It happens every day, several times a day. We start work in the morning, eager to accomplish more than we did yesterday, but then like clockwork, the productivity killers slowly eat away at our time. Before we know it, it's quitting time and we haven't accomplished nearly as much as we had hoped. So what is the solution to maintain a high level of productivity through the day? The answer is to recognize the many ways our productivity is compromised while learning to avoid them.
1. Endless scrolling of Social Media
Social media is a certified time waster. Combine friends with limitless scrolling of interesting content and you can spend hours on social media without coming up for air. Apps such as Facebook and Instagram provide hours of time-wasting content.
2. Allowing Notifications
Allowing notifications to distract us breaks our concentration and traps us into the world of never-ending scrolling. Try to disable those notifications that tend to sap our concentration.
3. Lack of Planning/ Disorganization
Without a clear direction, employees risk duplicating the same jobs thereby killing forward momentum. Employees need a clear idea of their place in the chain of productivity.
4.Not scheduling breaks
Instead of taking breaks any time your mind begins to wander, choose instead to schedule breaks intermittently throughout the day. Doing so can help you focus during your work hours and help you recharge when necessary.
5. Co-worker chitchat
Having a good rapport with your coworkers helps to break the monotony of work life as well as lower your stress levels. However, too much chitchat and too little work can be detrimental to your productivity.
6. Lack of email Discipline
While email communication is vital for productivity, it is also true that poor email habits can slow progress. Stopping to reply to a random email requires a significant amount of time to regroup. The same goes for constantly checking your email. Instead, set aside a time for you to check and respond to all important emails.
7. Procrastinating important tasks
Leaving important tasks in limbo while you attend to tasks of lesser importance can waste your time and that of your coworkers. In addition to this, leaving important tasks incomplete can drain your motivation as they weigh heavily on your conscience.
8. Multitasking
There are very few people who are can competently take on more than one task at a time. A far greater number of people fail to devote sufficient attention to multiple tasks and project quality tends to suffer. It is important to know into which category you fall.
9. Overloading on meetings
While meetings are an important part of organizational cohesiveness, too many unnecessary meetings can waste employee time and kill morale.
10. Unclear Priorities
If you don't have an idea of what your most pressing tasks are, you risk wasting time on less important tasks. Make sure that the tasks that are necessary for you and your team to progress are clearly defined so that neither you nor your coworkers are left waiting on each other.
Making small changes to your daily work habits can have a huge effect on your productivity. While in the beginning making small changes can be difficult and can be upsetting to coworkers, over time, these changes will have a positive effect on your work and your focus.