The Hidden Productivity Killers in Your Office

You may not even notice, but there are quite a few productivity killers hiding in plain sight at your office. Any one of them can have a significant negative impact on workers and businesses. So, from employee issues to poor business, here are some of the worst you should watch out for.

No Pride in the Office

A lot of things contribute to someone’s pride in the workplace. Company culture, colleagues and the cleanliness of the place are good examples. If your office or workplace isn’t hygienic, tidy and safe, then you can’t expect employees to be enthusiastic to come into work, and this can destroy productivity. Fortunately,  a quick call to local professional commercial cleaning services can be just what your office space needs to keep the place healthier and more inviting.

Employee-Related Productivity Killers

A 2022 Gallup survey found that 60% of workers feel emotionally detached when doing their jobs. There are many causes for this, but for simplicity’s sake, here are a few solid examples:

• Gossip about anything can cause problems for colleagues and lead to issues like bullying.
• Mobile phones are a constant distraction that can take people away from their work.
• The internet is also a huge distraction, so web monitors and intranets are recommended.

No one should feel like they can’t come into a safe work environment, which can lead to a bad job. Phones are essential, but personal use and the internet should be monitored.

Not Engaging Challenges

Rising to the challenge is the hallmark of a quality business or service and an excellent indicator of how proud workers are of their employer. An engaged workforce will be open to meeting challenges head-on and doing the best they can, even if it results in failure. Failure shouldn’t be taken too harshly, as you only learn how something can’t be done. This means your business or workers are better prepared next time. So, always engage the workforce with challenging tasks.

Snack and Smoking Breaks

Smoking breaks can lead to complacency when it comes to slacking off. Allowing snack breaks will also have the same effect. This will result in a massive drop in productivity as workers spend more time away from their desks when there are critical jobs to be done. Scheduled work breaks are fine and can actually encourage productivity. However, these should be monitored for maximum efficiency and, of course, sanctioned so workers don’t abuse a break system.

Productivity Killers from Management

Management can also contribute to poor productivity. It’s easy to blame the workforce, but a business always needs the right management for success. Up to 50% of employees believe their manager isn’t good enough at their job, and there are some valid reasons for this.

Scheduling too many meetings

Too many meetings take employees away from their jobs. However, it also causes a drop in productivity when meetings go on for too long and become tedious without getting results.

Micromanaging everything

Good workers enjoy getting on with their jobs. Being too hands-on can cause employees to feel undervalued and almost always serves to undermine the jobs they are doing in the first place.

Poor delegation skills

It’s always a good thing to delegate. Employees love this because it shows that you trust them. However, important jobs should always be handed to the best person for it and not favourites.

Meetings are essential, but there are better ways to do it. Remote meetings and micro meetings away from the boardroom are good examples. A worker also won’t do a good job if you are breathing down their neck. Trusting them with jobs will encourage them to be more productive.

Taking on Too Much Work

Whether it’s a business owner, manager or the general workforce, it’s never a good idea to take on more than you can handle. Taking on too much work will result in a loss of enthusiasm for the job, poor time management and increased stress. This will result in burnout, which causes even more time away from work. Finding the sweet spot of how much you can handle is part of the challenge. But for wellness, you should try to balance work, personal life and leisure.

Working in Confined Spaces

Office spaces were notorious for being kind of segregated back in the day. Today, most offices are open and airy. But there are still some that confine workers to cubicles. While some employees might feel they can work better and with more privacy this way, most disagree. It is widely believed that an open office encourages social interaction, colleague assistance and wellness. As a result, employees will potentially work harder and longer while happier.

Business-Related Productivity Killers

Another Gallup survey found that 80% of workers don’t feel engaged at their jobs and aren’t proud of it as a result. Here are some ways the business itself can damage productivity:

• A visible lack of business will cause morale and engagement issues among employees.
• Rumours of layoffs are usually enough to cause workers to slack off and look for jobs.
• Poor customer service filters through a business and removes employee pride.

A drop in business causes employees to feel like it is failing and usually leads to rumours. However, most people also don’t want to work hard for a company with a bad reputation.

Noise, Disturbances and Distractions

Offices are generally quiet, and for good reasons. People generally work better when they can focus and concentrate with minimal distractions. One of the biggest distractions to an office is noise. Noise comes in many forms and can be chatter from colleagues, systems such as poor, loud computers or even traffic outside the building. Every effort must be made to ensure workers can get on with their jobs in a comfortable work environment that promotes productivity.

Summary

Having no pride in the workplace is one of the biggest hidden productivity killers in a workspace. However, poor management can also make things worse. For most workers, though, a distracting and noisy work environment is one of the most negative influences on productivity.