It can be easy to find yourself distracted in the workplace, especially if you’re working from home. Sometimes it seems like you spend more time trying to get focused than it takes to actually complete the task!
5 Most Common Reasons for Wasting Time at Work
If this sounds like you, it’s time to cut back on your workplace time wasters. Here are five of the most common reasons for wasting time at work, and how to fix them.
1.Scheduling Issues
Emailing back and forth with someone trying to set up a meeting can be a huge time commitment. Even calling them on the phone can lead to frustration when they inevitably have to reschedule because of a conflict!
So what can you do to cut back on scheduling time wasters in the workplace? Get an automatic scheduler!
Even if your business doesn’t schedule in-person meetings with clients, an automatic scheduler can still be super helpful when it comes to workplace productivity. You can even use it to schedule your own employee’s work shifts and vacations!
2.Smartphones
Ah, smartphones: the mac daddy of all workplace time wasters. Constantly available and constantly evolving, smartphones are a never-ending source of distraction in the workplace.
Luckily, there are some solutions to this problem. The first thing to do is to turn it off!
Accept that anyone contacting you on your cell can probably wait an hour or two. Then, use that time to get some serious work done and reward yourself with a brief smartphone break after you’ve been productive.
Another option for those who aren’t comfortable turning their phone off is to put it on silent. (Not vibrate, but truly silent!) Features like Apple’s Do Not Disturb function can keep distracting notifications at bay without powering down your device completely.
3.Multitasking
One of the most counterintuitive workplace time wasters is multitasking. Many people think that multitasking increases your efficiency, but this isn’t the case.
For example, if you’re trying to reschedule a meeting while also learning how to create pay stubs, you’re likely to make a silly mistake while completing either (or both) tasks. If you really want to do your best work, slow down to speed up and get some serious productivity flowing!
4.Emails, Emails, Emails
Another notorious time-waster is the email inbox that keeps us all chained to our desks. Sometimes, it seems like the emails never stop coming in!
Luckily, there are many ways like Inoreader to avoid wasting time in your inbox and manage the stress that comes with 1,500 unread messages.
First of all, keep your email clean. Unsubscribe from any mailing lists you don’t actually read and take five minutes each day to clean out any junk. You’ll thank us later!
5.Improper Training
This time-waster is a bit sneakier but just as deadly to productivity! It’s especially important to consider if you’re in a management position.
If your employees aren’t properly trained, it will take them longer to finish tasks and generate more mistakes. Make sure everyone knows how to do their job right the first time around to eliminate this elusive time waster!
Other Workplace Time Wasters
Every individual is subject to different distractions at the workplace, so take the time to note which ones affect your work the most. Then, work to eliminate them one by one so you can be a productivity superstar. For more tips on how to avoid time-wasters at work, check out our other blog posts.