An accountant spends more time than anyone actually realizes on planning, organizing, and following their ridiculous systems. This has been partially covered in workpaper references. However since it’s such an important part of what an accountant does, it deserves it’s own post.

Accountants rely on shelves and cabinets full of binders. (There are even more binders waiting in document retention.) The binders belong to different sets of indexes – such as general and workpaper. Each binder has it’s own table of contents and binder tabs. Each tab has it’s own workpaper reference system with a leadsheet and memos. The memos have procedures and so on. Accountants like to stay on top of the organization game.

Since it takes a small army of people to maintain the organization system, some people spend a week doing nothing but sorting papers into binders and electronic files into folders.

All hell breaks loose when a memo is out of place. It could be it’s in the wrong binder tab or the binder’s front flap. If it was completely signed off and lost, then you will see a grown person cry.

In addition to sorting through papers and managing file systems, accountants invest in tools like plastic drawers, stationary trays, and day planners. This makes them appear super organized. The reality is that they now have more places to look when they lose information. Also, this is the stuff that ends up in the clearance aisle because you didn’t think anyone actually buys that stuff.

Accountants take great pleasure – pleasure as in joy and self-satisfaction – when their workspace is kept organized. If there are papers all over the place, an accountant will not be able to get anything done.

Working with an accountant, you should never tell them how disorganized you think they are. Instead, you could say, “How do you keep so organized? I’m always losing things.” This will make them feel secure in their job and become impressed that someone noticed all their time spent arranging paperclips and printing binder tabs.