Kindergarten Office

Organizing entails more than a neat desk, and lots of containers with color coded stickers. You might be familiar with the feeling of frustration when all your efforts to organize only serve to confuse you further.

In her book, “Organizing From the Inside Out” Julie Morgenstern introduces a novel organizing tactic which she calls ‘her #1 secret weapon’. It’s more than a tactic really; it’s an organization strategy which will simplify instead of complicate matters. It’s the Kindergarten Model of Organization.

The two main characteristics of a Kindergarten classroom are that 1) It is divided into zones for different activities and 2) Everything has a home within its zone.

Think about what different types of activities you do in your office – meetings, teamwork, computer work, eat, lounge. Before you rush out for new file folders and storage containers take out a paper and pen and draw a layout for your office, dividing it into zones.

Furniture will probably be the biggest indicator of which zone is meant for which activity, so decide what you’ll need, and pencil that in first. Next, decide what equipment, supplies and accessories are necessary for that activity, and designate a home for them. A meeting room needs a white board, and the supplies for a whiteboard. Does it needs pens, legal pads, bottles of water perhaps? Make sure, there’s space in the meeting area to handle those supplies.

This method of organization is so intuitive that not only is keeping it neat a pleasure, but when you walk in, it gives a refreshing feeling of purpose and order. So what first – the blocks or the cooking corner?