What Does A Professional Organizer Do?
Lately, I have been answering that question a lot as I renew acquaintances with folks that I have not seen in a number of years. One acerbic fellow said, "I have seen those TV shows. I know what you do. You go in to somebody's home and bully them into getting rid of things. You move a few things around and then you leave. I bet the place goes back to the same mess it was to begin with." I could only reply, "That's not what we do." It is not what any good professional organizer does.
The TV shows are encapsulated sound bites and snapshots of the process that give a brief look at the beginning and the end of what can be a sometimes tedious operation. Recording every hour of work wouldn't make for very good television. Consequently, some people have skewed ideas about professional organizing.
What does a professional organizer really do? The quick answer is that he assesses, plans, implements and evaluates systems that promote an organized lifestyle. While he is doing that he communicates clearly, promotes respect, maintains confidentiality and remains nonjudgmental. He also educates, transfers knowledge, and coaches through contacts with the client. That is a pretty dry description of an exciting job where you get to meet a lot of really nice people and do good for them and their families.
When someone makes an appointment with a professional organizer, he can expect an initial meeting that will be a chance for him to evaluate the organizer and for the organizer to assess the project. This is the time for the client to ask any questions he may have about the organizer, the process or the project he wants the organizer to do. This also the time for the organizer to ask questions about the project, the client's preferences, his habits and his desired goals for the consultation. If both parties agree to move forward with the project, the organizer will do a thorough assessment prior to developing a plan.
Organizers perform assessments in different ways. Our approach at Key Transitions is to find out what works and doesn't work for the client and to adapt systems to his innate preferences. We do this through an initial interview and client feedback. Part of the assessment is also evaluating the tasks that need to be done and the time it will require to complete them. Again, we do this based on the client's work pattern and the time he has available to accomplish the job.
We communicate the plan to the client in writing and review it verbally. The client decides which parts of the plan we will implement and which parts he will accomplish on his own. We then set up a mutually agreed upon schedule for task completion, contact, coaching and evaluation.
Some projects take hours and some projects take months. It depends on the extent of work to be done and the time available to accomplish it. A professional organizer will break the project down into manageable sections that create meaningful progress and help the client realize the goals he has set.
Once the project is completed we remain available to the client for questions and coaching as needed. Throughout the process we emphasize celebrating accomplishments and learning ways to maintain order--and we have a little fun as we do it.
That is what a professional organizer does!
Beverly and Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net
The TV shows are encapsulated sound bites and snapshots of the process that give a brief look at the beginning and the end of what can be a sometimes tedious operation. Recording every hour of work wouldn't make for very good television. Consequently, some people have skewed ideas about professional organizing.
What does a professional organizer really do? The quick answer is that he assesses, plans, implements and evaluates systems that promote an organized lifestyle. While he is doing that he communicates clearly, promotes respect, maintains confidentiality and remains nonjudgmental. He also educates, transfers knowledge, and coaches through contacts with the client. That is a pretty dry description of an exciting job where you get to meet a lot of really nice people and do good for them and their families.
When someone makes an appointment with a professional organizer, he can expect an initial meeting that will be a chance for him to evaluate the organizer and for the organizer to assess the project. This is the time for the client to ask any questions he may have about the organizer, the process or the project he wants the organizer to do. This also the time for the organizer to ask questions about the project, the client's preferences, his habits and his desired goals for the consultation. If both parties agree to move forward with the project, the organizer will do a thorough assessment prior to developing a plan.
Organizers perform assessments in different ways. Our approach at Key Transitions is to find out what works and doesn't work for the client and to adapt systems to his innate preferences. We do this through an initial interview and client feedback. Part of the assessment is also evaluating the tasks that need to be done and the time it will require to complete them. Again, we do this based on the client's work pattern and the time he has available to accomplish the job.
We communicate the plan to the client in writing and review it verbally. The client decides which parts of the plan we will implement and which parts he will accomplish on his own. We then set up a mutually agreed upon schedule for task completion, contact, coaching and evaluation.
Some projects take hours and some projects take months. It depends on the extent of work to be done and the time available to accomplish it. A professional organizer will break the project down into manageable sections that create meaningful progress and help the client realize the goals he has set.
Once the project is completed we remain available to the client for questions and coaching as needed. Throughout the process we emphasize celebrating accomplishments and learning ways to maintain order--and we have a little fun as we do it.
That is what a professional organizer does!
Beverly and Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net
Labels: Clutter, Key Transitions, Organizing, Professional Organizer
posted by Key Transitions at 6:55 PM
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