Messiness More Efficient Lower-Intermediate - Listening

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the ARTICLE (for teachers)

Messiness More Efficient

Every office has at least one person who always has a messy desk. Papers are stacked

here and there. Old Post It Notes are still on the cubicle wall. The garbage is filled with

takeout coffee cups and empty bags. But a business book suggests that these messy

people are more efficient and creative than neat people.

The book's author, David Freeman, explains that a mess is like a filing system. For example,

one employee admitted her desk looks like a disaster. Yet it's an organized mess because

she knows where everything is. If someone cleaned up the mess, then she wouldn't be able

to find anything.

A messy workspace can be a natural reminder system. The person who made the mess will

review old papers and notes with new information. As a result, he can more easily make

connections between new and old information. On the other hand, when papers are filed

away, they quickly get forgotten. And anything which is thrown away is lost forever. Lastly,

tidy employees usually spend from one to four hours per day keeping their desks clean.

But Barry Izsak, who is the head of the National Association of Professional Organizers,

disagrees with the idea that messiness is more efficient. Izsak explains that the average

person will often feel stress because of the mess. He will also have feelings of missed

deadlines and lost opportunities.

Teacher's Notes:

* Underlined words in red typeface are the answers.

Messiness More Efficient Lower-Intermediate - Listening

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the Article (for students)

Listen and fill in the missing sentences. Compare your answers with a partner, and

then listen once more.

Messiness More Efficient

a) _______________________________________________________. Papers are

stacked here and there. Old Post It Notes are still on the cubicle wall. The garbage is filled

with takeout coffee cups and empty bags. But a business book suggests that these messy

people are more efficient and creative than neat people.

The book's author, David Freeman, explains that a mess is like a filing system. For example,

one employee admitted her desk looks like a disaster. Yet it's an organized mess because

she knows where everything is. b) _____________________________________________

__________, then she wouldn't be able to find anything.

A messy workspace can be a natural reminder system. The person who made the mess will

review old papers and notes with new information. As a result, he can more easily make

connections between new and old information. On the other hand, c) __________________

_____________________________________, they quickly get forgotten. And anything

which is thrown away is lost forever. Lastly, tidy employees usually spend from one to four

hours per day keeping their desks clean.

But Barry Izsak, who is the head of the National Association of Professional Organizers,

disagrees with the idea that messiness is more efficient. Izsak explains that the average

person will often feel stress because of the mess. He will also have feelings of missed

deadlines and lost opportunities.

Sentence #1:

Sentence #2:

Sentence #3:

Messiness More Efficient Lower-Intermediate - Listening

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STEP ONE

Title: Today's article is: "Messiness More Efficient." What will you read about?

STEP TWO

Questions: Read as much of the article as you can in two minutes. Guess the answers to

the questions below, then listen to your teacher read the article. Try to confirm your answers.

a. How does the article describe a messy person in the office?

b. Why does Freedman consider a mess as a sort of filing system?

c. Why does a mess increase creativity?

d. How many hours does the average employee spend tidying his/her desk?

e. Why would the average employee feel stress from a messy workspace?

STEP THREE

Fill in the Blanks: Listen to the article again. Fill in the blanks with the missing sentences.

STEP FOUR

Fragments: Remember how the fragments were used, and complete the sentence.

a. Yet it's an organized mess because...

b. The person who made the mess will...

c. Lastly, tidy employees usually spend from...

d. Izsak explains that the average person will...

STEP FIVE

Discuss: Talk about the following questions in pairs/groups. Remember to support your

answers and ask more questions with your partner.

a. Did you like this article? Why/not?

b. Do you think that messy people are more or less efficient than neat people? Why?

c. How much time do you spend a day or week cleaning your workspace?

d. Are there any messy people in your office? If yes, does their messiness bother you?