A recent article on CNN entitled "Why the office is the worst place to work" discussed why it's difficult for a lot of people to get anything done in the office, and should be a wake-up call for companies if they need to start increasing workplace productivity. The writer pointed out that many people tend to get things done more elsewhere, such as their homes or on the way to work, and usually accomplish these during hours long before or after the offices are open. Among the biggest culprits that eat into people's time and productivity? The endless meetings and interruptions from one another. Faced with all that, it's no wonder that people can't get anything much done.
Not everyone agrees with the points raised by the article, of course, but it's interesting to see how many people actually do agree. It's definitely something to think about and help you step back and take a closer look at whether the day-to-day goings-on in your office is actually preventing your company from increasing workplace productivity.
For example, are you or the managers in the company calling far too many meetings on a regular basis throughout the week? Naturally, you want updates on the status of any ongoing projects, or you want to put across any feedback or news on the company. If your meetings last for at least an hour, and take place a few times throughout the week, you're going to have to reassess them, because truth be told, meetings seriously cut into the hours people could be using to actually finish the work they've been assigned to do in the first place, so they would have something more substantial to report next time.
Telecommuting is yet another option that people are hoping that more companies would allow. For a great number of people, the daily commute to their offices alone takes up quite a lot of time already, leaving them pretty drained by the time they get to work. Telecommuting solves a lot of people's problems and allows them to complete their tasks in peace. A lot of companies are pretty hesitant about allowing this, but it has been shown that it doesn't cut into people's ability to do their work.
The article makes quite a good point about letting people sign off every now and then throughout the workday. Sometimes, all people really need to do is a few hours of peace and quiet, so they can focus on the work that needs to be completed. So don't be worried if employees do this, and don't take it as a sign that you're being ignored. Letting people just do their jobs and not breathing down their necks is one of the best ways to increase workplace productivity.
More Information:
CMOE has been helping companies with
balanced scorecard template training and team building since 1978. Through
how to increase profitability courses and other innovative business techniques CMOE has established themselves a leader in the business world. Visit
www.cmoe.com for more information.
Categories
