Working with a professional organizer

3 August 2011

If you’re reading an organizing blog, chances are pretty good that you fall into one of three camps:

  • You’re a professional organizer
  • You’d like to work with a professional organizer
  • You’re a fairly organized DIYer looking for ideas

This post is for those of you who fall into the second category. If you’d like to work with a professional organizer, I’d love to provide you with some advice to optimize that experience, should it come to pass.

Choosing an organizer

  • Check out your choices thoroughly. You can find professional organizers at the website of National Association of Professional Organizers and the Institute for Challenging Disorganization. Choose some local organizers and read websites, look at testimonials and before and after pictures. Call any organizers you’re interested in who don’t have websites.
  • Ask around. If you know folks who have worked with organizers, quiz them on their experience
  • Know what you’re looking for. Do you want an organizer who tells you what to do (some people do)? Or one who involves you in the process of coming up with solutions?
  • Trust your gut. If an organizer’s website or telephone manner resonate with you, that’s a good reason to pick her (or him).
  • Don’t bargain shop. This is a field where fees are usually commensurate with training and experience. If you’re challenged by chronic disorganization, for example, you’d be wise to select an organizer with training and experience in working with chronically disorganized clients. And you may well pay more for that.

Working with an organizer

  • Resist the temptation to clean up for your organizer. If your home is messy, you may feel embarrassed. Try to set that aside so that the organizer can see the natural state of your home in order to help you best. Mess and piles can provide clues.
  • Be honest. Try not to anticipate what the organizer wants to hear. Instead, just answer all questions honestly, even if you’re a little embarrassed. Your organizer can help you best if you’re honest in everything you tell her.
  • Be realistic. How long have you been dealing with disorder in your life? Probably quite some time. Unfortunately, organizers don’t have magic wands, so we can’t fix things instantly. Recognize that this is a process that might take awhile.
  • Be prepared to learn new behaviors. If you’re dealing with a lot of clutter, the first step might be decluttering. But after that, you’re more than likely going to need to change your habits and create new routines to ensure that the clutter doesn’t come back. If you don’t change your behavior, the order that you and your organizer create might be temporary.
  • Do your homework. If you and your organizer agree that you’ll do homework, try to accomplish it. If you don’t it’s usually not a big deal. But being honest and realistic about the prospect of what you can accomplish between appointments can help your organizer better plan the next session.
  • Trust your gut (again). If you’re not clicking with your organizer, don’t be afraid to talk with her about it. This is intimate work and it’s essential that you have a trusting relationship and work well together. If you don’t feel it’s working with the organizer, perhaps the two of you can come up with a solution. If no solution is in sight, perhaps you can ask her for a referral.
  • Keep your appointments. If you book an appointment with an organizer, try to keep that commitment. She’s set aside time for you and scheduled around that appointment. Last-minute cancellations can be costly for the organizer. And they’re costly for you, too, since you can’t get help if you don’t keep appointments.
  • Expect backsliding. Most clients experience some backsliding, when life gets in the way and newly learned behaviors fall by the wayside. If you backslide, it doesn’t mean you’ve failed or your organizer isn’t effective. It just means you need to renew your efforts. Or perhaps tweak our systems.
  • Be brave. It can be scary to let someone into your house for the first time in ages. It can also be scary to admit to your organizer that you haven’t done your homework or that you’ve not been able to maintain the order you created together. But organizers, by and large, are compassionate and non-judgmental people. Getting past the fear can help put you on the path to an orderly life.

When you hire a professional organizer, you’re making a time and financial commitment to getting organized. Often, you’re making an emotional commitment as well. That can be very powerful!

Do you have anything to add? I’d love to hear from POs or people who have worked with POs who would like to add to this list.

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Comments

Along with not clearing up for the organizer, don’t expect us to do the “white glove” test. We are not judging the cleanliness of your home. If I had a nickel for each time a client asked me if theirs was the “worst mess” I’d ever seen, I could retire!

Our job is to help you realize what is holding you back and support you so you can experience success. I am amazed and humbled by the honesty of my clients and their willingness to make changes. Those two traits will take you far when working with a PO.

Marcie Lovett August 3, 2011 06:58 AM

What a terrific post, Janine!

I’d add, don’t expect to become perfectly organized after one session. Not only does it take time to work through a given space and make sure it’s working for you, but then there’s maintenance to keep it organized that will be ongoing. If you’re looking for an organizer to help you with the maintenance, make sure to ask if that is a service they offer.

Lelah Baker-Rabe August 3, 2011 08:50 AM

Marcie and Lelah, thank you for your terrific additions!! Both your comments are right on the money,

Janine Adams August 3, 2011 09:15 AM

Fabulous post and comments. Take care of yourself! Make sure you have slept the night before an appointment and you have eaten nutritiously. Keep hydrated. An exhausted, thirsty and hungry person does not have the stamina needed to make decisions and learn new skills. Don’t be afraid to ask for a break if you need one to recharge. And please let voice mail handle the phone calls. Your appointment with an organizer is your time to focus on your needs and goals.

Denise Lee August 4, 2011 08:36 AM

I love the post and all of the comments! Additionally, I would ask the organizer if they have a specific niche or area that they specialize working in. Some organizers prefer to work with corporations and some specialize in residential organizing. Also, the organizer may have a specific talent for a certain area of the home or business (for example, organizing kitchens in a home or building productivity in an office/business).

Shannon Tamme August 4, 2011 09:42 AM

Love all these things to consider! I know that I hear “I’m so motivated when you’re here!” comments all the time. I think having a Professional Organizer come to your home does motivate you to “keep on keeping on”. Kinda like a Fitness Trainer. If I know I have an appointment with my trainer, I’m motivated to show up, work hard, and stay the course. Professional Organizers not only teach and create organizing systems for the home, but we encourage, equip and motivate you to do it on your own long after we’re gone.

Julie Hough August 4, 2011 03:32 PM

I’d add – do what you can to eliminate distractions during the organizing sessions. Some examples might include: getting a sitter for your children, putting the pets in another room, silencing your cell phone, turning off the computer/email. My clients get the most out of our time together when they can be mentally and physically with me. I realize this is not always possible, but something to consider. Great blog, as always, Janine!

Tiffany Engler August 5, 2011 09:05 PM

Great advice, Janine!
I also love all the other comments. I would add that when you interview the organizer be sure you feel comfortable with that person. Sometimes the organizing process can be a little stressful so it is important to begin with a feeling of comfort and trust.

Diane N. Quintana, CPO August 10, 2011 06:44 AM

Such a great post. Thanks for sharing this to us and keep posting. This will really help homeowners especially the busy ones.

Dave August 19, 2013 09:16 PM

I really love reading posts about organizing. Because it gives me more ideas on how to organize my messy closet. Thanks for this and keep posting.

Amy September 10, 2013 08:04 PM

I agree with you Amy. I also love reading post about organizing. I would like to recommend this post to my friends, so that they can also have idea on how to organize their things.

Lanie October 15, 2013 08:06 PM

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About Janine

Hello! I’m Janine Adams — a certified professional organizer based in St. Louis, and the creator of Peace of Mind Organizing®.

I love order, harmony + beauty, but I believe that the way that you feel about yourself and your home is what truly matters.

If you’re ready to de­clutter with a purpose and add more ease to your life, you’ve found the right blog — and you’ve found the right company.

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