with black or blue fish in the North area of your desk or office will activate your business and career success"), many of its precepts sound like something an industrial anthropologist--or your mother--would endorse without a second thought.

Clutter on the desktop is a big problem in the minds of Feng Shui consultants. Piles of paper and stacks of files block the free movement of "chi," or energy, through the work space, effectively blocking you from achieving your goals. "The more your horizontal surface is clear in front of you," says one Feng Shui guru, "the more opportunity you have to promote your creativity."

Modern brain research suggests a scientific basis for the clear desk/clear mind notion. Neuroscientists at the National Institute of Mental Health have used MRI technology to study how the brain functions when submitted to a barrage of visual stimuli. Their conclusion: "Multiple representations of objects in our visual field are constantly competing with each other for our brain's limited visual processing capacity. What's more, they mutually cancel each other out; visual clutter actually suppresses the brain's ability to respond; it reduces its activity."

So surrounding yourself with physical representations of all the things you have to do (articles to read, reports to edit, documents to file), not to mention all the things you want to do (your lunch bag, the photo of your sailboat, your running shoes), can be extremely unproductive.

On the other hand, David Kirsh of the Department of Cognitive Science at the University of California, San Diego, in his study of how people cope with information overload, notes that "surface clutter" is a strategy commonly used to deal with "knowledge inventory control."

Accumulators try to keep all information somewhere, preferably in an easy to access region. But if some of the accumulated information has a shelf life, or if it is expected to be useful in the near future, it will often be "shelved" nearby, so that it may be readily found, may be noticed opportunistically, and the costs of "serious" filing can be saved.

In other words, papers and objects cluttering the desktop may also serve as visual reminders, a sort of concrete "to-do" list. Kirsh suggests that understanding meaningful clutter and other coping strategies may lead to designing workplaces and computing environments that work as "cognitive allies" to help to structure workflow and relieve the brain of some of the stress and time costs involved with moving from one task to another.

The University of Michigan researchers envision something similar, possibly in the form of automated "workload managers"--blinking lights, recorded reminders--that lead users through a series of tasks in ways that reduce the effort and time costs associated with multitasking. (The U.S. Office of Naval Research provided funding for their study.)

To cope in the meantime, I have developed my own system for keeping my desktop clear and enlisting it as a cognitive ally. I use a desk that has two connected but separate surfaces. One, the "Zen surface," I keep clear of everything but my laptop, the files and references for the project I'm currently focusing on, and my stalk of lucky bamboo. (I don't have the real estate to accommodate the aquarium for the black and blue fish.)

The other surface holds peripheral electronic equipment, piles of books to read, files for projects that need attention soon, and personal notes, photos, and objects that remind me of who I am and what is really important to me. Admittedly, it gives my office the appearance of belonging to someone with a split personality, but I find that as long as I don't wobble and let the stuff from the cognitive ally surface spill over onto its Zen counterpart, it works.

Deb Wierenga is a frequent contributor to Jugglezine.

Reactions to "The Zen of Desktop Management"

In Zen you can multitask:
There was a story of a monk teaching a class on the point of when walking, just walk, and when sitting just sit. After the class the students went to the cafeteria and were surprised to see the monk reading the newspaper and drinking. When they questioned him, he said " Well, when you drink and read, just drink and read!"

Tim

Loved the article. I stopped midstream to remove clutter from my desktop, moved my bamboo from the living room to my desktop. I immediately felt more serene, yet empowered by my new environment. Now for some soothing music to really top it off.

Thanks.

Cheryl

I agree with this story. When my desk is clear, my mind is clear.

Rosey Rose
Assistant, One Legal, Attorney Services

If a cluttered desk means a messy mind - then what does an empty desk mean?

Henry Beitz
Consultant, BYTES by Beitz

There is a little problem in "A first-century Chinese Zen master". Actually the first Zen master in China was born in the 6th century, and it is not possible to find a Zen master before that time...Anyway beside this tiny error I like this article and learned some practicle ideas from it.

Clint

I have found it useful to put things away as soon as you are done with them, be it a pair of scissors or a file. Also, plow through that one stack of papers on a regular basis and weed it out; many papers become redundant just by aging ie., the event you were on-the-fence about rsvping to already happened; next, leave your desk clear when you leave. When you come in the next day, it will be a fresh start. Doing so also sets a good example to your employees to be focused and organized.

nancy swaim
owner, swaim390investigations

Be-here-now is the most important advice I've read in weeks. The challenging part about some of our lives and lifestyles is the need to pile, pile and pile. Pile papers on our desk. Pile assignments on top of incomplete assignments. Pile things that really matter to the back of the heap. This couldn't be any more problematic. How can we be-here-now when we can't see over the pile and see where we are?

