14 Things that Kill Your Productivity at Work

Organizations hire the best people in the market to ensure one thing – more revenue. And to earn more revenue they need to pay heed to productivity at work which is the sole cause of better results and better ROI. But how would they figure out what to do? Simply by not doing what kill productivity at work.

In this article, we will go in-depth about what sorts of things kill productivity at work. There are 14 things that your team and you should avoid if you want to ensure productivity at work.

Let’s start and see what to avoid and what to do instead.

1. Not starting:

This is the single most significant factor which kills productivity at work. Once you reach office the most important thing to do is to start on your most important task for the day right away. If the time between reaching office and starting to work increases, the chances of productivity at work that day drastically decreases. Instead of talking to your colleagues, checking social media, checking emails start right away with your ugliest frog for the day. The best way to start right away with your work is to set your MITs (most important tasks) for the day right before you leave the office on the previous day.

2. Not setting your MITs prior:

The most productive people on earth are those who set their tasks even before the day begins. Now what will happen if you don’t? You need to spend at least first half hour of your day to figure out what to do during the day and quite often than not you would be distracted by people coming to office and saying good morning or kind. Instead you can set yourself up for the day. You can set your MITs even before you come to the office. So you would know the first thing to start working on for the day. Best is to set your MITs for the day on the previous day.

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This finest tip is recommended by the author of “Success Principles” Jack Canfield. Also make sure that your MITs should not exceed more than 5. If you do just this you will be ahead of most of your peers in ensuring productivity at work

3. Not structuring your work space properly:

How would you ensure ultra-productivity at work? Simply by keeping things at the right place! For example,  if you come to work and see your desk is a mess and there are papers, paperweights and files and all and it’s looking perfectly messy. To make things work you need to clear out the desk and then you can start working. Why don’t you do this instead? Make your desk clean, keep nothing on the desk. Take out only those things that you absolutely need to get the first MIT done, yes, not even cell phone (if it’s not required). Along with clarity of mind you need clarity of visuals to ensure productivity at work.

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4. Excessive use of cell phones:

If you have a look at what cell phones have offered us in terms of technology, it’s really a lot. But along with that the by-product of the same is distraction, massive distraction. It’s being seen in the study that an individual unlocks his/her phone 1000 times a day. The number is shocking. And naturally if we use cell phones this much, productivity at work is out of question. So what to do instead? Use the formula – out of sight, out of mind. When you work and don’t want to get bothered by your own unconscious unlocking of your phone screen, put it in the drawer and don’t open the drawer until your work is done. If productivity at work is your priority, then you should not use cell phone while you work.

5. Social Media will reach your productivity at work:

Yes it helps to get connected, to increase your network and to connect with people who can help you enhance your business. But do you also know that it significantly affects your workflow and productivity at work? We would be able to remember one or more times when we’re doing work and simply getting distracted by social media pop up or notification. Best way is to block the social media during the time you work. But then shouldn’t you use social media? Of course, you should. Set a time block, may be a hour of the day when all you do is social networking, nothing else. This way your productivity at work will reach sky high.

6. Email refreshing syndrome:

Every distracted person on earth has it. Do you have it too? If you have it you would know that every few minutes you go to your inbox and refresh it to check whether there is any new email awaiting your attention or not. This is one of the worst things which kill productivity at work. The best way to deal with it is to close the tab and if possible turn off the net connection during the period when you work (if that seems possible). And to eradicate this problem, set two blocks of time per day (maybe for an hour) when you will check and respond to emails and no more. It will help you focus on the task at hands and increase productivity at work.

7. Lack of empathy of co-workers:

You may have not much to do if there’s lack of empathy shown by your peers. But it has a lot to do with the culture of the organization. Not being empathetic is a learned habit. Maybe during the years they worked in the organization were toughest and they didn’t receive any empathy from their bosses or peers. To change this simply be empathetic to everyone around you. Listen carefully, show that you’re interested to what they’re saying and you want to know more about them. If you show empathy, they will be empathetic too. And they will ultimately help you ensure productivity at work.

