Being at work for long hours doesn’t necessarily mean being a productive worker. It often happens you’ll be working for eight hours straight but with little to show at the end of the day. Sound familiar?

This can be frustrating to employers in terms of the financial strain it puts on any company. Picture this: According to a 2005 U.S. survey, the average employee wastes almost two hours a day on something other than his or her job. This costs employers an estimated $544 billion in lost productivity each year.

Wasted time doesn’t only come from tasks outside of job descriptions. Many work related tasks such as meetings can also cause low productivity.

Is there a solution? One dynamic way to get productivity going is to manage your time better.

Top Three Time Wasters in the Workplace

There can be several culprits responsible work not getting done fast and effectively such as these non work related ones.

1. Texting or Talking on the Phone

Whether you talk to people outside of work or to your colleagues, every text you send or read takes up unnecessary time & side tracks you from the task at hand.

2. Being on Social Media

38% of employees admit to being on social media a few times daily during working hours. This has a major affect on productivity & employees can easily get lost for a few hours while on Facebook or related sites.

3. Smoke Breaks

While proper breaks improve productivity, taking them too often can result in work not being done at all. Smoke breaks often turn into socializing with co-workers so a five minute break becomes a half an hour one.

Why not implement time management equipment such as the ones you’ll find on advancesystemsinc.com? It’s not about policing employees but actually making it easier for them to be accountable.

And how else can you improve your time management at the workplace?

Keys to Time Management

Prioritize

We often get overwhelmed with our workload and start with the first task we think of. This approach will not only make you feel more stressed and disorganized but you’re also more likely to make mistakes & miss important deadlines. The addiction treatment is what one needs when they fall prey to addiction in such extreme cases.

Start your day by making a to do list and arrange items in order of importance. Now you only move on to the next point on the list once you’ve completed something.

Set Goals

We all thrive when we reach certain goals. Research shows that setting goals increases overall performance by influencing drive and speed. Here are three important goals that will help you:

• Time management: Make sure you set a time for each task to be completed & keep to it as best as possible. You can set your alarm to make sure that you stay on track and keeping your eye one the clock generates positive stress that keeps you working fast. Using time tracking software to track your work is also a good option. Check out Top Time Tracking Software with Desktop App: https://www.timecamp.com/blog/2021/06/top-desktop-time-tracker-apps/
• Be specific: Be clear when writing down dates and times. Give each task its own duration & completion time so that you feel more in control of your day.
• Be realistic: Your goals should be attainable to avoid disappointment and chaos. These emotions can influence how fast your work.

Take Efficient Breaks

When you’re running late or working on a deadline, you’ll probably skip your tea break and lunch all together. Anything to make sure you hand your work in on time, right? This might seem like the best way to use your time efficiently but in reality we make more mistakes when we don’t allow ourselves some breathing space.

Take a few minutes to go outside & eat something wholesome. No one can think clearly on an empty stomach anyway. You’ll be more efficient when you feel revived & will be able to think with a clear mind after a quick break.

Don’t Commit If You’re Going to Disappoint

It’s normal to want to be the best in the office but don’t say yes to a project if you’re not 100% sure that you’ll be able to finish it on time. Your employer will have more respect for you if he or she knows that you’ll always finish what you start.

One completed task will be worth more than 10 unfinished assignments.

Start Your Day Early

When you feel rushed or if you’re running late for work you’re guaranteed to start your day stressed and nervous. Getting to work early will automatically make you feel more organized & energetic.

The later it gets, the more prone you’ll be to feeling tired and worn out. By the end of the day your productivity levels will be close to zero so rather plan on starting early than working late.

Leave the Small Talk for Breaks

Having good work relationships with your co-workers is a great way to make your days shorter and more enjoyable. But it’s important to know when to focus on building relationships and when your work should come first.

You can lose up to two hours of quality work time when you think it’s necessary to stop at each person’s desk in the morning. Do you really need to know how the weekend was?

Rather try to socialize during your break times. This will make you look forward to lunch & you won’t waste any precious time. Remember you’re only robbing yourself of time, but the other person too.

Conclusion

Every second counts when you’re in the workplace. Unfortunately very few commit to making the most of those seconds.

Firstly motivation lacks in most companies & the results are poor time management & overall time wasting. So whose responsibility is it to remedy this?

Employers should put more effort into proper time management training & strategies such as cutting down work hours of employees. This will ensure more efficient time at work and giving employees realistic deadlines & workload.

However companies are negatively affected by employees having no regard for wasted time or money. When leadership models a certain standard in the workplace this can be changed to overall better work quality and efficiency. Time management is everyone’s responsibility.