Have you noticed your employees missing tasks, or running behind on important projects? A good manager knows that these things can happen, even with a winning team. The questions it, what can you do to prevent problems with productivity?

Office Productivity Killers

There’s a big difference between being at work and working. Staying productive is a challenge, especially if you spend half of your time fielding emails and jumping from phone call to meeting. Distractions are unavoidable in the workplace, and resisting them can be difficult for even the most focused employees. Here are some things to watch out for:

Distracted Coworkers

A distracted coworker can often become a distraction themselves. While the open concept office space works for many, it does not work for all. Even if your team embraces this style, it’s important to provide quiet spaces for focused, individual work. Every office environment is unique, so when you’re considering office design it’s important to consider the pros and cons of each layout option and go with the one that best fits in with the work your employees do and the type of culture you’re trying to create.

Pro Tip: A distracted employee can lead to a distracted team. Make sure your office layout provides the right balance of privacy and collaboration.

Emails

More than 200 billion emails are sent in the average day and if you're like most people, you check yours dozens of times a day. While you should never leave a client or coworker hanging, checking email has a tendency to devolve into browsing the internet. To remain productive, you should limit the amount of time that you spend checking your emails. It’s helpful to designate specific times each day to do so.

Pointless Meetings

Office workers attend frequent meetings, but how many of those accomplish very little?  Spending hours in pointless meetings that accomplish nothing, or could have easily been conducted via email is one of the most common disruptions workers face. If possible, limit the number of meetings required and attend them only when necessary.

The Internet

Do you find yourself clearing your search history more than a few times a day? If so, you might want to rethink how you're using your work computer. Save online shopping, perusing and social media for your personal time.

Bad Office Design or Furnishings

It can be hard to focus in an office with old, uncomfortable furniture, poor lighting, and a bad layout. For example, if your office utilizes closed cubicles but requires frequent collaboration, those walls create a barrier to employee productivity. Consider instead upgrading to modern workstations that provide privacy in a collaborative environment.

Send the Right Message

Ultimately, your office design needs to send the right message. A well-executed design should last you for a good number of years. Your goal should be to inspire your employees and make them feel comfortable and productive, which is a hard thing to get right.

Contact Us to learn more about office design and furniture to ensure productivity.

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