Disorganized Employee – Effective Ways to Recognize and Prevent Disorganized Behavior at Workplace

10 Examples of Disorganized Behavior

A manager reaches out to his team member for project information only to find that the employee is unable to locate and furnish the required information. Does this sound like a familiar situation in your organization? Some statistics that show how a disorganized employee disrupts the workplace. 

Not so Fun Facts on Workplace Disorganization 

• It is estimated that a manager loses 1 hour in a day to disorderliness, which costs the business up to $4,000 per year for annual earnings of $35,000 per year. 
• As per Forbes ASAP, the typical executive wastes 150 hours in a year searching for lost information.
• The financial implication of disorganization at the workplace runs to $3800 losses by an employee earning $50000 per year.  

So, how do you recognize disorganized behavior? Here are 10 examples of disorganized behavior at the workplace. 

1- Cluttered desk and workplaces

This is a classic sign of disorganization. When employees park their personal belongings, work related documents, and gadgets required for work on their desks, it gives a cluttered look. A cluttered desk also makes it difficult to work and results in the employee spending too much time searching for documents or work related stuff. 

2- Missed deadlines

An employee that constantly misses deadlines is probably disorganized in planning his work. Once a task is assigned to a particular employee, the next step is to plan or phase out the work keeping deadlines in mind. Disorganized behavior interferes with planning of work, resulting in missed deadlines. 

3- Lack of accountability

Project planning includes assigning tasks to employees. Team members need to be accountable for the tasks assigned to them. Not turning up for meetings or tardiness or absence from work without proper intimation, or constant procrastination, are all signs of lack of accountability. Lack of accountability often stems from disorganized behavior. 

4- Confusion about project goals and protocols

Work rules and project goals help organizations run smoothly. A disorganized employee does not have a proper understanding of the project goals and workplace protocols. 

5- Spending beyond budget

Budgets are allocated to projects and employees working on the project are expected to work within budgets and timelines. Employees that constantly exceed budgets are probably doing so without a proper way to organize work. 

6- Increasing customer complaints

Employees working in a customer facing role need to be cautious of the way they handle their tasks. To work efficiently in such roles, employees need to have a detail-oriented approach so that customer queries are handled efficiently and required information is furnished accurately. When employees working in such roles are disorganized, there would be a significant increase in the number of customer complaints. 

7- High levels of employee stress

Disorganized employees often fall back on project deadlines and are unable to cope with work-related demands. Most of their work time is spent locating lost or misplaced information, or catching up on missed work. Such employees work under very high stress levels. 

8- Unpreparedness at work

The lack of organization results in chaos and confusion at work. Disorganized employees are unprepared at work, they often forget to bring necessary materials for work or meetings, or bring the wrong materials. 

9- Low team productivity

A disorganized employee can bring down the team’s morale and performance. Lack of clarity and planning of work by one employee can disrupt the team’s performance. Having a disorganized employee in the team brings down the morale and productivity of the team. 

10 – Inconsistent communication

Several important tasks fall through the cracks with disorganized employees in the team, mainly due to inconsistency in communication via messages, or emails, or giving feedback. 

What Makes an Employee Disorganized?

Now that we have a good understanding of disorganized employees and ways to spot disorganized behavior, we move on to understanding the reason behind such behavior. Why do employees become disorganized? 

Lose focus

Losing focus in their work is one of the main reasons why employees become disorganized. Disorganized employees are not able to focus on their work as their minds are constantly switching between various tasks. Lack of focus affects their work performance and leads to below-par efficiency. Losing focus is the primary reason why you may see a number of incomplete tasks with employees. 

Excessive workload

When employees are burdened with way too many work assignments, they fail to prioritize tasks and buckle down under the pressure of meeting deadlines for each task. The stress that results from excessive workload may lead to physical and mental strain. An over-stressed employee fails to pay attention to details as they are more worried about finishing assigned tasks. 

Genetic makeup

Genetics play an important role in the organization skills of employees. The genetic makeup of an individual is like a user’s manual that clarifies how the individual carries out work. Certain gene mutations can interfere with the way our brain processes information and organizes thoughts. 

Procrastination

Procrastination can ruin your productivity. The tendency to procrastinate work stems from varied reasons such as – 

• Assuming that you are not going to achieve the expected results
• Acting on whims that shift the focus of employees from actual jobs to work that is on the sidelines
• Fear of failure that stresses people out, which results in delays and procrastination.

