Productivity Saboteurs – Identifying and Managing Them

Today’s working environments are riddled with interruptions and distractions. Just when we get focused on one task, a new e-mail arrives, the phone rings, or someone stops by and off we go on a new tangent. Later, when we return to the original task, we need to get back up to speed before we can make any progress. The net result is lost time and greater anxiety.

Unfortunately, interruptions or distractions are a part of the workplace. Consequently, we must understand the nature of each to better manage them.

Dissecting Time Bandits

Productivity saboteurs originate from one of three sources – You, Them, and It. Let’s examine the role of each source in diminishing our productivity.

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QuickTip: 4 Ways to Minimize Interruptions and Distractions

We are bombarded by interruptions and distractions all day long. They affect our focus and cause us to lose time getting back up to speed. If we can increase our productivity by just six minutes each day, we’ll increase our productivity by 24 hours each year. That’s three days of production this year over last![…]

QuickTip: Playing in Traffic is Dangerous – Increase Focus via Workspace Arrangement

Whenever I speak to audiences about productivity, be it during a training seminar or a keynote presentation, I always, always, always recommend that they face away from passing traffic.  The urge to look up is so strong and whenever we fall prey to that urge, we lose our focus. The natural tendency to look up whenever someone passes[…]