Staying focused on work related matters can ironically be the hardest thing to do while at work. Things like relationship problems, sick children, or what's on the menu for dinner tonight can quickly take you from on track to off task. However, it is not all the time that personal problems get in the way, sometimes the problem is the office itself.
There are things like laughing coworkers, someone typing so loudly that you can't even think, or the smell of someone's lunch from the break room that serve as distractions. Here are the most common distractions that employees struggle with on a regular basis.
The Internet
One thing that can almost always be assumed in the work environment is that what lies on employees' computer screen is not always related to work. In fact, majority of the time there is a mix of online tabs up, some dealing with work and others dealing with a recipe you plan to try out after work. This kind of behavior is labeled by Psychology Today magazine as "cyber-slacking."
According to the magazine, a survey was taken which showed that respondents spent an average of 1 hour and 44 minutes of their workday surfing the web. When lost productivity is measured, this behavior is equal to calling out sick for an entire day in addition to coming in late the next day.
Social Media
The same survey found that amongst the sites that distract employees, social media sites rate the highest. However, no other website came close to Facebook, as it was the number one distraction of all social media sites. Most respondents admitted that of the numerous hours they use in daily cyber-slacking, 35 of the 104 minutes were used to manage livestock on Facebook's Farmville, along with "liking" people's posts and "poking" them.
Handheld Devices
All of the blame for distractions isn't placed solely the computer, as handheld devices play a large role in getting employees off track as well. A harmon.ie survey of over 1,000 British office employees found that majority of them used handheld devices throughout the day, and even during meetings.
Handheld devices also serve as distractions to other employees as people walking out of a room to use them can be distracting. This is in addition to phone ringtones and other sounds that these devices make.
Noisy Coworkers
One of the biggest distractions most people do not have control over are other coworkers. A survey done by recruitment firm Robert Walters found that 50 percent of survey respondents said fellow coworkers were the biggest distraction. Other people have the potential to be chatty, chew gum, laugh loudly and even sing to themselves, causing employees to focus more on them than on the task at hand.
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