Can you be efficient with a messy desk?

Jul 4 2008 By Scott Mcculloch

Psychologists discover what your working space reveals about you

Does the mess on your desk belie the fact you are a hedonistic pleasure seeker, or has that strategically placed growth chart pinned to your notice board really convinced your boss that you are highly motivated?

Officebroker.com has teamed up with business psychologists Pearn Kandola to find out what your desk says about you.

Louise Weston, a business psychologist working with Pearn Kandola, said: "You can gain insight into an individual's personality and what motivates them by looking at how they organise their desk.

"In fact, it can even give managers a quick snapshot into how to best motivate members of their team."

Andy Haywood, joint managing director of officebroker.com, said: "Walk into any company and you will find people whose desks are differently organised.

"While some companies might in fact employ a policy or have a culture of desk etiquette, it seems the majority simply leave desk decorating decisions down to the individual employee.

"So can you really be efficient if your desk is messy? And can employers determine what best motivates an individual by the state of their desk?

"We thought it was time to find out!"

The study found that a person who displays targets or project charts on or around their desk is often highly motivated by achievement and by setting goals for themselves.

But employees who have screen savers or calendars depicting tropical beaches are believed to be more hedonistic.

For them motivation is all about the pleasure principle. They seek pleasure in every opportunity, perhaps preferring to meet clients over lunch at a restaurant.

Desks without any personal objects are often the preserve of the introvert, and these people might even use files to create a barrier around themselves and their work. They prefer their desks to face into a wall rather than out into the office.

And those with pictures of their family or friends on their desk are more people focused and are motivated by relationships inside and outside of work.

People with a 'stylish' desk adorned with flowers or plants tend to be motivated by the environment in which they work.

Conversely, people who use their desks to display their personalities tend to be more extrovert and may even have desktop toys to draw people over to their work space and create a talking point.

Not surprisingly, a neat and tidy desk is often a sign of a conscientious individual - someone who is well organised and prefers to focus on one thing at a time.

But a more spontaneously organised desk shows someone who is good at multi-tasking and can switch between different tasks quite quickly and easily.

They tend to be flexible and creative.

Weston said: "People's desks can give employers and managers an insight into what makes individuals tick.

"And changing the position of a person's desk might seem trivial but can in fact have an effect on some employees, making them feel sidelined for example or creating a different environment which may take them time to adjust to.

"Managers should look at a person's desk to determine how to get the best out of that individual.

"If someone has certificates or trophies on their desk, the chances are they need recognition for their achievements, perhaps by sending round an office email declaring what a great job they have done on a particular task."

Haywood said: "Everyone's desk is different and we can all find out more about what makes our colleagues tick.

"It is fascinating, but a serious way for employers to determine how to improve performance and realise that there is no such thing as a 'good' or 'bad' desk.

"Each individual performs best when they are allowed to express themselves in the work place and their desk is often one very easy way to do this."