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The Benefits of Organized Chaos at Work and in School

What is organized chaos and how can it benefit you? Find out in this helpful guide for workers and students alike.

Laura Amendola

May 30, 2024

4 min read

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Organization in some form is crucial to success at work. That doesn’t mean organization looks the same for everyone, however. While some people need color coded binders and giant desk calendars filled with their agenda, others can get by just fine with less rigidity. The same is true when studying for exams in school. That’s where organized chaos comes in.

What does organized chaos mean?

The term "organized chaos" refers to a situation that appears disordered and chaotic on the surface but actually has an underlying order or structure. It often describes systems, environments, or processes where there is a high level of activity, complexity, or apparent randomness, yet everything functions effectively and efficiently due to hidden rules, patterns, or organization.

Examples of organized chaos include:

A busy kitchen in a restaurant: during peak hours, a restaurant kitchen may seem frantic and chaotic, but each chef and staff member has a specific role and tasks, allowing the kitchen to produce meals quickly and accurately.
An artist’s studio: an artist's studio might look cluttered with supplies, sketches, and unfinished projects scattered everywhere, but the artist knows exactly where everything is. Often, the unexpected combination of two things sparks ideas and inspiration.

The benefits to organized chaos

You may be surprised to hear that there are many benefits to organized chaos! Many companies, especially in the tech and startup worlds, specifically structure their organizations to follow organized chaos principles. Whether you think you might want a career at this kind of company, or you want to explore organized chaos as a student, practicing organized chaos can open the door to several new skills.

1. Adaptability

Being able to adapt to changing circumstances is important in any job. Sometimes change in the workplace brings about its own organized chaos. Things like restructuring, leadership changes, and even layoffs can throw your normal day to day into disarray.

It may not be obvious at the time, but how you react in these kinds of circumstances says a lot about you. It’s easy to feel as though getting what needs to be done is impossible with this kind of change, but that may not serve you or the company very well. Learning to work well in this type of environment early on can help you better adapt later.

2. Collaboration

Teamwork makes the dream work, so collaboration is invaluable when working towards a goal at your job. This is particularly important in situations of organized chaos. Different employees often bring different skills to the table, so putting these skills together in collaboration can help make a bit of a frenzied situation feel a lot smoother.

This can be hard sometimes if you’re someone who likes to do everything themselves and doesn’t enjoy asking for help. It’s important to remember that asking for help doesn’t show that you can’t handle your work, but rather shows you can work well with others and recognize that everyone contributes different things. No one knows everything or can do everything, so collaboration helps get your goals met amidst any chaotic situations.

3. Innovation

There’s a certain amount of pressure that naturally comes with organized chaos. Many people find that they do their best work under pressure, and out of that comes innovation. While not impossible, it’s hard to draw inspiration from daily routine and monotony. When working in organized chaos, there’s more opportunity to be creative and uniquely problem solve.

Some companies prefer an organized chaos approach to work specifically to help foster innovation. The Harvard Business Review mentions how important atmosphere and vision are to innovation. Sometimes a chaotically organized atmosphere is the best one to achieve innovation within your company and your work.

4. Trust

Since organized chaos can look just like chaos to those not working within it, it shows a deep level of trust between you and your boss or employer when they don’t step in and demand that you get organized without the chaos. When your boss trusts you and your process, you have more freedom and confidence to achieve results your way and are often more productive. Trust can help boost and keep morale up as well.

Organized chaos in school

The workforce isn’t the only place organized chaos can shine. If you're a student who historically has struggled with traditional study methods, this could be the perfect way to mix things up and learn better. This could be especially beneficial when studying in an online school.

Highlighting and flashcards are great, but if you’re still not retaining anything with these methods it could be time to try something new. Maybe you study best out of order or need a more creative way to absorb information. Learning how to adapt to different ways of studying can prepare you for different ways to work down the road.

Is organized chaos right for everyone?

Like most things, organized chaos is not right for everyone. Some people really need structure and routine in order to thrive at work or in school. Everyone has a different work ethic and approach, and there’s no right way to get your work done as long as it’s getting done.

If organized chaos is the systemless system that works best for you in both school and work, enrolling in an online program could be the perfect next move for you!