7 Things Distractions that EATS up your productivity in the office

A few days ago I came across an interesting statistics. It said that over 65% of people working in their offices feel that they are not giving even 50 % of their productive time to their work.

Now, this was not shocking to me but something that I really wanted to understand better so that I can make sure that this vibe of unproductiveness is wiped out of my premises at least.

To diagnose any problem or issue you first need to understand it clearly, so here is my compiled list of 7 distractions that keep your people away from their productive best.

1. Social Media Notifications: Ah that dreadful ping! It is so tempting that you just cannot force yourself from acknowledging it and if it happens to tickle your ego, good luck! We all are guilty of this temptation. We know it is unrewarding and we do all sorts of things to keep this away. However, if you are not master of your media, the media will call the shots.

Pro tip: Keep them off, no bells, no Christmas :)

2. Multitasking: Even after scientific claims and studies we still are not ready to accept that we suck at multitasking. I have seen so many times in my office that a person while talking to a client is composing an email thereby messing up every detail. This happens every day. This unhealthy habit not only destroys our structure of work but also peace of mind. To avoid this and concentrate on a single task at the time, you will finish your work faster.

3. Not planning the day and its events: You can only move in a direction when you the direction. This is where proper structuring of the day comes in.

You must be precise about what you want and how you want it. Before the start of the day, plan your daily goals, categorize them according to your priorities, and nail them.

You are not rewarded for keeping backlogs. So make sure that you have a to-do list on daily basis and you meticulously follow it to sail through your days.

Pro tip: Don't use any Mobile App to maintain that list otherwise you will end up checking a lot of things alongside your to-do list :)

4. Lack of Sleep: Netflix, Amazon prime, Hotstar and these days IPL that is some list to keep up with so naturally sleep will be sacrificed. This is where you have to make the choice.

You need to evaluate and see what is more important for you. No matter how tough you are, your body requires sleep. Proper rest is the key to clarity. Yes, exercise, meditation, and good eating habits have their role but none of them are complete without proper sleep.

So give your mind the rest it deserves and anyways, Dhoni isn't doing well this season so far, so what's the point of IPL anyways

5. Noise: Yes, I give you this one, this is something not under your control. When I started my business and we were working in a small cabinet in a joint sharing place, trust me it was tough to work.

A lot of noise that you cannot control never helped our concentration but then again once you are focused on your goals, you can always find a way around.

You can also carry noise cancellation headphones with you if your office allows that, they can to an extent marginalize some of the unwanted sounds from the environment. I will not say that it's a 100% remedy but worth a try.

6. Meetings: Yes, at times they are important but most of the time it is the ego massage therapy for the managers and team leads.

You need meetings to discuss crucial stuff and not who is performing and who is not. You have one of one session for that why destroy the momentum of the entire team for such intellectual discussions.

Moreover, if the meetings are random and unplanned team members join in with a different agenda and leaves them with an entirely different approach which is surely not good for the deadlines.

So plan your meetings and let the team know in advance

7. Gossips/Interruptions/Coffee break: I agree that they a lot of fun in the proceedings. Gossips have their own color and provide the mind with a much-needed refreshment but at the cost of your productivity.

The worst part is that it snatches away the moment from you. Imagine you are in your zone and your buddy from your work station breaks something sensational to you, you are bound to get excited about that event. The result, you will retain what buddy is saying and forget what your creative mind was dictating.

People, please understand that office is not about survival. You spend a good part of your day there. So it's imperative to respect your time by investing in things you have signed in for.

Pro tip: be the kind of employee you will want in your team when you run your own office.

Please share your views and feedback and follow me on Instagram: everydaymanmeet

Regards