Top Distractions in the Office and Ways to Enhance Time Productivity
Among all sorts of distractions that drag down office efficiency, there are ten major time-consuming ones, according to Denise Landers' Top 10 Distractions in the Office. As most people would expect, email, telephone, and paper account for the largest amount of time wasted. Following these are unscheduled/ unexpected visitors, environmental distractions (i.e. heating and lighting), speech noise from colleagues or any other activities beyond one's scope of business, frequent meetings, excruciatingly lengthy to-do-lists, expectations from others of the length of time needed for response, and the person herself.
People sometimes take for granted some of the above work place distractions and falsely persuade themselves into believing that those interruptions and the consequent time consumptions are unavoidable. In fact, everyone can manage to improve one's productivity and avoid wasting time by applying several basic guidelines in using time wisely.
The key to successful time management in the workplace, and in other aspects of life, is to take control and be the master of one's own time.Do not allow others to interfere with a set schedule and consume precious time. It is very helpful when scheduling to anticipate possible visitors. While keeping down the level of unexpected interruptions is highly desirable, it is equally important to make unexpected visits and affairs short and to the point.
Always classify tasks and tackle them based on their importance and/or urgency. Dealing with priorities first allows the largest portion of time and attention to things that matter the most and guarantees quality of work. Organize documents and paper work into priority categories immediately upon receipt. This avoids the unnecessary task of repeatedly reviewing the same documents. Address the issues in order of priority.
In addition, knowing how to focus and to deal with only one thing at a time, instead of multitasking, is another key art of managing one's valuable time. Surprisingly enough, people can be their own distraction in the office environment. To various degrees, People will feel bored after performing a task for a certain amount of time, and their minds will start to wander away. If this is the case, people should try to gather the diffusing mind back to the task, rather than simply getting by.
After pinpointing the specific distractions in your office setting, a wise and productive office-time management system will not be too far away. Always bear in mind that one is the master of his or her own time and should take unique actions to eliminate the black holes that have absorbed precious time in the office. A good application of the above rules will certainly assist in enhancing office productivity and making a difference in the enjoyment of office and daily life. Put these guidelines into practice with attention, and achieve more and enjoy more at work. After all, time is the most valuable and irreversible source that people own.