Jason Tselentis
Principal, Morsa Design

interesting concept but my mind is juggling too many things at the moment to be able to really concentrate on what you are trying to say

Ajit Damle
Philosopher, Mars

Thank you for this wonderful presentation!
This year I was co-leader of an ongoing study group which explored this phenomenon ("multi-tasking") in some depth, insofar as engaging in communication online, including for counseling/therapy purposes. There was hot debate over "possible"/"impossible" on a number of dimensions.

On one hand, I agree that we can stretch our (competent, focused) cognitive tasking only so far. On the other, there is also some evidence of a biological/adaptive *imperative* for multi-tasking, e.g., in the case of an alert and multi-dimensional mother listening to baby and also working on one's regular work, conversations, etc. (A better developed skill in women, research shows: hard wiring!)

Your compilation of empirical support is excellent, and consistent with what I've observed and studied also, and with what most of us see in daily life.

Now if I could only find the rest of my desk next to this computer!

Michael Fenichel
Publisher/owner, Current Topics in Psychology, www.PsychServices.com

The most difficult part is forcing compliance and resisting interruptions. Even choices of pens can disrupt concentration. I am an "organization book freak" and find that the zen desk, the zen file and the zen phone work. It goes like this; clean desk, as described. A file for every new task, with any numbers, peoople etc., written inside folder. never re-use a folder. never take calls. have a message that states something to the effect of: "...leave a detailed message and I will call you at 11:00, and /or again at 4:00pm, etc. etc. It's hard to change but you will be surprised at how many of your clients appreciate your adherence.

Ok Ok, it's too long,
Try this:
If you throw everything out of your file drawer, only the important sstuff will come back. Same for your hard drive.

Or this:
If you really want to get something done, never make a list with more than three items and stay focused on those three. Bettter yet, don't make lists.

John Thompson
President, Finegan/Thompson

Being able to do many types of jobs is supposedly beneficial to the company. Trying to do all job at once is not. The worst case is when you have 3-4 people or more speaking to you and then you cannot remember which one wanted what. How do you explain that to your boss and other co-workers? I have tried but English does not seem to work.

PeggyAnn
AA/Processor , PMC

For some reason, I kept drifiting of on tangents: a word would "spin-off" on "other projects or . . .
This is a really good article, I wonder how many Administrative Assistants have stumbled upon it.
I belive that one can multi-task, as much as a chore it is! It must be done! This article brought some things to my attention, Again!
There are times when all the "tangents" flow smoothly and production is good, albeit not exactly expedient.

Larry
Administrative Assistant, Cornerstone Home Health

I just loved it! The idea of having a split desk appeals to me. I have to follow your lead and split my desk areas. The Zen part I will look at with a centered focus. The other, I will try to ignore and maybe pretend not to notice the growing mountain.

Kathleen V
LPN, School

The aquarium strategy was a little much, but my career experience backs up the idea that your desk arrangement affects your productivity. I was lucky enough to have a boss early in my career teach me this helpful lesson.

Rebecca Caudill

Excellent, interesting, well-researched article! I am now going to tidy up my visual to-do list.

Cynthia Pulham
President, CCNW, Inc.

Great story. As a long time Taoist it sort of puzles me that this stuff hasn't caught on a bit sooner. It's so simple. In your article I esspecially liked the use of the phrase "cognitive ally".

Paul
systems analyst, The Clifton Group

I had to pull off the road to finish reading "... Desktop Managaement," but I was unable to find a pet store, so I could purchase an aquarium for my Honda Oyssey.

Darren Marshall
Teacher

I concur. On my primary work surface are my computer, Palm, mug full of instruments (pens, pencils, scissors, etc.) and desk calendar. On the shelf above my worksurface are immediate project binders/piles, and reference materials (phone book, OAG flight guide, etc.) On my mobile work surface are materials dealing with what I'm working on the moment. "Old stiff" is filed away out of sight.

And tacked to the inside of my work station are four images: a portrait of the Kuklapolitans (to encourage humor and whimsy); a photograph of Tuscany (to encourage beauty and simplicity); a tag from a Jhane Barnes sweater bearing her motto "Design that challenges, endures and influences" (to support design that challenges, endures and influences), and a picture of the painting that was in our room at Mauna Kea (to encourage dreaming and relaxation).

I used to be a multi-taker, too. Doing things serially does lead to greater productivity (creating more time for dreaming and relaxation!).

Jeffry Corbin
President, Corbin

how can intetrior designers add this to their list of "services"?
...implementation of the "zen surface" work space for the hopelessly messy work space!! you just can't change some folks!

Leslie
Director-Interior Design, Small Kane Architects

I think that clutter may be the biggest obstacle to my amassing a fortune... where do you get blue and black fish? Also, can anyone tell me where I can find lucky bamboo & wind chime icons for my computer desktop Fung-Shway?

Jean pSmith
Queen, Bullethead Graphix

Myself, I am into the organic style of filing. That means "if it sticks to the bottom of your feet on your way across the living room, it's important enough to pay attention to!!!!"""

Good article, encouraging me to "straighten up my act."

Ladonna Lindley
Project Support Specialist, FAA/JM Waller







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