Office Management: Minimizing Distractions at Work

It's a wonderful thing to sit at your desk and to come close to finishing a project. You're in the "zone" - mind focused and words and numbers flowing onto the page or computer. But wait, the phone starts ringing. The little e-mail announcement envelope keeps popping up at the bottom of your monitor. Bob from down the hall stops by to discuss the birdie he made on the course yesterday. Before you know it, your concentration is shot, and you know it will take a while to get back in the zone.

According to one US study, workplace distractions account for over 2 hours of lost productivity in an average work day. That's billions of dollars lost every year!

Working as an office manager for more than ten years, I've learned to minimize distractions at work to make my day more productive and satisfying.

The first rule of thumb to decreasing distractions at work is to Know Thyself. Some people can work fine with the radio blaring Top 40 music and kids running about under their feet. Others need absolutely silence as they work on a task. If you find yourself distracted by music or other environmental factors, maybe it's time for a change in atmosphere. Negotiate with your boss and co-workers to come up with a working arrangement that will work for everyone.

Barring the ability to work in an isolation vacuum, realize that you're going to have to make some adjustments to your working style and environment to focus on tasks at hand.

E-mail is an ever increasing distraction at work. If you find yourself checking your e-mail constantly (interrupting your work), check it only at specified times. Some time management experts suggest you check e-mail three times a day. Check it according to your own time frame, making sure that it doesn't distract you from your task.

Telephones are another huge distraction in the office. Many people I know schedule "no phone" times into their work day and week. If you find that the phone is a drain on your productivity, schedule an hour or two every day so your calls go directly to voice mail. Don't feel guilty about not answering the phone - the polite voice mail attendant will take your message, and you can return the call later on.

One of the biggest distractions at the office is going to be co-workers. Of course it's OK to engage in friendly conversation with your fellow workers, including your boss. Friendly chit-chat is not only appropriate, but expected at most offices. It's the term "appropriate" that confuses some people, especially when dealing with length of conversation. A twenty minute run-down of last night's American Idol is fun, but can really cut into your work day. If you need to get back to work, try a simple phrase like "I've really got to get back to that project now" or "That's great Bob, we'll talk to you later". If subtle hints don't work, you might have to be bold with a co-worker and tell them you have to bet back to work.

For those fortunate enough to have an office with a door, close your door with discretion. Most workers have an open door policy, which encourages communication and trust. If you find yourself closing your office door often to complete tasks, you might want to re-think your work load and the office set up.

Learn to bounce back from distractions at work. Of course you'll get distractions - it's just part of an office environment. Train yourself to quickly return to task as soon as a distraction goes away, so that you can focus at the work at hand once again.