Organizing Disorganized People

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patty_c

Encourage disorganized people to get organized.

Imagine this scenario: after a week of hard work, you send an important report to your colleague. His task is to edit the wording and make a few key decisions to finalize some of the content. The deadline is still three weeks away, but you hope he'll finish it early because you'll have more work to do once he gives you his input. Your colleague, however, delays making the changes.

After numerous reminders from you, he sends it back the day before your deadline. This means that you have to rush to complete your final changes in time. His delay has caused you some serious stress, and it's not the first time that this has happened.

Working with disorganized people can be a stressful experience, especially when it starts impacting your own productivity. But what can you do about it? Is it your responsibility to help them get organized? If yes, how do you do it tactfully?

In this article, we'll look at how to help other people get organized. Whether they're colleagues, team members, or even your manager, we'll explore strategies to help you to help them.

Finding the Cause

Before you begin looking for solutions, take time to discover why they are disorganized. Ask the following questions:...