Good morning, as I start writing it is the 21st of November and it is early in the morning. The clock is ticking steadily towards half past six A.M. Dutch time while the caffeine is being processed. I have just drunk a fresh mug of coffee to kick off this Friday and while celebrating my state of mind with Miles Davis’ album “Kind of Blue” which is one of my all time favourites.

Now the question that might arise is simple: “how is this all related to being organised?” My answer is simple. It all depends on what kind of person you are and how you prefer to work. A silent work place, coffee and smooth Jazz for instance are my preferences. Some people prefer other facilities and luxuries and that is completely understandable.

Next up there is the issue of missing context. The first paragraph does not describe goals, objectives, current and non-current resources nor who does what and when in specific detail. As a business student you are first bombarded with jargon to later apply it. In my management books regardless of version or edition, the management process always starts with planning followed by organising.

Planning emphasises setting goals and describing in detail the strategic steps to achieving the goals. Organising emphasises the resources, literally the people or things required. Usually the jargon-tastic management theory books make the processes more complicated than they are. When all this jargon is applied to people, especially on the curriculum vitaes of today I sometimes stop reading as the words just lose meaning.

On being organised I have recently switched to a new project group for a school project. The project is quite straightforward and detailed. For projects two things come first: what has to be done and when? Based on those two important aspects I base my plans and organise my resources. Experience has taught me that in work and school tasks and deadlines often come first, just deliver and after that take care of the rest.

Personally I have to admit that I am sometimes obsessed with being organised and the task-deadline orientation. Thing is, when you allow people and other factors to come between your goals you face extra personal dilemmas. Being organised makes dealing with stress and people a bit easier when you still want to have a life.

For me being organised leads to coffee and music…