Are you having trouble finding time to complete your work amid all the time wasters and distractions in your office?
Meetings, email, chat, robocalls, spam, social media, “pop ins,” software updates, loud cube mates and more can keep you from doing your best work. Don’t let those pesky tasks stack up on you.
Below are seven ways to work around any workplace distraction:
1. Set up a “work day.”
Have a project deadline looming? Set up a “work day” with your team by locking yourselves in a conference room for the entire day. Set your calendars to “busy” and order in lunch. Establish goals and assign tasks beforehand so you can focus during your time together.
2. Turn off email.
For years, I was in the habit of answering email immediately so I could clear my inbox. I then realized this was distracting me from work that required focus and concentration (like writing and editing). Now, I keep my email program closed, except during designated “email time,” first thing in the morning, immediately after lunch and before the end of the day.
3. Say “no” to meetings—or attend a small part.
If you can’t make a meeting, say so. Offer to follow up later. If your attendance is required, put a time limit on how long you can stay. As Winston Churchill says in “The Crown,” “…if there is one thing I have learned in 52 years of public service, it is that there is no problem so complex,
