<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none" src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=349935452247528&amp;ev=PageView&amp;noscript=1">
Find out where you can get a Taste of TAB... our global events blast is on!
Search
word-map-thumb

The Alternative Board Blog

5 Tips on Reducing Workplace Distractions in a Digital World

Feb. 12, 2019 | Posted by The Alternative Board
Workplace Destractions

These days, employees are faced with an unprecedented onslaught of workplace distractions, chief among them all the apps and digital sideshows that now pervade everyone’s consciousness. With all of these productivity killers, it's no wonder employees complain that it’s often difficult to focus during the workday.

But without the ability to focus, is productivity still possible? Generally speaking, the answer is “not likely,” especially when you throw in office noises and other interruptions (employees making personal calls, equipment breakdowns, etc.). The challenge for employers is finding ways to reduce these common workplace distractions and enable teams to be as productive as possible.

Here are five tips to help curtail distractions that keep workers from doing their best:

1. Keep meetings to a manageable level.

Meetings should have a clear-cut purpose, a defined time-frame and an invitation list that includes only those people who must be there. Sometimes when employees attend “with no real stake in the matter at hand,” they feel obliged to “weigh in at length”—a waste of everyone’s time. Restricting attendance to employees who “can provide helpful input and move the process forward” frees others to get their work done more efficiently.

2. Offer helpful guidance on dealing with email.

The avalanche of emails is probably the single biggest impediment to workplace productivity. In some company cultures, employees are urged to respond ASAP to all email messages—a surefire way to distract and slow down completion of time-sensitive projects.

In these cases, it might prove helpful to provide a written set of policies about how best to deal with this issue. Such polices might include instructing employees to switch off pings or alert noises and suggesting they schedule a couple of set times during the day to check voicemail and email.

Want additional insight? Download Productivity Hacks for Business Owners 

DOWNLOAD

3. Involve managers in the fight against workplace distractions.

Employees look to their managers for help with all sorts of workplace issues. So, it makes sense to train them in setting the right example and guiding their teams to overcome distractions.

It’s critical for supervisors to “set the tone by not contributing to office distractions,” notes HR recruitment specialist Jason Hanold.

For example, when employees hear “their boss loudly talking on personal calls, they may feel that it’s acceptable or that management doesn’t truly care about productivity.” Hanold also suggests that supervisors provide tools that help employees “reduce stress and distractions on a personal level.”

4. Offer alternative workplace options.

Does everyone in your workplace have to be at their desks eight hours a day? Is it possible to reduce distractions and boost productivity by offering flexible work arrangements?

Some employees “are most productive surrounded by absolute silence, while others find it stifling,” notes RealStreet.

Consider a reconfiguration of the office layout “to have designated quiet or collaborative spaces” and/or allow employees “to work from home one or two days per week.”

5. Make sure resources are there when employees need them.

In every work setting, certain materials and resources are needed to get jobs done. It can be a major distraction for employees when they run low on (or exhaust) those necessary supplies and have to hunt down someone to get them replenished. Maintaining a well-stocked workplace results in less concern about “employees wasting time and distracting others by tearing the office apart.”

Read our 19 Reasons You Need a Business Owner Advisory Board

DOWNLOAD

Written by The Alternative Board

Related posts

What Can Predictive Analytics Do for Your Business?
Jul. 19, 2023 | Posted by Lee Polevoi
Every business (yours included) generates a lot of data. Every customer interaction, sale, and follow-up report produce information of great potential use to the organization. The key is harnessing...
Ay Yi Yi: The Fascinating World of AI
Jul. 12, 2023 | Posted by The Alternative Board
Artificial intelligence. What once felt wildly futuristic has suddenly become mainstream and is growing more ubiquitous by the minute. You are likely already interacting with AI, even if you are not...
3 Surprising Trends That Will Change the Way You Run Your Business
Feb. 9, 2023 | Posted by The Alternative Board
There has been a lot of talk lately about Artificial Intelligence and how it is poised to change how nearly every business owner runs and grows their company. And it’s already happening. The recent...
Ways to Handle Supply Chain Shortages
May. 17, 2022 | Posted by The Alternative Board TAB
You don’t need a crystal ball to see that supply chain disruptions are likely to continue for some time to come. As we are all becoming painfully aware, supply chain disruption “is a major factor ...
How to Achieve Business Success by Knowing Your Strengths and Weaknesses
May. 10, 2022 | Posted by Phil Spensieri
Over my years as a business coach, I’ve heard hundreds of stories about how and why my clients got into business. Each story differs, but one thing remains common: every one of them got into business...
Inflation Busters: 15 PAINLESS ways to Reduce Your Business Expenses
May. 5, 2022 | Posted by Joe Zente, TAB Austin
Inflation Busters: 15 PAINLESS ways to Reduce Your Business Expenses April 20th, 2022 “Frugality drives innovation, just like other constraints. One of the only ways to get out of a tight box is to...
Clamoring for Talent: 3 Ways To Improve Employee Retention
Apr. 29, 2022 | Posted by The Alternative Board
It is still a tough labor market out there. The Great Resignation and the dearth of eager job candidates are keeping business owners shorthanded and clamoring for new talent. In many cases, this...
The Importance of a Leadership Development Plan
Mar. 15, 2022 | Posted by Phil Spensieri
As a business owner have you ever given any thought as to who will replace one of your senior staff if they were to resign today? It’s a hard question, and the truth is no one really knows when...
Protecting Your Business in a Time of COVID
Feb. 4, 2022 | Posted by The Alternative Board
If anything demonstrates the role of uncertainty in today’s business landscape, it must be the nagging persistence of COVID-19 around the world. Only last year, it appeared the pandemic might be...
5 Ways To Manage A Remote Sales Team
Nov. 5, 2021 | Posted by The Alternative Board
Sales leaders have struggled with managing remote sales teams even before the pandemic. Today, with an increasing number of organizations moving partially or fully remote, the need to put practices...