Improving productivity in the workplace can be a real challenge. It is especially the case in the digital age when distractions are everywhere, in the form of Twitter, texting, surfing the web etc.
Workfront worked with Clare Evans, author of Time Management for Dummies, to identify ways in which the UK can combat a lack of productivity. Their research found that the top productivity killers in a modern office environment are:
- Meetings: Busy professionals attend an average of 60 meetings a month, and managers think 30% of their time in meetings is wasted
- Email: While email is useful for communication and exchanging information, over 2 million emails are sent every second
- Distractions and Interruptions: The variety of digital technologies now used in the modern workplace has increased demands for attention and the ways in which workers can be distracted or interrupted during their workday
- Poor systems and processes: Changing priorities, lack of planning, diverse teams, or limited resources result in over 56% of workers feeling overwhelmed
The research offers the following tips to improve productivity in the office:
- Reduce the number of meetings held every year by 30%; only attend meetings that are important, necessary, have a clear objective and outcomes, and will add value.
- Take control of email by managing your inbox and regain an hour a day; switch off all email alerts and only check your emails two or three times a day
- Reduce distractions and interruptions; distractions can occur when attempting to multi-task or work on two or more things at a time. Switch off phones and mobiles
- Create clear boundaries and expectations; protect personal time by creating boundaries and expectations around the workday
- Use cloud-based collaboration solutions to save time and increase productivity; with the right tools and solutions for the whole business, teams are able to better manage resources and workflow.
