When Someone Calls You Disorganized.

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Scenario:

Someone waltzles into your working area and declares, "You are disorganized" by simply looking at your desk and they do not consider how much you've accomplished and are accomplishing. To them, if there is any mess around, it means you don't know what you are doing and the sky is falling. Now, you tell the person that you have your own system of organizing and you get a lot done but they are too busy fixating on why certain papers aren't straight and lined up. If you spent all your time making your working area look pretty, you wouldn't get your work done. You'd be spending all your time straightening. Also, this person is not your supervisor but it seems they are trying to make you look bad to the supervisor. They do not acknowledge all the work you've done. They worked as a P.E. teacher and say they know about control and order and it is like they are throwing a volley ball in your face and shouting, "Bombardment!" (from the Simpson's).

There are many ways of being and doing and organizing. Should one person force their way onto another? How should a person handle this sort of situation? Any thoughts?

I'd give 'em the finger and tell them to piss off.

Some people say messy desk = messy mind
But then by the same thinking does empty desk = empty mind!!

I'd suggest to quite firmly advise - its my space and it works

I might be a bit tempted to tell them to F off & point out that many of the most brilliant minds have worked w/ their own "cluttered" organization systems.. however, I also acknowledge that perception is reality & that most ppl observing a "disorganized" workspace get the impression that the person that works at it can't possibly be very productive. Knowing this, I'd make a bit of an effort to try to make things appear a little more "NT organized" for the sake of the positive impression it makes on coworkers/superiors.

Unless you share the workspace with someone else, it's none of other people's business. As long as you can work efficiently there, you can have your workspace in whatever way you like. Even if it looks messy, making such a negative comment is unnecessary.

Thank you for the valuable advice. I appreciate it!

"You're perceptive and obnoxious. Am I doing this right?"

That's a good one!