Psychological compulsions

The psychology of a disorganized person can vary widely, yet some patterns and qualities clearly define their mental phase. Disorganized individuals have a hard time maintaining order, structure, and organization. Their physical environment is cluttered, which shows their mental state. Such a state results in missed deadlines, memory lapses, and issues in taking care of tasks. 

The psychological core of disorganized people is a combination of factors, such as, dismal time management capabilities, tendency to get confused, and inability to prioritize their work. Psychologically disorganized people may tend to get disappointed, tensed, and stressed very easily. 

How do Disorganized Employees Disrupt Workplaces?

The effects of having a disorganized employee in the organization can be extremely damaging to the growth of the organization. Disorganized employee/s have an unfavorable impact on the efficiency of the organization. Let us look at the unfavorable effects that a disorganized employee can have on the workplace – 

Increased conflict within the team

A disorganized employee is not only stressed himself, but also causes tension and stress within the team. Not completing work on time, or tardiness in attending meetings, or misplacing crucial information – are some of the many issues that a disorganized employee creates. These issues result in conflict within the team and increases the negative team dynamics. 

Decreased efficiency

The most obvious disadvantage of having a disorganized employee is a dip in the efficiency of the team. Such an employee is always searching for misplaced information or documents, mostly missing task/project deadlines, and compromising on work quality. All these factors together bring down the efficiency of the team/organization. 

Broken communication

A disorganized employee is either missing or late for team meetings. As a result, the communication chain is broken and important work updates are not shared properly. 

Poor accountability

At the start of any project, typically, tasks are allocated to resources according to their skills and capabilities. Once a task is assigned, the onus is upon the employee to complete it accurately and in a timely manner. A disorganized employee unfortunately, is unable to stay accountable for the task assigned. 

Poor collaboration

Disorganization disrupts the group dynamics and collaboration. The work of disorganized employees needs to be followed up often, their work should be redone, and their mistakes must be undone. This strained relationship degrades trust and interferes with collaboration. 

Effective Tips to Overcome Disorganized Behavior

Managing a disorganized employee can be overwhelming for the manager. Disorganization when caught early on can be managed. Here are some tips that provide help for the disorganized person to become organized. 

1. Reflect on the magnitude of the problem – The first step in tackling disorganized behavior is to be clear on the cause and effect of the problem. Start by looking at how disorganization has manifested itself. Determine the effect of disorganization – Are deadlines missed? Are documents disorganized? Or Are they late for meetings? You need to also focus on the negative effect this person has on the team. Out of all the issues caused by the employee, you need to determine which of these are negotiable and which are non-negotiable. 
2. Discuss with the employee – There cannot be a better way to deal with disorganization than an honest discussion with the employee. This approach is especially useful when an employee’s tendencies are adversely affecting the team’s productivity. The best way to help the employee grasp the impact and consequences of their disorganization is to speak with them directly. Point out clearly the consequences of each of their actions and offer effective remedies. For example, you prefer things to be done in advance, but the employee tends to procrastinate. Point out clearly why procrastination would not work and offer tips to overcome this tendency. 
3. Be empathetic – It is important to identify the root cause of this behavior. Has the employee always been this way or is this a newly emerging behavior pattern? Irrespective of whether this behavior is new or an old one, be empathetic in your approach. This approach helps you understand the struggles that the person is going through. Deal with the employee without any judgment or engaging in blame. At the very least, understand that neatness or organization is not everyone’s forte. 
4. Share best practices – You can help a disorganized employee through modeling. You might want to share best practices on staying organized. Best practices include maintaining a project to-do list, filing and labeling, and review methods. Sharing of best practices could be a team effort as well. It is important to share the right best practices in the right measure, and not go overboard. 
5. Share career advice – Instead of the reprimanding approach, go for an approach that appeals to the self-interest of your employee. Helping the employee understand how improving in this area will benefit them, increases the likelihood of them making changes. Some employees get so comfortable with disorganization that they tend to justify their disorganized approach. In such cases, you need to explain to them that a haphazard working fashion affects their colleagues too. 
6. Breakdown work – The most common challenge faced by disorganized employees is their inability to allocate time properly. They are unable to prioritize simply because they don’t even know where to start. In such a case, helping them break their assignments into smaller units is a good idea. At the beginning of the project, you can sit down with the employee and lay out the project management milestones, goals, and deliverables to avoid any confusion later on. 
7. Conduct regular reviews – Once best practices and relevant advice is shared with the disorganized employee, you need to conduct regular reviews to make sure that these best practices are implemented properly. It is important to be patient with the employee, and not rush them to follow best practices. It is also important to acknowledge their efforts and celebrate their achievements. 
8. Leverage work management tools – In addition to giving advice on how to stay organized and sharing best practices, it is important to leverage work management tools that help them overcome their disorganization. A workflow tool like Cflow is the best way to bring structure and organization into your work. Work management tools can improve collaboration, communication, and reduce the stress on employees. Using digitized systems for conveying and organizing information eliminates the scope for human error. 
9. Maintain a calendar – This is one of the simplest, yet highly effective ways to deal with disorganization. Maintaining a large wall calendar helps teams stay organized and updates on upcoming events. 
10. Conduct awareness sessions – Conducting awareness sessions on the benefits of staying organized is an effective way to spread the message to the entire team. In these sessions you can provide tips for staying organized and build awareness on the perils of disorganization.

