What’s distracting you most these days? According to a study done recently by CareerBuilder, the top productivity roadblocks in the workplace are:
1. Cellphones/texting
2. The Internet
3. Gossip
4. Social media
5. Email
6. Coworkers dropping by
7. Meetings
8. Smoke breaks/snack breaks
9. Noisy co-workers
10. Sitting in a cubicle
Are you ready to increase your value to your clients and boss, reduce your stress level, and achieve your strategic meeting planning goals? Here are five strategies that’ll get you there:
1. Own it. Take a look at this list and determine what’s keeping you from accomplishing your daily goals. If you think your phone might be a contender, try the Moment app. It tracks just how much you are on your device and allows you to set limits for yourself so that you start to step away from the 24/7 phone attachment and step into being a lot more present and productive.
2. Prioritize. Be hyper-conscious of what is on your task list this week and prioritize, prioritize, prioritize. What five things absolutely have to get done first? What can you delegate? What is just a time waster and not vital to your vision for your event? Knock those first things out first.
3. Nix the Internet. While it’s not for work-related productivity, take a look at the Freedom app. It blocks certain websites (including time-draining social media) and allows you to set controls so you can stay on task.
4. Time block. The top meeting planners are careful time managers. They purposely create space for tasks such as email review, meetings, social media, and even personal time. They set time (or as I like to say, fold time) so that they can work at their highest potential. Learn more about folding time here LINK https://neenjames.com/want-to-know-how-about-folding-time-watch-here/.
5. Be clear. In some of the most productive workspaces I know of, meeting planners get creative about sharing when they are in focus mode. Clearly communicating (without being rude, of course) when you are in “do not disturb” mode is vital. Some have signs up when they are on calls, for example. Others use headsets to buffer the noise around them and signal they are “in the zone.” What are some ways you can communicate that you’re paying total attention to the task in front of you?
6. Be mindful. Getting caught in a trap of office politics or gossip is bad for productivity, bad for business, and bad for your mindset. Make your workspace a no-drama zone. Know that even if you’re not spreading the gossip, just participating makes you part of an unhealthy problem.
Pay attention to what’s pulling at you. What’s taking you away from bringing your best and brightest self to your event—and at home as well? Don’t let the deal breakers get the better of you. Which of these strategies can you put in place today to change how you deal with distractions? I’d love to hear from you!
