The Right Kind of Mess
"Moderately messy systems outperform extremely orderly systems..."
So says Eric Abrahamson, Columbia University professor of management and co-author of A Perfect Mess: The Hidden Benefits of Disorder. The book, and its message, was featured in a recent Times article.
I confess that I am (at least) moderately messy. My friends should not be surprised at this. Many might even argue of my misuse of the word "moderately". But I hope to set any arguments aside and dwell on the article instead.
Here are some interesting points taken from the Times article with my comments:
"Neatness is overrated."
Sometimes yes, but it still depends on the setting.
"Obsession with neatness drains time, money, and emotion..."
I'd rather read the books on the shelf than sort them everyday. And I don't really care if I leave them on the computer table, the study table, or on top of the DVD player.
"Desktop mess can lead to serendipitous connections between disparate documents..."
...or ideas.
"Neatness is not bad by definition..."
Indeed. The point is....
"...a moderate amount of mess is not a terrible thing."
Exactly.
"It's not advisable to organize your laptop. Search tools can instantly locate anything in your computer drive..."
I disagree. Search tools can take a lot of time, depending on your hard drive, and may give numerous, irrelevant results. At least put your files in folders, then let the folders clutter your desktop. (OK, now shoot me).
"Be sloppier with your schedule... A less structured date book makes it easier to adapt to inevitable surprises and affords you freedom to just go with the flow."
Is this even possible with the fast-paced lifestyle of today?
"Forget filing. If you organize your CD library alphabetically by artist, the collection will be randomly assorted with regard to style of music. If you structure it by date, it won't be sorted by artist. Whatever parameters you use for ordering means randomness for some other characteristic."
If we're talking about physical filing of CDs, would you ever file according to style of music? Or date? I think sorting alphabetically by artist is enough. Of course, virtual filing is a different matter.
******
Hence, while I agree with the message of the book, as stated by the Times article, I am skeptical of the suggestions (last 3 points quoted).
So says Eric Abrahamson, Columbia University professor of management and co-author of A Perfect Mess: The Hidden Benefits of Disorder. The book, and its message, was featured in a recent Times article.
I confess that I am (at least) moderately messy. My friends should not be surprised at this. Many might even argue of my misuse of the word "moderately". But I hope to set any arguments aside and dwell on the article instead.
Here are some interesting points taken from the Times article with my comments:
"Neatness is overrated."
Sometimes yes, but it still depends on the setting.
"Obsession with neatness drains time, money, and emotion..."
I'd rather read the books on the shelf than sort them everyday. And I don't really care if I leave them on the computer table, the study table, or on top of the DVD player.
"Desktop mess can lead to serendipitous connections between disparate documents..."
...or ideas.
"Neatness is not bad by definition..."
Indeed. The point is....
"...a moderate amount of mess is not a terrible thing."
Exactly.
"It's not advisable to organize your laptop. Search tools can instantly locate anything in your computer drive..."
I disagree. Search tools can take a lot of time, depending on your hard drive, and may give numerous, irrelevant results. At least put your files in folders, then let the folders clutter your desktop. (OK, now shoot me).
"Be sloppier with your schedule... A less structured date book makes it easier to adapt to inevitable surprises and affords you freedom to just go with the flow."
Is this even possible with the fast-paced lifestyle of today?
"Forget filing. If you organize your CD library alphabetically by artist, the collection will be randomly assorted with regard to style of music. If you structure it by date, it won't be sorted by artist. Whatever parameters you use for ordering means randomness for some other characteristic."
If we're talking about physical filing of CDs, would you ever file according to style of music? Or date? I think sorting alphabetically by artist is enough. Of course, virtual filing is a different matter.
******
Hence, while I agree with the message of the book, as stated by the Times article, I am skeptical of the suggestions (last 3 points quoted).
posted by Rom
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