Benefits of Staying Organized

The most common question that comes to the mind of a disorganized employee is “why should I stay organized? The transition from disorganization to organization requires complete belief in the benefits of staying organized. Not just the employee, but the entire organization can benefit from staying organized. 

Here is a list of the key benefits of an organized workplace- 

Brings down work related stress

Employees that work in an organized and structured work environment are less likely to get stressed or frustrated with missing documents or information. Staying organized starts with individuals and extends to the entire organization, creating a workplace culture where work related items are placed where they belong. Such a workplace plays a significant role in minimizing stress levels of employees. 

Improves productivity

Employees who work in a structured pattern are rarely seen searching for misplaced documents, or navigating through desk clutter, because everything is in its place for easy and quick access. When time on wasteful activities is reduced, employees get to focus on work that adds value to the team and organization. Staying organized helps employees reclaim their wasted time and use it for project work. 

Improves quality of deliverables

When wasteful and disorganized routines are eliminated, employees spend more time on building products of very high quality. In service related work like customer service or IT service, staying organized streamlines request handling workflows so that employees stay focused on their work. 

Improves consistency

Organization and punctuality complement each other. When employees work in a structured fashion, they are never procrastinating or delayed or unprepared. An organized employee works in a streamlined and consistent manner always. Furthermore, project deadlines are met when the employee is organized. 

Boosts employee morale

When employees work in a well-planned and organized manner, their confidence levels automatically go up. Working in a well-planned manner boosts the morale of the employee and ensures that quality work is delivered. 

Creates a positive workplace

When the entire team works in an organized fashion, the entire workplace buzzes with positivity. Managers are able to handle their teams more efficiently when the entire team works in an organized manner. Project and organizational goals are effectively met by an organized workforce. 

Stay Organized with Cflow

There are several ways to stay organized. We have listed out some of those in the above section. Using work management tools is a smart way to stay organized. The manager is usually the one to choose work management tools that suit the nature of their team and organization. An AI powered workflow automation solution like Cflow can help employees, teams, and organizations stay organized. Cflow is a feature-rich workflow automation platform that fosters organization and structure at workplaces. 

Key Features of Cflow that Promote an Organized structure are-

Automated alerts and notifications

When you have Cflow, you can rest assured that not even a single task will fall through the cracks. The automated alerts and notifications feature in Cflow helps employees and managers stay updated on the status of requests. Any pending tasks are highlighted by Cflow for timely review and approvals. 

Automated routing of approvals

Any requests or tasks that require approval are automatically routed to the appropriate stakeholder by Cflow. Follow up for requests and tasks is automatically done in Cflow, eliminating any scope for disorganization. Routing and pending approvals are communicated via emails. 

Reports and analytics

All the information related to the task is communicated with all the stakeholders, so that they stay informed at all times. Custom reports and generated, which help managers track statuses easily and efficiently. 

Agile KANBAN

This feature allows employees to prioritize their tasks effectively.

Document management

This feature allows easy access of all critical documents by digitizing them. Storing of all documents is done in a central repository for any time anywhere access. 

Final Thoughts

Remember – structure and organization breeds freedom. Freedom is often misunderstood to mean “acting at one’s own will”. In reality, freedom exists only where there is structure and organization. Freedom from rote tasks, excessive paperwork, and endless follow-ups can be achieved by automating tasks. The transition from a disorganized employee to an organized one can happen smoothly with a workflow tool like Cflow. 

Build a highly organized workplace with a robust automation solution like Cflow. To know how you can achieve that, sign up for the free trial. 

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