Organizing Statistics & Surveys

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Organizing Statistics & Surveys

Written by: suzanne rodriguez 1,062 views

Someone is always conducting a study of one kind or another on the way people work, organize themselves and their workplaces, and waste or use time effectively. Here’s a roundup of interesting study results from the last few years:

People who multitask are less efficient than those who focus on one project at a time. Time lost switching among tasks increases with complexity of the tasks. (2003 Study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology)

A related (undated) study by the Journal Neuroimage determined that managing two mental tasks at once reduces the brainpower available for either task.

The process of switching back immediately to a task you’ve performed takes longer than switching back after a bit more time has passed. Why? Because the brain has to overcome “inhibitions” it imposed on itself to stop doing the task in the first place. (a 2002 study by the National Institute of Mental Health)

48% of American execs admit to having a messy desk, but claim to know where everything is. In contrast, 12% say that—although their desk appears organized—they have no idea where to find anything. Maybe that’s why executives waste an estimated six weeks per year searching for lost documents. (This 2004 survey of 2600 execs by Esselte appeared in the 8/04 FastCompany Magazine)

A related survey found that the average American “burns” 55 minutes a day, or 12 weeks a year, looking for things they know they own but can’t find. (2004 study by an un-named Boston marketing firm)

A 2008 study by the National Association of Professional Organizers found that 55% of respondents would save from 16 minutes to 1 hour each day if they were more organized. That translates into anywhere from two to 15 wasted days each year.

Of the total 8 hours wasted each week in paper document management, we spend 1 hour finding documents, 1 hour finding it difficult (for various reasons) to share documents, 1 hour in distribution/storage, and .5 hours in archiving and retrieval. (2003 study by the Gartner Group)

According to a study by the Small Business Administration, 80% of papers that are filed are never referenced again.

Way, way back in 2003, the average worker was sending and receiving more than 190 messages each day. (2003 study by Pitney Bowes, Inc.) Note: The numbers can only have multiplied steeply since then, don’t you agree?

Sales reps in a survey were most productive when they assigned themselves only three tasks per day. It gave them a greater sense of accomplishment when they were able to cross off those tasks. (An undated study by Accountemps)

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© Suzanne Rodriguez
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