Get Rid of Distracted Employees Once and For All
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Introduction
Distracted employees take away from the functionality and productivity of any workplace. Distractions surround us constantly, but with the rise of remote working, digital distractions have become a significant impediment to many employees' productivity. According to a UC Irvine study, about 66% of workers have not discussed strategies to decrease their distractions in the workplace, and the study concluded that employees tend to rush through their tasks to compensate for the wasted time.
As a manager, it is important to realize when your employees are distracted and implement goals to help them improve their productivity. It can be difficult to get rid of distracting workplace behavior after it becomes a habit. Here are some key tips to help decrease the distractions:
Where Does The Distraction Come From?
Distractions can be unique to each employee, but CareerBuilder states the following are the most likely distractions for workers:
Cell phones
Texting
Gossiping
Social Media
Coworkers
Internet
As a manager, it can be tough to increase the productivity of struggling employees without understanding the cause of the issue. The employee may be simply off task, but if this is out of the ordinary, take some time to meet with the employee to discuss the issue.
Let Employees Self-Select Their Work Environment
With a hybrid work environment, it is essential to let employees self-select where they want to work on any given day. Where an employee works can be highly conducive to the productivity of that worker. No two people work the same way, so it's best to allow all employees a choice, when possible. Some may feel more productive in an office, while others work better at home.
When employees have to work in an office, it can be best to allow them to choose a space within the office where they can be most productive. Some people enjoy being alone, while others prefer to be around a team when working. Again, the purpose of this would be to allow the employee to form an environment where they can be least stressed and most productive.
4-Methods of Reducing Distraction
Time Blocking
Time blocking is the practice of setting up your days with a series of timeslots. These time slots allow you to see how every hour of your time is being spent during the day. However, it is like a more structured to-do list filled with smaller action items instead of long-term goals. A system like this can improve an employee's productivity and time management skills. Here are some tools to help implement this strategy:
Google Calendar with Color Coding Techniques
Set Times for Email Checking and Communication
Everyone needs to communicate and socialize during the day. However, it's best to turn those notifications off during the day and set a standard time to review and respond to emails and texts. Responding to these types of communications during the day are constant interruptions from your work. Just setting them to the side can do wonders for your productivity. The Association of Psychological Science concluded in a study that small distractions, such as a notification, can decrease about 96% of employees’ productivity. Only 4% had the same productivity levels with notifications allowed. Setting goals using ManageBetter's ActionPlan can help your employees decrease their time with notifications and have you, as their manager, engaged in their growth.
Motivational Management
As a manager, one of the best ways to deal with distracted employees is to become more involved in the management process with them. Show your employees that you are invested in the work they are producing. Check in on struggling employees and communicate to them that there is an issue with distractions. Your effort to be involved with those employees and your feedback on their efforts to reduce distractions will show them that you care about the work they are producing.
Schedule Meetings in the Afternoon
We do our best work in the morning, crash, and feel more exhausted after lunch. This is all because of the similar circadian rhythms our bodies follow. Your circadian rhythm monitors your energy level throughout the day, so scheduling meetings toward the end of the day to maximize your productivity when doing your work is best. Allowing employees to intensely focus on work during the morning makes it easier for them to operate without distractions and be more productive overall during the day.
Conclusion
Distractions can become habits without intervention. Being a manager requires you to look out for the well-being of your employees. Taking an active role in their distractions through providing goals and feedback can help take your leadership to the next level and increase productivity within your workplace.
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