How To Remove Project Clutter Using Konmari?

This article will tell you how to remove project clutter using Konmari and in the process help you discard less favorable and unwanted tasks. Following pointers will be covered in this article,

• What is Konmari Method?
• Benefits of Konmari with Project Management

Let us get started,

Remove Project Clutter Using Konmari

Project Management is a ball game in the corporate world with too many players vying for the goal. In this journey, the clutter created over the phases to accomplish the goal is huge and needs a robust method to get rid of it in the given period.

One of the methods that are best followed in this path to clear the clutter is Konmari, a system used to keep your homes simplified and organized by getting rid of unwanted items that do not bring any value to life.

Decision Making is one of the major phases of Project management and taking it on time is the key to the success of the phase and helps the team to move forward in the destined direction.

Let us understand what is konmari method before we remove project clutter using Konmari,

What is Konmari Method?

The Konmari method is a system used for simplifying and organizing the whole setup by getting rid of items that do not bring value. The brainchild of organizing consultant Marie Kondo that is described in detail in her best-selling book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up”.

It stresses on tidying everything at once instead of in small steps. Decluttering your entire space in one fell swoop, Kondo claims, means you will never revert to your old, cluttered ways.

Konmari for Project Management

Project Management is a game played by different players represented through 49 processes spread across 5 phases and 10 knowledge areas.

One of the key point common among all these is decision making and some of the reasons why it gets delayed in the process are accumulation of clutter with loss of productivity and team coordination.

Let’s consider the Work breakdown structure of the project that has been prepared and tasks defined for the sprint, clutter is created at the end due to non-completion of the tasks & project clutters often lead to delay in key decision making, postponed major milestone deadlines and reduction of productivity.

Matching the steps of the Konmari technique for the project management setup, we can relate by

Step1: 

Discarding by Category – Considering the categories of WBS, we can look from the tasks and the departments or the Point of Contacts who handle the tasks

This way – the person responsible for the tasks will be able to judge what needs to be done in priority and he can list down the order and report to the whole team for coordinating tasks with others.

Step2:

Break the categories into sub-categories – Breakeven the tasks as user stories & put them into different functional buckets so as to understand the real motive and skill that is required to accomplish the work and assigning the right person to complete it on time with minimal intervention.

Step3:

Filtering of the things that are important – Filter the user stories that could be completed in the accepted timeline as discussed with the available timesheet.

This step really demonstrates the ability of the executor to see the capability of him or his team to pull off the accepted tasks in time and only accept the possible with minimal risk.

Step4:

Organizing the space thoroughly & completely clutter-free – Now, the whole Work Breakdown Structure is neatly filtered; organize it in a way that is projected implementable and make sure people follow implement the prioritized tasks in time without delay.

Implementing tasks of one type in the same sub-team, and don’t scatter two different work categories with different teams creating delay in implementation.

Step5:

Do it all in one go – Getting the clutter from the project with removal of obstacles and unwanted tasks with proper planning results in great coordination in the team and making the project a grand success with the smart working team in the house.

Let us take a look at some benefits of Konmari with Project Management,

Benefits of Konmari’s with Project Management

• Focused on the removal of unwanted tasks that don’t bring in success and obstacles blocking the final winner cup.
• A new working mindset with the team in attendance.
• One exercise that focuses on the tidiness of the project goals.
• Removal of slush by categories hence improving the individual contributor’s performance also in the process.
• 2 Step process – Discarding and Organizing giving enough scope for creativity too.
• Scope for a visual communication channel.
• Prioritization of work schedule and user stories.
• One-stop all solution for project success and clutter removal.
• Category buckets for the input of all tasks and sub-tasks.

De-cluttering is a long stepped process in the Project Management teams & sometimes, it is given the lower priority which will have a longer effect of laziness and fatigue hitting the teams to not perform and methods like Konmari is the perfect example of making it a regular routine in fixed period to ensure the success of the goal implementation and maintain the team performance on par with the expectation of the client who is the final signing authority of the project closure report.

This brings us to the end of the article on remove project clutter using Konmari.