Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Office distractions can kill employee productivity. This is a large problem in many offices; especially when your goal should be to provide a work environment that encourages productivity. Below is a number of simple solutions that you can implement to limit the number office distractions.
Distraction: the centralized printer
Many offices believe that having a centralized printer is a smart option, but many studies have proven that an office with a centralized printer is actually less productive office. This is because a centralized printer encourages the water cooler affect. That is, employees tend to engage in non-office related conversations around the centralized printer. You will also find that your printing needs increase with a centralized printer as employees find excuses to “take mini breaks.” A great solution, if possible, is to look at housing a printer in each department or section of your office.
Distraction: a messy desk
Working amoung chaos is detrimental to productivity. Desks should be organized, clean and clutter free. To further amp up office productivity implement a one project on the desk policy. This encourages employees to concentrate on the task at hand. Another good rule of thumb is to take the last 10 minutes of your day, to write down a to-do list, organize your paper work and allow yourself to start the next day without distraction.
Distraction: over communication
You will hear it again and again, we are all inundated by technology; email, phone calls, text messages, social media messages, they all add up to one big distraction. Employees need to make the conscious effort to snooze these alerts, this requires self-management. Your employees can program their email to snooze for a period of time and plan periods during the day to deal with emails.
Distraction: multitasking
Many people view the ability to multi-task as a strength, but when you are trying to accomplish a task and be truly productive, multi-tasking is a distraction. When you’re on a roll, the last thing you want is another project to take away your attention. It’s best to encourage your employees to schedule out the entire day; pencil in time frames for each task and stick to it. Another great idea is to follow the two-minute rule. If the task will take more than two minutes, then it shouldn’t be started until work at hand has been completed.
The goal of reducing office distractions is so that your employees don’t end the day with their work incomplete. A productive office equals a successful office and removing distractions should always been a work in progress.
Brock Office Automation is an office solutions provider based in St. Catharines, Ontario. Our philosophy is to be open and honest with employees, customers and suppliers. With our customers, we strive to educate them with the most up-to-date technology and solutions, and determine together which product and/or application is best suited for each situation. By teaming with our clients we provide the best long-term business solution for their particular needs and wants; for today and into the future.
