In my training to be a certified facilitator of The Go System, one of the stories I learned was about the "Broken Windows Theory" in a New Yorker magazine article by Malcolm Gladwell (see gladwell.com, June 3, 1996, article titled The Tipping Point). Stanford University psychologist Philip Zimbardo parked a car on a street in Palo Alto, Calif., where it sat untouched for a week. After a week, as a part of the experiment, Zimbardo smashed one of the car's windows with a sledgehammer. Within a few hours the car was vandalized. Later, Gladwell wrote a book on the topic, also titled The Tipping Point, expanding on this idea by relating a similar theory developed by criminologists James Q. Wilson and George Kelling. Wilson and Kelling applied the same theory to crime-ridden, declining neighborhoods and communities. Wilson, Kelling, Zimbardo and Gladwell all conclude that chaos is contagious.

 

Here's an excerpt from Gladwell's book:

This theory is so true in organization, because it zeros in on how if you pay attention to the smallest of details and make little decisions along the way, you prevent the image of chaos. Chaos, like the smashed car is a contagious icon. Clutter attracts more chaos, as smashed cars attract more vandals.

 

Every night when you end your day, leaving a slightly messy desk may not seem like a big deal. However, in the morning it may appear to be distracting and prevent you from being focused. Dealing with the mess may throw your whole day off because you are sidetracked. If you begin your day with a clear desk, you are more likely to be focused on what your priorities are for the day and attack those first. A clear desk will leave the image that you have things in control and when you're not defending your appearance, you can save your energy for more important conversations or thoughts.

 

The Key to a great tickler system is about having a specific "go to" place for all of your priority items -- and creating the habit to use the system.

 

I use the example in my training sessions about having guests over to your house for coffee. If they need to add a bit of milk to their coffee, chances are they will go straight to the fridge, because it's the specific "go to" place and they're in the habit of knowing that's where it can be found. It's simple, not necessarily easy.

 

The hardest part of this system will be getting into the habit and trusting yourself that you develop the consistency of the habit. Start with a "go to" drawer for all of your priority items and projects. Only "hot items" are in that drawer. If they are stagnant for the day, put them in that file drawer and only pull out what you need for the moment, hour or day, then return it at the end of the day.   Like the milk in the fridge, people will start to know where you keep things in that "go to" drawer when you're not available and also they will incorporate the same and develop that habit as a corporate culture. 

 

We'll continue with additional steps in this process in the weeks to come.