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| This is the time of year when many families get very busy, and as a result of this, they often need help from Professional Organizers.� There are a few things to remember when working with families that will help you serve them better. |
| Each family is unique.� Every family has its own history, and every family is made up of individuals, all of whom bring their own experiences and personalities into the family.� Try to be aware of the styles of the individuals within the client family.� Are you setting up a storage system for a creative, visual person?�� They will need different cues than a more methodical person.� You may find that any system you put into place will be used differently by different family members - try to make it flexible enough for everyone. |
| The families you work with are not your own family.� What has worked for you may or may not work for your client families.� You need to be aware of your own biases and influences to be sure that you aren't putting your expectations to work rather than what the family has requested of you.� Respect the client family's own needs and work with them, even if sometimes you aren't sure it is the best solution.� What seems like a compromise to you might be exactly right for your client family. |
| History, culture, friends, neighbours and relatives all affect how a family lives.� The biggest influences on families are careers and the family of origin, that is the family in which one was raised. |
| The family of origin is important because this is where most of the "shoulds" in a family come from.� One partner may come into a family feeling that the mother "should" do all of the work related to caring for children, while the other partner may feel that both partners "should" share the work.� This kind of conflict can make it very difficult to implement systems for the family.� They may not even agree about where to keep the diaper pail, based on whose responsibility they believe it to be.� As� Professional Organizers we need to be aware of, and help families be aware of,� these differences, and help them work out a system that will manage this conflict.� It can be quite a challenge! |
| Careers are important mainly because the amount of time a person spends away from the family working will influence how much time they have to give the family.� The income earned also affects how the family lives.� You may also find some clients are unhappy about how much time they are working.� This kind of conflict can cause chronic disorganization - the person feels they haven't enough time to do the job right, so they don't do it at all. |
| Cultural differences may be subtle or quite obvious.� Different cultures have different ideas about time, about how much space a person needs, about how children are valued.� Being aware of your own cultural-based expectations will help you get past them to help a family find systems that work for them.� A Professional Organizer colleague recently shared the story of working with a family whose kitchen was quite different from her own.� She had to learn about keeping a Kosher kitchen, to organize the family's kitchen and the client was very happy to share her culture.� The result was a well-organized kitchen that worked for the client. |
| Another organizer had a less successful experience with a family - she wanted to teach the children to be more involved in caring for their clothes, but the family wasn't ready to do that - they didn't have the same cultural expectations of children.� The system the organizer put into place, assuming that the children would maintain it, didn't work for the family.� Beware of your own cultural biases! |
| We often see clients who can remember being poor as children, perhaps during the Depression, who have a very difficult time letting go of things.�� Major historic events such as war and the Depression leave a lasting impact on those who survive.� Be gentle with these clients.� One of the most effective ways of helping them let go of their belongings is to find a them meaningful new home (the things, not the clients!).��� A colleague helped a client find new homes for a treasured and valuable collection by auctioning it off on E-Bay.� The client was thrilled that the people purchasing the pieces were adding to their own collections, and the money made was a bonus! |
| Sometimes, looking at who holds the power in different areas of the family will help you determine what kind of organizational structures will work.� Consider the following areas:� finances, social planning, child care (including who stays home when kids are sick, who books appointments), meal planning.� Different family members may hold different jobs and power in the family. |
| One very basic place that this comes into play for Professional Organizers is in the decision to use your services.� Is the person at the Initial Consultation the person with the financial power in the family?� Are they the right person for you to be speaking to, or will they have to turn around and sell your services to their partner? |
| When you are helping a family deal with clutter, especially paper - Are you actually teaching the person who pays the bills how to use any new system you have put into place? |
| To get the answers to these questions, ask� questions.� In the financial area, you may want to ask questions such as: Who pays the bills?� Who does your family tax returns? |
| I wouldn't bring these up at an initial consultation, but as you get to know your client family better you will be able to judge when to ask these things.� Remember, if they don't want to answer, don't press them! |
| These are just a few of the things to consider before you start working with a family.� The more information you have, the more you can help your clients, so ask polite, probing questions, and try to get to know your clients.� You'll all be happier with the results if the system you put in place is custom made for your unique client family! |
| by Laurene Livesey Park |
| Organizing the Client's Family |
| Each family is influenced by outside factors.� |