8. Multitasking:

Have you received any advice from people that multitasking is good? If you did then it is prudence not to follow it. Why? Because multitasking is a myth and worst killer of productivity at work! If you pay attention, you will see that in any given moment, mind can concentrate only on one thing. If you can increase your attention on that one thing for some time, you will achieve focus and ultimately flow. But if you are constantly jumping from one task to another, which one will get done? Here’s the simple answer. None! Instead of trying to achieve too much within a short span of time, do less and concentrate on one thing at a time. When you make calls, just focus on making calls, not on the next activity you suppose to do. When we instruct your employees, just instruct, don’t worry about your work at that time. This is a habit one should practice. If you practice one thing at a time, productivity at work will reach much higher than you ever imagine possible.

9. Saying ‘yes’ to everything and everyone:

Do you have a habit of saying ‘yes’ to everyone? If you have, you know in your heart that you are saying ‘no’ to yourself all the time. You can’t do everything that people ask you or request you to do. You’re human and you have limited time during your work hours and if you say ‘yes’ to every tiny, petty, unimportant thing, how can you ensure productivity at work? Instead of saying ‘yes’, learn to say ‘no’ gracefully. Use phrases like this – ‘I would really love to do whatever you are telling me, but my plate is too full. I won’t be able to take that right now.’

By saying ‘no’ to the priorities of others, you are saying ‘yes’ to yourself and as a result you will be able to drastically increase your productivity at work.

10. Too much emphasis on future:

If you are entrepreneur or very self-driven individual you may always think about how to achieve your desired vision. Thus, you get trapped in the world of imagination and may produce very little work. Instead of thinking too much about your vision of future, simply concentrate on the task at hands. For example, if you need to take 1000 steps to reach a destination, thinking about your summit will not get things done. Instead ensure your productivity at work by taking just one step right now, forget the rest. Then repeat and keep taking one step at a time until you reach your destination. Productivity at work is easy. Simply make it easier for you to handle and you’re done.

11. No delegation/ elimination:

If you think no one can do anything better than you, then it’s a syndrome. You need to get rid of it. Yes, no one may do few key things as well as you can, but there are other things you can delegate. Best yet, you can eliminate them completely. Productivity at work is all about clarity. If you know you have 3-4 things to handle which generate revenue, you can delegate the rest and be in peace. And after delegation, you may also find that there are some things that don’t need to be done at all. Then don’t worry about deleting them. By focusing on things that matter you’re rather ensuring more productivity at work.

12. Taking unscheduled meetings:

Leadership Guru Robin Sharma said – What gets scheduled gets done. But what he didn’t mention is if you get busy in what doesn’t get scheduled, you will not even be able to do what’s already scheduled. So, stop taking unscheduled calls, appointments and meetings. Streamline your key areas to work on. Schedule the meetings that are absolutely necessary and don’t get bothered about any unscheduled meetings or occupations. Remember your time is limited and you can only do few things well, not everything that tries to snatch your attention! Concentrate on increasing your productivity at work and leave at bay all unscheduled work or meetings.

13. Taking no breaks/ taking too many breaks:

Both are extremes. Buddha said – Do everything in moderation. And it’s perfectly applicable to breaks. Yes, it’s true that if you want to improve your productivity at work, then taking breaks are necessary. You need to take some breaks during the day to get refreshed and rejuvenated, but not too many that you get distracted along the way. The best advice is to schedule your breaks beforehand. You may plan it out like this – take a break after you do your most important work, then start with your next most important task for the day; take a lunch break and then start your third most important task and then take another break; after the break handle all your emails and errands and set MITs for next day and go home. Taking breaks are like musical notes. If you don’t give pause in between, music will not make any sense. But if you give too much pause, you will lose your audience.

14. Worrying too much about productivity at work:

Are you too much worried that you won’t be productive? If you are, then most probably you’re not sure about the job you’re doing or you don’t trust the employer to pay your dues at the end of the month or maybe simply you don’t trust yourself enough. Simply toss productivity at work out and breathe, relax. Yes, productivity at work is important but it’s not as important as you are. Try to pick any system that works for you and breathe. It’s a process of trial and error. You will learn eventually. But for now, let go. If you have a relaxed mind-set, you will produce well. But if you are always thinking about productivity at work, you may lose your nerve.

These are 14 tools for productivity at work that may kill your work or may make you the most efficient employee. They are a lot and don’t try to change everything at once. Simply pick one that speaks to you and apply it. See if it works or not. If it works, great! Take another one and give it a try. Little by little, you will become a ninja of productivity at work.

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